Within the framework of the cross-border project Bio Transfer GNP, led by the interuniversity research center Ecobas, an artificial intelligence-based tool was presented this Wednesday at the Ourense campus. This initiative identifies resources and opportunities to drive the circular economy from by-products of the agri-food value chain in the Galicia-North Portugal Euroregion.
The Bio Transfer GNP project (Biocircular Transfer Network for the Valorization of Endogenous Resources in the Galicia-North Portugal Euroregion) aims to boost the bioeconomy in this territory, connecting research centers with businesses. Participants include the three public universities of Galicia, the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, the Galician Cluster of Life Sciences Business and Technology (Bioga), the Portuguese Association of BioIndustries, the Centre for Waste Valorization, and the Galician Innovation Agency (Xunta de Galicia). The initiative started in July 2025 and will conclude at the end of 2027, with a budget of 1.05 million euros, funded by the Interreg VI A Spain–Portugal (Poctep) program.
The tool, developed by Miguel Rodríguez and Marta Senn (GEN Group - Governance, Economy and Nature at the University of Vigo), along with André Ribeiro and Tiago Mestrinho (from the Centre for Waste Valorization), facilitates quick queries on resource valorization. "It makes an interactive guide available to the public to promote sustainability and innovation," state the project leaders, highlighting that it helps companies and institutions identify circular economy opportunities and transform "productive discards into new materials, supplements, or energy sources."
The Resource and By-product Map for the Circular Economy in the Agri-food Industry provides detailed information on key sectors such as dairy, meat, marine, beverages, fruits, vegetables, and oils. Through the tool, information on production volumes, chemical composition, and potential valorization pathways for waste and by-products can be accessed. Queries are made through dialogue with an AI specifically designed for this purpose, allowing clear answers on the utilization of each by-product.
Miguel Rodríguez, a professor at the Faculty of Business and Tourism Sciences at the Ourense campus, notes that the transition to a circular production model requires overcoming information dispersion. The tool focuses on rigorous aggregation of structural data, combining official statistics with technical coefficients to estimate volumes and valorization alternatives.
The initiative identifies valorization opportunities that go beyond conventional energy use or composting. For instance, in the tuna canning industry, its residual biomass can yield bioactive components like hyaluronic acid, hydroxyapatite, or protein hydrolysates.
The map's multidimensional matrix has been integrated into an interactive environment assisted by generative AI (Google Notebook-Gemini). The tool is currently in its first beta version, accessible via the GEN research group's website, allowing researchers, SMEs, and public managers to query the database openly and flexibly.
