VFAs are essential platform chemicals used in a wide range of products, including plastics, food and feed additives, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, and solvents. Today, however, they are primarily produced through energy-intensive fossil-based processes that require high temperatures and pressures and involve hazardous substances.

The project explores how Sweden can establish a sustainable and chemically safe system for large-scale biological VFA production using food waste and other underutilized organic residues. Instead of extracting energy alone from waste streams, the project investigates how these resources can be upgraded into higher-value chemical products, thereby increasing resource efficiency and strengthening circular material flows.

To assess the feasibility of this transition, the project will map relevant waste streams across Sweden and evaluate their technical suitability for VFA production. It will analyze environmental and climate benefits through life cycle assessment, examine economic viability through techno-economic modelling, and investigate market readiness and regulatory conditions. Social acceptance and stakeholder perspectives, from waste managers to industry actors and policymakers, will also be studied to identify opportunities and barriers for implementation.

Through close collaboration between academia, industry, and research institutes, the project will develop the knowledge base, partnerships, and strategic roadmap needed for future large-scale implementation. In the long term, the initiative aims to reduce dependence on imported fossil raw materials, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and position Sweden as a leader in fossil-free and chemically safe chemical production within a circular economy.