The Department of Environmental Engineering of the Technical University of Crete accepted its first undergraduates in October 1997 and its first graduate students in February 1998; and very quickly became a major centre of environmental engineering research in Greece. Presently, the Department has 18 faculty members and another 3 faculty positions are under review. Currently it has about 350 undergraduates and about 90 graduate students pursuing MSc and PhD degrees. Despite the fact that the Department is rather new, it has managed to acquire through National and University grants for fostering research and scholarship at the postgraduate level, all necessary laboratory equipment for undergraduate teaching and graduate research. Specialized laboratories are equipped with new analytical equipment that includes GC-MS, HPLC, LC-MS, ICP-MS, CE, TOC, qPCR, epifluorescence microscopy as well as with many pilot units.

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany, was established in 1991 as the first and only centre in the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centres to be exclusively devoted to environmental research and currently employs around 1000 people. It has participated in more than 130 EC funded projects. The Environmental Mycology Research Group (www.ufz.de/index.php?en=16781) of the UFZ Department of Environmental Microbiology (UMB) has long-term experience related to the physiology, biochemistry, enzymology, and biotechnology of fungal degradation of organic compounds, with special emphases on aquatic fungi. The related lab facilities enable fungal isolation, cultivation and enzyme production, enzyme purification and characterization, and sophisticated analyses of poly-, oligo-, and monomeric organic compounds and their biotransformation products. A strain collection of about 250 fungi from various aquatic environments, and furthermore several white- and brown-rot basidiomycetes are available at UMB.

MADEP SA (www.madep-sa.com) is an environmental biotechnology company, created by Trello Beffa in 2002, which is specialized in the development and field application of fungal and bacterial for bioremediation of contaminated sites (groundwater, landfill leachate, soil, wastewater, sediments) , for treatment of organic waste by methanization and composting and treatment of industrial/chemical and urban wastewater. MADEP constantly searches for reliable, leading edge and proven ecological solutions that yield positive and guaranteed results in order to apply them. MADEP possesses strong expertise for the isolation and multiplication of microorganisms (in lab and on-site) for bioaugmentation and biodegradation processes. MADEP has a large library of bacteria and fungi and. innovative bioreactors to work with solid and semi-solid fractions (biowaste, sludge, soils, sediments,…).

The International Graduate School of Zittau (IHIZ) is a small state university in Saxony in the triangle where Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic meet. During the last years, the scientific interest has focused onto three types of extracellular enzymes: aromatic/unspecific peroxygenases, dye-decolorizing peroxidases and multivalent esterases. The former ones were discovered at IHIZ and firstly described in the literature as well as successfully classified in the EC nomenclature system (unspecific peroxygenase: EC 1.11.2.1). The great potential of peroxygenases (representing functional hybrids of peroxidases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases), DyP-type peroxidases and multivalent esterases has been and is being investigated in several national and EU projects. Main activities of IHIZ in the Bioclean project will focus on fungal enzymes, their production and testing (WP 2 and WP 3). This will include the chemical modification and disintegration of synthetic polymers/plastics in vivo and in vitro as well as enzymatic and chemical analyses.

University of Ostrava (OU): 6 faculties, 2 research institutes, 9800 students, BSc., MSc. and doctoral levels. Unit of Experimental Biology offers expertise in: 1) environmental impacts of anthropogenic activities using standard tests of biological/genetic toxicity, 2) bioremediation of soil, water and industrial effluents, and 3) application of fungi to bioremediation using bio-filters and SSF biotechnology. The unit includes microbiol./ biotechnol. laboratory experienced in use of fungal reactors for degradation of pollutants and fungal biotechnologies for soil remediation, toxicol./genotox. laboratory experienced in bio-toxicity assays and bacterial methods for detection of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. The expertise includes bioremediation technologies and evaluation of their efficiency, detection of biological toxicity and genetic toxicity of intermediates and end-products of degradation. The laboratory has also pilot-scale facilities and equipment.

CNRS is the biggest research organization in France and one of the top one in Europe. CNRS labs are usually joint units with other partners (Universities, Grandes Ecoles,). "Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand” (ICCF, a joint unit with Blaise Pascal University and Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand), is one of them and will be concerned by Bioclean project. It is constituted by about 120 permanent people working on biochemistry for medical applications, on inorganic materials science, on photochemistry and polymer durability and finally on molecular thermodynamics. The research groups working on polymer durability is involved in the project.

Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials conducts interdisciplinary research on polymer sciences, related with economic and public government programmes as well as international scientific cooperation programmes. The research interest of laboratory (Biodegradable Materials Group) at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials in Zabrze includes chemical synthesis of model polymers via controlled "living" polymerization and enzymes in vitro, determination of chemical structure-property and function relationships of biodegradable polymers as well as multistage mass spectrometry and fragmentation analysis for characterization of subtle molecular structure of both synthetic and synthetically modified natural polymers. The group carries out studies in the area of novel polymeric materials, in particular biodegradable and biocompatible polymers for medical and environmental applications and has a broad competence field with extensive cooperation with national and European research Centers. The unique analytical methods have been also recently developed for the analysis of biodegradable aliphatic polyesters and products of their biodegradation. The studies are performed with the aid of modern instrumental methods (multinuclear NMR, ESI-MSn, FT-IR, AFM and others) on the basis of model reactions as well as theoretical considerations.

Organic Waste Systems (OWS) is a stock company under Belgian law, constituted in 1988. The company is mainly active in following areas: the area of engineering, construction and operation of composting and bio-gasification plants, the area of biodegradation and composting laboratory testing and the area of waste management consulting services. OWS developed the anaerobic Dranco-process to treat several types of waste streams. In the last years OWS also offers processes for energy crops, namely Dranco-Farm and BES reactor types. OWS has experience with the digestion of several types of waste, energy crops, manure and industrial side streams. Moreover the OWS contract research laboratory division has a longstanding experience in assessing the biodegradability, compostability and ecotoxicity of polymers, lubricants, paper products, chemicals, and other materials. OWS is recognized as testing lab on compostability by certification institutes in Europe (Din Certco, Vinçotte) and world-wide (BPI (USA), ABA (Australia) ,…). OWS is involved in the development of test procedures (and international standards) to evaluate the biodegradation of materials under different environments (compost, soil, anaerobic, water). OWS was, and still is, very actively involved in various standardisation committees and standardisation projects.

Felsilab S.r.l., established in 1989, provides several environmental services: Environmental consulting: monitoring, sampling and laboratory analysis and chemical-physical tests; · Engineering support, industrial plant consulting (design, efficiency increasing, implementation of safety measures) and R&D: waste-to-energy, waste management and recovery, contaminated and hazardous waste site management, sustainable energy solutions, studies regarding new optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications on innovative polymers etc. Felsilab’s personnel has specific experience related to the design and testing of chemical reactors (Lab-scale). Felsilab has a full-service ISO 17025 accredited laboratory. Felsilab is also ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and BS OHSAS 18001 certified.

Biobasic Environnement™ is a French environmental private engineering & consulting company, focusing on environmental biotechnology. Biobasic Environnement™ provides specific solutions in the fields of:

• biodegradation assessments on renewable originated materials (bioplastics, and other biopolymers)
• recovery of organic wastes (industrial wastes, energetic use of non-food plants,...)
• xenobiotics biodegradation in a view of site depollution.

These activities are based on innovative biological processes developed by an intense Research & Development activity. For this purpose, Biobasic Environnement has developed for five years several methods to assess biodegradability of different substrates like bioplastics. Biobasic Environnement™ provides services to the public and private sectors and operates in France and in Western and Central Europe. Biobasic Environnement™ is an independent engineering company, which brings to its clients solutions and follow-up in all the stages of environmental management, in the field of prevention, as well as in the field of remediation. As every project is conducted on a very sensitive field where regulations and techniques are in constant evolution, it requires Biobasic Environnement™ to summon up all its consulting engineers' expertise and experience.

EPE S.A. was established in Piraeus in 1977. By continuously investing in research and development and implementation of new technologies, EPE S.A. is one of the major companies in the field of environmental protection, offering a variety of services and products in the marine and industrial field certified with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The company is active in the fields of Environmental Protection Services, Marine and Industrial Equipment and Products and Cathodic Protection Services. Environmental Protection Services comprise marine and industrial spill response, management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, environmental rehabilitation of industrial and military areas and consulting services. EPE also manufactures systems such as sacrificial anodes, Reverse Osmosis systems, wastewater treatment systems, oil-water separators. The company’s Marine environment Division is among the oldest and the largest private contractors in the Mediterranean dealing with oil pollution response, having an excellent record of over 1.500 successful clean-up operations in Tier 2 and Tier 3 spills. Services are provided from 25 antipollution stations located at the main ports of Greece, Cyprus and in Lebanon. EPE operates a fleet of 15 oil skimmer and debris collecting vessels, floating separators, tug boats, reception facilities for oily residues, a 3000-ton tanker with oil recovery capability under contract to EMSA for the protection of Eastern Mediterranean and a 62-meter antipollution supply vessel with 1000m³ oil recovery tanks, heavy antipollution and pumping equipment and equipped for the collection of debris.

As one of the first top 5 Chinese Universities, NJU has 21 schools, 147 Ph.D. programs with more the 40000 students (>11000 graduates). NJU is honoured by the presence of 31 academicians of Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese Academy of Engineering and hosts one National Laboratory and six National Key Laboratories in the field of science and technology. The School of the Environment has 33 full professors, one National Key Laboratory and one National Engineering Centre for pollution control and resource reuse, and one National Key Discipline in environmental sciences. Expertise in environmental processes of pollutants and remediation technology: 1) Synthesis of pollutants with radioactive and stable isotope labels; 2) Biodegradation of pollutants in the environment (soil and aquatic systems) and engineered system (waste treatment plants); 3) Fate and transport of pollutants in field and their response to climate change; 4) Remediation and rehabilitation of soil and lakes.

DEDISA (www.dedisa.gr) is a corporation own 100% by the municipal government of the city of Chania and it is responsible for collection, separation, recycling and landfilling of solid wastes in the prefecture of Chania (170 EMP). The main activities of DEDISA are as follows: · Residential collection of Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) · Residential recycling. · Commercial recycling · Green waste collection · Recycling services for special streams of solid wastes: collection of e-waste · Municipal Solid Waste Recycling and Composting Plant of Chanea (one of three in Greece): management and operation · Landfill disposal: Management and operation of landfill of Chanea · Awareness for Sustainable Development - School-awareness Programme (reviewed and supplemented every year in accordance to local needs and response).

MMB is the leading independent oil spill response company in Norway. The company was formed in 1999 to provide oil spill response, training and equipment rental into a market that had historically been provided by the government but was increasingly being opened to the private sector. The company is based outside Bergen on Norway’s west coast in order to serve the North Sea oil market and the principle oil storage depots and refineries. We have a satellite base on the Faroe Islands and we work closely with Brazilian and British alliance partners to broaden our range of services and expertise. The list of services flows from the provision of consultancy services all the way through to full response capability and implementation of environmental solutions.
Examples include:
risk assessments - environmental impact assessments - sensitivity mapping and environmental audits - protection and prevention strategies - contingency planning - training courses and exercise delivery - oil & chemical spill facility design and management · inspect and auditing services - emergency response services - spill and waste management - polluted site remediation.

PlasticsEurope (www.plasticseurope.org)
exists to carry out pan-European work on behalf of the plastics resin manufacturing industry. The aims of the Association are to manage issues related to the production, use and disposal of plastics products, balance the image of plastics and to generate and provide relevant information in order to clarify the benefits of using plastics in society as well as dealing with the issues. The Association is focused on communicating its messages that are based on clear, objective, science-based research. PlasticsEurope will be responsible to run the dissemination activities of the consortium. The organization has plenty of experience, since it has been organizing the described events for several years. Events as Identiplast are a reference to the Plastics Industry so PlasticsEurope is ideal to reach the industry. PlasticsEurope is leading a global initiative to coordinate the different industry initiatives to contribute to find solutions to the impact of marine litter around the world. PlasticsEurope is a partner in a global research initiative with GESAMP, in order to contribute to gain a better understanding to the consequences of marine litter in the environments. This will help to disseminate the results of the consortium among the scientific community.

SIMA-tec is specialized in design and manufacturing laboratory and pilot equipment for research and development on customers’ requirements. SIMA-tec is able to integrate new techniques in specialized plants according to customers’ requirements. Innovative aspects and main advantages of the equipment are the high degree of automation and a highly precise recording of measured data. Another area of operation is the consulting of companies in improvement of e. g. process water treatment. In this area SIMA-tec is involved in several industrial development projects. Objectives of these projects are the development of new techniques for process water treatment or the implementation of new techniques in the industry.

With more than 700 employees, the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) is the largest marine science community in Norway. Our main task is providing advice to the Norwegian authorities on aquaculture and on the ecosystems of the Barents Sea, Norwegian Sea, North Sea and the Norwegian coastal zone. Around half of our activities are therefore funded by the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs. The Institute of Marine Research has headquarters located in Bergen, but important aspects of our work are done at our department in Tromsø, at our research stations in Matre, Austevoll and Flødevigen and on board our research vessels, which spend a total of nearly 2000 days at sea each year. The institute is also heavily engaged in international development work through the Centre for Development Cooperation in Fisheries (CDCF). The aim of our research and advice is to help ensure that Norway’s marine resources are harvested in a sustainable way. The scientific activity of the Institute of Marine Research is organised in the form of 10 thematic research programmes and 19 interdisciplinary research groups, a Department of Research Support and the Centre of Development Co-operation in Fisheries.
The research vessels and field stations are joint facilities for the research of the Institute. Our aim is to be a highly integrated organisation with a focus on science and short lines of internal communication.