MILLIBETER

Their core work

MILLIBETER, trading as Circular Organics, is a Belgian SME working at the practical intersection of organic food production, circular bioeconomy, and sustainable livestock systems. Their work spans two complementary directions: valorising agricultural and food side-streams into marketable bio-based products (through biorefinery approaches), and improving real-world viability of low-input, organic pig and poultry farming — including animal welfare, genotype selection, and alternatives to painful management practices. They enter research consortia as an industry-side participant, grounding academic research in commercial realities and contributing to the development of business models that make sustainable food systems economically viable. Based in Turnhout, Belgium, they are a small but practically-oriented actor in European agri-food innovation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

MILLIBETER's two projects reveal a shift from the industrial-technical end of the bioeconomy toward the social and welfare dimensions of sustainable farming. Their first project (InDIRECT, 2016) was squarely in bio-based industries — converting organic waste into sellable products, a processing and valorisation focus. By 2019, with PPILOW, their engagement moved toward farm-level practices: animal genotype, rearing environment, welfare, and co-creation with farmers and consumers. This suggests a broadening from "what do we do with what farming produces" toward "how farming itself should be redesigned for sustainability and ethics."

MILLIBETER appears to be moving toward systems-level sustainability work — combining circular economy thinking with animal welfare and participatory farmer engagement — which positions them well for future projects in regenerative agriculture or One Health/One Welfare frameworks.

How they like to work

MILLIBETER has never coordinated an H2020 project, always entering as a participant — a deliberate choice for an SME that contributes specific applied knowledge rather than managing complex consortia. Despite only two projects, they have engaged with 38 unique partners across 9 countries, suggesting they participate in large, diverse multi-stakeholder consortia (PPILOW explicitly uses "multi-actor approach" as a keyword). This profile points to an organisation comfortable in the practitioner or industry-voice role within academic-led research projects.

With 38 unique partners across 9 countries from only 2 projects, MILLIBETER's per-project network density is high — averaging roughly 19 partners per project — reflecting participation in large, pan-European consortia. Their geographic spread across 9 countries suggests they are not confined to a Belgian or Benelux bubble, despite their small size.

What sets them apart

MILLIBETER's trade name — Circular Organics — signals a deliberate identity at the junction of circular economy principles and organic food systems, which is still a relatively underserved niche compared to either field alone. As a private SME rather than a research institution, they bring a commercially-grounded voice to consortia that are otherwise dominated by universities and public research centres. Their combination of biorefinery experience and livestock welfare expertise is unusual and useful for projects that need to bridge processing-chain innovation with on-farm practice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• InDIRECT
  Their largest project by funding (EUR 175,000) and their only Bio-Based Industries grant, focused on converting organic side-streams into commercial bio-based products — a technically demanding and commercially relevant biorefinery challenge.
• PPILOW
  A long-running project (2019–2024) with an explicit multi-actor co-creation methodology covering pig and poultry welfare, genotype-environment interactions, and business model development — reflecting a more mature, systems-level engagement with sustainable food production.