About the Project

General objective:

Strengthening the research and innovation capacities of universities through sustainable cross-border cooperation for the efficient use of industrial processing wastes of grapes, fruits and vegetables.

Specific objective:

  1. Promoting research and innovation in the Republic of Moldova and the cross-border area of Romania in the field of intelligent valorisation of the industrial processing wastes of grapes, fruits and vegetables by:
    • supplying the existing laboratories with the required equipment and consumables;
    • attracting and retaining young people in research and innovation by creating an attractive and stimulating research environment for PhD students, focusing research on regional issues;
    • knowledge transfer, experience and expertise through the development of the Good Practice Guide for intelligent use of agro-food industrial wastes.
  1. Reducing the impact of agro-food industrial wastes on the environment, improving the quality of life and economic development in the Republic of Moldova and the cross-border area of Romania by:
    • systematizing the information on the type and quantity of agro-food industrial wastes produced by enterprises and creation of a database;
    • developing methods for preserving wastes functionality for further processing;
    • analysing agro-food industrial wastes impact on the environment;
    • development of technologies for the recovery of bioactive components from agro-food industrial wastes (polyphenols, carotenoids) with subsequent application in the food industry, development of technology for the production of natural sorbents, usable for water purification from solid fractions of agro-food industrial wastes, including after extraction of bioactive components.

Project relevance and the expected cross border cooperation:

The cross-border impact of the Project consists in the formation of joint research-innovation teams with complementary competences in solving common problems – agro-food industrial wastes management, by supplying the existing laboratories with specific equipment:

  • TUM – elaboration of methods for preserving the functionality of waste for its subsequent processing, analysis and extraction of active biological liposoluble compounds from agro-food industrial wastes, exploitation of bioactive components in the food industry;
  • “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” IULS, Iasi, Romania – analysis and extraction of active biological hydrosoluble compounds from agro-food industrial wastes, elaboration of the technology for obtaining natural sorbents, usable for water purification from solid fractions of agro-food industrial wastes, including after extraction of bioactive components.

The cross-border impact of the Project will rely on results dissemination through scientific publications, organization of conferences, seminars and workshops with agro-industrial producers and stakeholders, so that they can actively develop effective practices of using agro-food industrial wastes. The joint issues approach to the intelligent valorisation of agro-food industrial wastes will contribute, on a long-term basis, to the correct management approach of environmental problems in the Republic of Moldova and the cross-border area of Romania, which is an important aspect in the context of the Republic of Moldova’s association with the EU.

Project expected results:

  • Supplying the laboratories at TUM and IULS with the necessary specialized equipment for the project objectives achievement will lead to the publication of scientific articles in specialized scientific journals and serve for the submission of joint patent applications.
  • Creation of mixed research groups with the involvement of young researchers and submission of funding proposals for doctoral grants on the topic of the project.
  • Elaboration of a database of the primary processing enterprises of grapes, fruits and vegetables from the Republic of Moldova and the cross-border area of Romania, which will be displayed on the project website.
  • Elaboration of the Good Practice Guide for intelligent use of agro-food industrial wastes that will be displayed on the project website.