Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Alexandria University has launched a new European Union–funded project aimed at promoting sustainable solutions for agricultural waste management and converting waste into high-value products that support the circular bioeconomy and green sustainable development goals.
The project, titled AGROW-HUB, is coordinated by Alexandria University and funded under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program. It will run for three years and seeks to strengthen the role of universities in innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transition toward more sustainable agricultural and environmental practices.
AGROW-HUB focuses on the valorization of agricultural waste by transforming it into bioactive compounds with applications across a wide range of industries, including food production, animal feed, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and other green industrial sectors. By shifting agricultural residues from low-value disposal methods to technology-driven reuse, the project aims to reduce environmental impact while creating new economic opportunities based on clean and sustainable technologies.
The project brings together a broad international consortium of universities and research institutions from Egypt, Europe, and Tunisia. Egyptian partners include the German University in Cairo, Ain Shams University, and Minya University. The European and regional partners include the Universities of Monastir and Sousse in Tunisia; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of West Attica in Greece; the University of Turin in Italy; the University of Barcelona in Spain; as well as the business incubation and technology transfer company affiliated with the University of Turin.
The official public launch of the project was hosted at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, with wide participation from local and international academic partners, government representatives, relevant authorities, and industry stakeholders. The event underscored the growing depth of academic and research cooperation between Egyptian, European, and Tunisian institutions, particularly in fields related to sustainability, biotechnology, and green innovation.
Commenting on the project, Dr. Nermeen Salah, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology at the German University in Cairo and the university’s project coordinator, described AGROW-HUB as a strategic step in strengthening the university’s contribution to the circular economy and environmental sustainability. She noted that the project places strong emphasis on modernizing academic curricula, building institutional capacity, and aligning education with innovation and labor market needs.
Dr. Salah added that AGROW-HUB will contribute to the development of new training programs and updated academic courses, as well as the establishment of applied “living laboratories” that allow students and researchers to work on real-world challenges. The project also aims to support entrepreneurship by incubating startup ideas and fostering innovation ecosystems that enhance employability and create sustainable value chains based on green technologies.
She emphasized that the German University in Cairo’s participation reflects a broader commitment to linking scientific research with the practical needs of society and industry, while strengthening international partnerships across the southern Mediterranean region. Through such collaborations, the project is expected to contribute meaningfully to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to the creation of a more sustainable, knowledge-based future.
The AGROW-HUB initiative comes at a time of growing global focus on reducing agricultural waste, improving resource efficiency, and accelerating the shift toward circular economic models. By integrating education, research, and industry engagement, the project aims to position participating universities as key drivers of sustainable development and green innovation in the region.
