Strategic Innovation Initiative

The walloon region Strategic Innovation Initiative (S3)

Context of SII Waste2Bio

The Walloon State of the Environment (2022) lists 40,000 ha of potentially polluted land, i.e. 2.3% of the territory. The vast majority of wasteland is present along the Haine-Sambre-Meuse furrow, particularly in the provinces of Hainaut and Liège.

Their reconversion is a regional priority which pursues three main objectives: economic for the recycling of abandoned land, environmental because polluted sites present risks for human health and ecosystems, social for improving the quality of life of citizens.

A opportunity to develop green infrastructures

Being able to provide rehabilitation solutions to all types of brownfields within a generation and in an economically viable way requires the development of alternatives to depollution.

Brownfield constitutes an opportunity to install a vegetation cover with multiple services: restoration of soil functions and biodiversity on degraded lands, stabilization of pollutants, management of water resources, adaptation to climate change, improvement of quality of life and the health of citizens, job creation and development of the biosourced materials sector in Wallonia.

Main triggers and needs

1. Economic redevelopment of brownfields,
2. Production of biosourced biomass on abandoned land to avoid pressure on agricultural land,
3. Relocation of production with a circular and sustainable approach,
4. Temporary use of brownfield before and after depollution projects,
5. Eco-innovation and skills related to the circular economy within Walloon and Belgian SMEs,
6. Recycling brownfield to reduce land take and optimize the use of degraded lands,
7. Reinforcing the nature in the city: fight against heat islands, biodiversity, CO₂ storage,
8. Revitalization of urban areas: improvement of the living environment of citizens,
9. Training in high growth sectors (green jobs, ecological transition) and high societal value (circular economy).