Conference
The 1st ENFiber International Conference Concludes in Tartu
The 1st ENFiber International Conference took place from 4 to 6 May 2026 in Tartu, Estonia, bringing together researchers, industry representatives, and COST Action members working on fiber valorization in the circular economy.
Hosted by the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the conference focused on how food and agro-processing side streams can be better recovered, processed, characterized, and used. Over three days, the programme covered a wide range of topics, including food by-products, green extraction technologies, bio-based materials, analytical methods, health-related applications, fermentation, scale-up, standardization, and policy.
The conference opened with a welcome speech by Prof. Marek Metslaid, followed by opening remarks and an ENFiber overview by Prof. Mecit Halil Öztop, Chair of the ENFiber COST Action. The sessions that followed showed the diversity of research in the field, from cocoa bean shells, apple pomace, olive pomace, and mushroom by-products to cellulose-based materials, functional ingredients, and novel processing approaches.
Alongside oral presentations, the poster session created space for more direct scientific exchange and discussion among participants. These informal moments were an important part of the conference, helping researchers connect around shared methods, materials, and questions.
The final sessions looked at what comes after the laboratory stage, including scale-up, risk assessment, sustainability, standardization, and policy. The conference concluded on 6 May with ENFiber Working Group and Management Committee meetings, where the network discussed future activities and next steps for the Action.
The Book of Abstracts is available here:
ENFiber thanks all speakers, moderators, poster presenters, participants, the local organizing team at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and the COST Association for supporting the first ENFiber International Conference.