· The expert highlighted the strategic impact of the European ECOFFEE project for the valorisation of coffee waste at the III International Startups Congress in Seville.
· The initiative seeks to transform by-products from the HORECA channel into biostimulants and high-value raw materials for the primary sector.
Seville, March 24, 2026. The Pavilion of the Future, located in the Seville Tech Park, became the epicenter of sustainable innovation last week with the celebration of the III International Startups Congress. In this cutting-edge setting, the team of the European project ECOFFEE held a strategic meeting with Roberto Vélez, partner at Sicloo Circular Ventures, to delve into the challenges of the bioeconomy and the real impact of circular business models on the European business fabric.
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Vélez was emphatic when analyzing the paradigm shift the global industry is undergoing. For the expert, the direction the continent is taking, driven by the European Commission, has no turning back: “The future of the circular economy is crystal clear, at least in Europe; it is a political and strategic commitment”. In this regard, he explained that the work from the business and local level seeks to “add our grain of sand so that this becomes a reality for everyone”.
From waste to resource: The impact of ECOFFEE
The talk made it possible to break down the specific management of coffee by-products, one of the main lines of action of the ECOFFEE consortium. Vélez stressed that their operational work consists of closing the life cycle of materials that, traditionally, were discarded without control, generating a high environmental impact. “From Sicloo we recover coffee grounds, as in the ECOFFEE project, and transform them into other raw materials,” he noted. This disruptive transformation allows waste to be reincorporated into “new value chains”, giving a second life to tons of organic waste from the HORECA channel.
One of the points most highlighted by the Sicloo representative was the agronomic potential derived from these biotechnological processes. Vélez detailed how the treatment of these remains allows obtaining products in high demand for agriculture: “We also transform them into fertilizers and other biostimulants”. This direct application in local crops not only contributes to soil regeneration but also helps drastically reduce dependence on imported chemical inputs, aligning with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
To conclude, Vélez called for transforming the public and industrial perception of what we consider waste. “We are talking about a raw material that until today is considered waste, but which has an impressive value in terms of soil impact and all the potential of its by-products that can be launched,” he stated, underlining the great opportunity this represents for the competitiveness and resilience of the primary sector.
This intervention, framed within the I Sustainable Agriculture Conference of the congress, consolidates the ECOFFEE project as a European success story in technology transfer and waste valorisation. To delve into Roberto Vélez's vision and learn all the details of this initiative, the full interview is available on the project's official website: https://ecoffeeproject.eu/.
About the ECOFFEE project
The ECOFFEE project has a budget of €256,451.25 and is co-funded by the European Union. Its consortium, made up of technological and institutional leaders such as AZTI, Euskovazza, FumiHogar, and the Finnova Foundation, has the main objective of demonstrating the viability of a comprehensive model for the valorisation of coffee grounds through innovative dry micro-dispersion technologies and digital traceability. More information: https://ecoffeeproject.eu/