How can locally grown grass create new business opportunities, strengthen protein supply and support more resilient rural communities? The Swedish project GREENROOTS will explore these questions, with opportunities for knowledge exchange with GBR-ACT.
GREENROOTS partners came together on 23–24 September 2026 for the project’s kick-off meeting. The discussions established a shared direction for developing regional business concepts for green biorefineries, bringing together expertise in agriculture, research, business development, biomaterials and energy systems.
Coordinated by Chalmers Industriteknik and funded by the Kamprad Family Foundation, GREENROOTS focuses on opportunities in Skåne and Västra Götaland. The project brings together Chalmers Industriteknik, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Wargön Innovation, Hushållningssällskapet and Energikontor Syd.
Green biorefineries can process grass and grass-clover biomass into protein products and complementary streams for applications such as animal feed, biomaterials and biogas. GREENROOTS will investigate how these opportunities can become feasible business concepts adapted to Swedish farming conditions, infrastructure and markets.
Working with farmers, businesses and regional stakeholders, the project will map existing knowledge and regional conditions, assess selected concepts from technical, economic, environmental and social perspectives, and develop practical guidance for future implementation. Particular attention will be given to how ownership, collaboration and market opportunities can support rural entrepreneurship.
The project has a clear connection to GBR-ACT, which explores green biorefineries as a route towards agroecological transitions and circular value chains across Europe. Shared partners, including Chalmers Industriteknik and SLU, provide opportunities to exchange knowledge, compare regional experiences and connect Swedish developments with the wider European research community.
The kick-off discussions highlighted the importance of combining technical knowledge with farmers’ needs, realistic market opportunities and effective collaboration. The first phase will focus on building a common knowledge base and identifying relevant stakeholders and potential cases.
By connecting regional business development with wider European learning, GREENROOTS aims to help translate green biorefinery research into practical opportunities for a living countryside.
Contacts at Chalmers Industriteknik
Sebnem Yilmaz Balaman, Project Coordinator
sebnem.balaman@chalmersindustriteknik.se
Nikolaos Xafenias
nikolaos.xafenias@chalmersindustriteknik.se
