Belgium

KU Leuven has about 40 years of background in the research on composite materials and currently employs about 60 researchers in this field, of which about 10 focus on bio-composite materials under supervision of the project coordinator (Prof. Aart van Vuure). KU Leuven has also been involved in many European project consortia, in the same expertise field. Important focal points of its research are on bio-composite (moisture) durability and fibre-matrix interfaces, that will also be its contribution to SSUCHY-Next. The research group Sustainability Assessment of Materials and Circular Economy has long-standing expertise in the field of Life Cycle Analysis and participated in various projects concerning bio-composites. The synergistic combination of the expertise and experiences gained from the first SSUCHY project along with the new advancements in the LCA methodologies over the recent years, will allow the Sustainability Assessment of Materials and Circular Economy team to significantly contribute to the sustainability of the SSUCHY-NEXT project, while simultaneously leading and propelling the advancements in the life cycle management methodologies beyond the current state-of-the-art. The project management will be supported by the knowledge transfer unit of KU Leuven – KU Leuven R&D, who have managed over the years multiple European projects and overseen the creation of more than 140 spin-off companies.