CUBIC is developing sustainable and circular bio-based materials, including polyamides, pre-pregs and carbon fibres for use in thermoplastic and thermoset plastic intermediate products such as filaments, sheets, unidirectional tapes, pellets and powders. These intermediate products will be assembled into complex end-products. 

The project’s modular approach will allow the characteristics of the complex products to be adapted to unconventional production processes, thereby overcoming current technical and environmental limitations so as to meet the needs of various sectors. 

Two end-products will be validated: a pressure vessel for gas storage and a car seat. CUBIC will also demonstrate the disassembly, recycling and recovery of the components. 

CUBIC aims to increase the sustainability of complex products made from advanced composite thermoset plastic and thermoplastic structures by developing new circular bio-based materials.

Its specific objectives are to: 

• develop and validate three 100% bio-based materials and at least seven circular intermediate products and combine the intermediate products into two end-products that meet all technical and environmental requirements; 
• demonstrate a circular and sustainable production system in two value chains – thermoplastic and thermoset plastic products; 
• explore the potential of the intermediate products in at least three other sectors, such as sports equipment, aeronautics and railway transport, and for other automotive products; 
• validate processes for disassembly, recycling and recovery of the products to highlight their circularity; 
• assess the environmental, social and ethical impacts of the products and develop chemical safety assessments and toxicology profiles for them; 
• apply artificial intelligence tools to improve the performance of the materials; 
• communicate project outputs to 300 researchers, 100 industrial representatives, 50 policymakers and 2 500 citizens; 
• create two training programmes – one for scientists and engineers, one for industrial workers – on the circular economy and smart, green manufacturing practices. 

CUBIC is expected to contribute to the green and digital transformation of European manufacturing by: 

• increasing the availability of circular bio-based materials for intermediate products and of renewable carbon sources for more sustainable production and consumption, especially in the chemical and plastics sectors; 
• diversifying the bio-based material and intermediate product portfolios and widening the scope of their applications to support the creation of innovative bio-based end-products in a range of sectors; 
• helping to reduce soil and water contamination caused by waste generation; 
• developing a sustainable, circular production model for bio-based industry built on flexible (using prefabricated or modular parts), decentralised, customised and low-cost manufacturing. 

The project consortium, led by Aitiip, consists of 13 partners with complementary competencies, including 6 industrial partners (Specific Polymers, Comfil, Carbotainer Proyectos, Moses Productos & Q-PLAN as small and medium enterprises and Novamont as a large company), 6 Research & Technology organisations  (Aitiip, Centexbel, Cidetec, Idener, DITF, Circe) and 1 Academic organisation  (Limerick University).The undertaking involves 8 European countries (ES, FR, IE, BE, DK, DE, IT, GR).

Funded by Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE-JU) under Horizon Europe, the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, under GA No 101111996. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CBE-JU. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.