Oliwa Project Work Packages

WP1 – Coordination and Management

Lead: UNITO | Duration: M1-M36

Coordinates and monitors the overall legal, contractual, financial, organisational and administrative management of the project and also quality assurance, risk management, ethical approval and monitoring throughout the project lifecycle.

WP2 – Preparation and Testing of Olive Natural Extracts

Lead: UNIZAR | Duration: M2-M16

Investigates the effects of olive natural extracts (NE) through in-vitro and laboratory animal evaluations to establish the most promising NE and appropriate doses for WP4 applications. Produces NE (oleuropein, terpenoids, and hydroxytyrosol) from olive leaves, olive mill wastewaters, and olive fruit skin through well-established industrial processes based on chemical extraction techniques. Conducts safety and efficiency assessments using simulated monogastric static in vitro digestion, commercial primary and immortalised intestinal cell lines, and animal models (mice) to evaluate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

WP3 – Use of Olive By-products as Substrate for Insects

Lead: LEAZ-UTH | Duration: M2-M16

Characterises local olive by-products (OBs) generated in farms of different countries and uses them to formulate diets for insect breeding using black soldier fly larvae as bio-converters. Evaluates different inclusion levels of olive oil pomace (OOP) and other local by-products to cover insects’ nutritional requirements through optimal insect feeding substrate design models. Assesses performance parameters including survival rate, larva-prepupae time duration, bioconversion indexes, complete nutritional profile, fatty acid profile and phenolic compounds to prepare optimised insect meals for WP4.

WP4 – Use of Olive NE and Insect Meal for Improved Animal Health

Lead: UNITO | Duration: M14-M34 

Conducts large-scale animal trials using chicken, laying hens, seawater and freshwater fish fed with insect larvae meal and/or natural extracts to evaluate animal performance, health, and product quality. Performs in vitro safety assessments of insect meals/NE combinations on immortalised and primary cell lines, followed by comparative feeding trials across different countries using iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic diets. Evaluates meat and egg quality improvements including enhanced shelf life for human consumption, along with comprehensive health assessments through histomorphometric, biochemical and molecular investigations of intestinal development and immune responses.

WP5 – Sustainable and Functional Food Packaging from Olive By-products

Lead: AUTH | Duration: M6-M30

Extracts biomacromolecules from olive by-products and insect rearing processes to manufacture edible films and coatings for food packaging applications using advanced polymer processing technologies. Utilises edible biopolymers and bioactive compounds from olive waste, either alone or blended with proteins/polysaccharides, employing casting technique and advanced processing like melt-blown extrusion and injection moulding. Evaluates effectiveness of packaging materials through direct/indirect contact with real food products, assessing chemical, microbiological, physical and organoleptic features under different storage conditions while ensuring biodegradability and compostability.

WP6 – Biogas Production from Insect Frass, Poultry Manure and Olive Waste

Lead: METANOGENIA | Duration: M2-M34

Designs, builds and installs small pilot biogas plants to close the loop in the circular value chain perspective using frass of insects, poultry/fish manure and olive waste as input materials. Devises and tests different input mixtures inclusive of other locally available waste by-products, formulating appropriate combinations to ensure efficient conversion of organic waste into biogas and high-quality fertilisers. Operates biogas plants for at least 80 days across Spain, Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey, monitoring key performance indicators including biogas yields, methane content, energy efficiency while assessing environmental impact and potential scalability.

WP7 – Pilot Demonstration Implementation

Lead: UNITO | Duration: M30-M34 

Implements pilot demonstration of the entire circular economy and supply chain model in Italy, providing comprehensive field data for sustainability and business model studies conducted in WP8. Covers the complete processes and value chain from olive waste collection through material streams up to final products (bio packaging and biogas), collecting data at each stage for LCA and socio-economical evaluation. Fills the gap from laboratory to real world application by considering local social and economic factors while enhancing active interaction between stakeholders and farmers throughout the demonstration process.

WP8 – Sustainability Studies and Business Model Development

Lead: K46 | Duration: M18-M36 

Evaluates environmental and economical sustainability of each individual process and the entire OLIWA supply and value chain through Environmental LCA, Social LCA, and Environmental Footprint approaches. Performs comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment studies at product and process levels using Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus framework with data collected from previous work packages and pilot demonstrations. Develops exploitation plans and business models for each exploitable process to facilitate exploitation and adoption by farmers and stakeholders, fostering growth of circular economy and enabling evidence-based practical application of results.

WP9 – Engagement, Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication

Lead: ADEP | Duration: M1-M36

Implements comprehensive Multi-Stakeholder Approach (MSA) and Communication & Dissemination plan including training classes, webinars, workshops, focus groups, and open online collaborative platform for stakeholder interactions and knowledge sharing. Handles dissemination and communication aspects to maximise project visibility and results to all relevant stakeholders, contributing to increased overall project impact through scientific publications, technical articles, conferences, trade fairs and joint workshops with other projects. Manages intellectual property rights, open science practices, data management, and policy brief development while ensuring proper implementation of FAIR principles and collaboration with EU agriculture data spaces and related projects.