Projektā sagatavota un iesniegta projekta vidusposma atskaite

Projektam iesniegta viduspoma atskaite "Mid-term Report on Progress of the Scientific Quality Evaluation Project Implementation" par periodu no 01.06.2019. līdz 31.12.2020.

Tā kā projekta vidusposma atskaite tiek iesniegta Ārvalstu eksperta vērtētājiem, tad īss kopsavilkums no šīs atskaites (angļu valodā), kas veidota sadarbībā ar vadošo partneri:

Mid-term Report on Progress of the Scientific Quality Evaluation Project Implementation

The total project cost: 645000,00 EUR public financing: 596625,00 EUR (92.5%), co-financing:

48375,00 EUR (7.5%).

Amount of funding used for achievement of results 350357,77 EUR, the amount of public funding: 324080,94 EUR (ERAF – 57.80%, country budged funding – 34.70%), co-financing: 26276,83 EUR (7.5%).

The aim of the Project is working out the prototype of innovative mw assisted water extraction technology and equipment for more efficient forest biomass feedstock utilization, flexible variation in feedstock and high value-added bio-products portfolio, focusing on the regional bio-economy demands in the forest and market situation, with creation of new knowledge increasing the scientific and engineering capacity of researches, students and industrial professionals.

Duration of the project until mid-term: 19 months (01.06.2019. – 31.12.2020.).

For the mid-term time, the project is implemented according to the plan and all the planned mid-term results are properly achieved:

- creation of innovative mw extractor equipped automatic controlling system (ACS) – achieved, MW extractor prototype (TRL4) described;

- elaboration of regimes of bark extraction (TRL 4)  to find beneficial conditions of Aspen and Pine barks extraction processing – in progress, according to the plan;

- the characterisation of feedstock and extracts obtained with emphasis on polyphenolic pool using advanced physical - chemical methods - in progress, according to the plan;

- valorisation of extracts in terms of their antioxidant, bactericidal and adhesives properties - in progress, according to the plan;

-the pelletizing of residual extracted biomass for application as biofuel, and generalization of the results in the form of technology prototype - in progress, according to the plan.

-scientific articles: 4, according to the mid-term plan, additionally to be mentioned, 1 is prepared in the reporting period and submitted to the Journal the citation index of which reaches at least 50 percent of the average citation index in the sector in January 2021.  

Project's direct target group is an interdisciplinary research group of experienced specialists, especially young doctors, doctoral students, graduate, and undergraduate students - increasing involvement of new researchers in the field of wood chemistry, biorefinery, materials and technology, microwave engineering and programming and in science in Latvia in general.

The workload of the research staff involved in the project in full-time equivalents (FTE) during the project implementation period will be 6.233 FTE, of which not less than 25% of all project implementation personnel will be students and applicants for scientific degree (at post-monitoring period: students and applicants for degrees represent 33% of the project group as a whole). The project establishes four new research posts with a total load of 1.926 FTE and, at post-monitoring period, a load of 2 FTE, ensuring the preservation of the workplace for at least five years after the last payment has been made. At the mid-term period (by December 2020) the workload is:

1.      new researcher with a total load of 1,27 FTE;

2.      young scientists with a total load of 0,61 FTE;

3.      students and candidate of scientific degree with a total load of 1,16 FTE.