# Two Mission Soil projects developing business models for soil health in a co-creation workshop

> Waste4Soil and DeliSoil projects organized a joint workshop focusing on circular business models and value chains.

## Overview
Waste4Soil and DeliSoil are circular sister projects working under the European Commission’s Mission Soil to enhance soil health. On April 24, 2026, the projects hosted a joint online workshop for 40 experts to explore business models and regulatory aspects essential for turning soil-health innovations into scalable, investable solutions.

## Strategic Importance of Business Models
Tuomo Eskelinen (Savonia UAS) opened the workshop by emphasizing that business models act as a bridge between strategy and implementation. Key takeaways included:
*   **Market Uptake:** Social acceptance, economic viability, and policy readiness are critical for circular soil improvers.
*   **Value Creation:** Business models must align with farmer needs, regulatory compliance, and financing structures.
*   **Strategic Value:** Marina Ettl (Proman Consulting) noted that using tools like the Business Model Canvas helps align value propositions with investor confidence and EU Green Deal directives.

## Real-Life Business Cases
The workshop featured presentations from industry leaders on transitioning research into commercial operations:
*   **Biopallo Systems (Toni Luoma):** Presented a modular, automated reactor technology that converts organic waste and industrial side streams into high-quality fertilizers in under 24 hours.
*   **Soilfood (Ossi Kinnunen):** Showcased their role as a Nordic market leader in utilizing industrial and food-sector side streams to produce recycled raw materials and soil amendments, emphasizing the alignment of sustainability and profitability.

## Project Perspectives on Value Chains
*   **Jori Taipale (Waste4Soil):** Stressed that sustainability alone is insufficient; innovations must solve specific problems and offer clear value (e.g., cost efficiency, water saving, or national self-sufficiency).
*   **Ronald Farrar (DeliSoil):** Highlighted that successful innovation requires integrated, value-chain-level business models that account for the economic feasibility of all actors, from waste generators to farmers.

## Co-Creation Workshop Themes
Participants engaged in breakout sessions focused on four key areas:
1.  **Social Acceptance:** Identified trust gaps and regulatory uncertainty as barriers. Solutions include targeted communication, demonstration pilots, and inclusive governance.
2.  **Economic Performance:** Concluded that decentralized processing improves cost-efficiency and product quality. Viability depends on competitive pricing and independence from subsidies.
3.  **Regulatory Compliance:** Emphasized that legal aspects (permits, end-of-waste criteria) must be integrated at the start of a project to avoid failure.
4.  **EU-Level Policy:** Recommended harmonizing waste and fertilizer legislation and increasing support for Living Labs and digital tools to match residue supply with demand.

## Acknowledgments and Funding
This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101112708 (Waste4Soil) and 101112855 (DeliSoil).

**Facilitators:** Ansa Palojärvi, Ronald Farrar, Marina Ettl, Iida Sallinen, Jori Taipale, Nora Hatvani, Mari Eronen, Pekka Maijala, and Tuomo Eskelinen.

## Further Information
*   [Waste4Soil](https://www.waste4soil.eu/)
*   [DeliSoil](https://delisoil.eu/)
*   [PREPSOIL Business Model Canvas Overview](https://prepsoil.eu/living-labs-and-lighthouses/business-model-canvas-overview)