We are pleased to launch the first interview in our EMBEDED Partner Interview Series, where we spotlight the organizations driving innovation and sustainability across the project. In this edition, we speak with the team from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), whose expertise in agricultural chemistry, soil science, and sustainable resource management plays a key role in advancing biochar-based solutions and circular bioeconomy practices within EMBEDED.
Q: Can you briefly introduce your organization and its main area of expertise?
A: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid is one of Spain’s leading public universities, with a strong research profile both nationally and internationally. Our team is based in Agricultural Chemistry, within the Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Food Science.
Our work focuses mainly on the soil–plant system. We study soil quality, crop nutrition, sustainable fertilisation, nutrient availability, and the presence and behaviour of contaminants in agricultural and natural soils. Our research is closely connected to chemistry, agronomy and environmental science, and to the question of how agricultural practices can become more sustainable and better adapted to current environmental challenges.
In EMBEDED, we bring this perspective to the project by contributing expertise on soils, crops and the sustainable use of resources in agricultural systems.
Q: What role does your team play within the EMBEDED project?
A: Our team provides scientific expertise in Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Science, with a focus on soils, plants and the agricultural use of biochar-based materials. We work closely with project partners on common objectives regarding biochar production and applications and carry out chemical analyses on soils, plant materials, biomasses and biochars, from different project sites (Portugal, Ireland, Czech Republic and Spain).
We also lead several deliverables related to environmental protection, biochar design and biofertiliser composition, dealing with interpretation of the results, discussing their agronomic and environmental meaning, and helping to define how biochar can be designed for safe and useful application in agricultural systems.
Q: How does EMBEDED align with your organization’s broader goals or sustainability strategy?
A: EMBEDED fits very well with UAM’s broader interest in sustainability, circular economy and the responsible use of resources. UAM has a dedicated Chair in Circular Economy, and biochar is a topic that links different research lines at UAM, including soil improvement, water remediation, energy storage and green architecture. EMBEDED gives us the opportunity to connect this knowledge with regional needs and industrial partners.
Q: What type of residues or processes are you most involved with in this project?
A: In this project, our team is involved in the analysis and evaluation of agricultural residues from grassland systems, as well as from the cereal and agro-industrial sectors, including olive and wine production. We have experience in the valorisation of agricultural biowastes and in assessing how organic residues and derived materials, such as biochar, can be applied to soils in a safe and effective way. In EMBEDED, we contribute expertise on biofertiliser development, particularly on how biochar can be enriched with nutrients to improve soil fertility and support crop production.
Q: What impact do you expect EMBEDED to have at regional or European level?
A: At regional level, we expect EMBEDED to create practical examples of how agricultural and agro-industrial residues can be used locally instead of being treated as waste. This helps to better connect farmers, landowners, companies and rural communities with their local environment and supports more sustainable soil and resource management in practice. At European level, the project can contribute more broadly by turning scientific results into transferable knowledge, for the sustainable use of biomass and biochar-based materials, especially for southern European countries. In this way, EMBEDED can support the development of a circular bioeconomy beyond the specific regional contexts of the project.
Q: What does the circular bioeconomy mean to you in practical terms?
A: Circular bioeconomy means finding ways to use natural resources more efficiently and to make better use of local biological processes and residues. Instead of treating these materials as waste, the idea is to understand how they can be transformed into useful resources again. In practical terms, this is closely linked to sustainability and environmental protection, especially in terms of soil health, resource efficiency and reducing pressure on primary raw materials. It also has a social and economic dimension, as it can help connect smaller producers and local stakeholders more closely, strengthening regional value chains and increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency.
Q: How do you collaborate with industrial partners in scaling your findings to real applications?
A: We are in close contact with companies and landowners in Spain and Portugal, which allows a valuable and direct exchange between academic research and practice. This helps us better understand real-world constraints such as feasibility and practical relevance of scientific findings, while industry partners can benefit from our experience with biochar application in soils and croplands. Overall, this collaboration supports a more direct transfer from academic findings into practical use.
Q: What makes EMBEDED scientifically innovative compared to other EU bioeconomy projects?
A: The combination of research institutions and companies provides a strong framework for transferring scientific results into practice and ultimately into society. In addition, the involvement of partners from agriculture, forestry and construction brings complementary perspectives that strengthen the interdisciplinary approach of the project.
Q: What are the main challenges in characterizing or validating the bio-materials developed in the project?
A: One of the main challenges is the strong variability of the different materials and matrices, which differ in their chemical composition depending on their origin, for example in terms of organic matter, nutrients or ash content. This means that results need to be interpreted in their specific context rather than in a general way. For biochar-based materials, another aspect is how to combine or enrich them with other organic residues in a way that optimises nutrient availability while ensuring stability, safety and suitability for agricultural application.
Q: How do you plan to transfer research results beyond the project — to students, industry, or policy?
A: Students are at the core of UAM’s activities, and they are continuously exposed to ongoing research through teaching, thesis work and direct involvement in research projects within the department. This is one of the most direct ways we transfer knowledge.
We also maintain close contact with alumni working in industry and research centres, which helps to keep a continuous exchange between academic research and practical application. In addition, we collaborate with international colleagues beyond the EMBEDED consortium, which supports the wider dissemination of our work.
At policy and institutional level, we are in contact with networks such as the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) on soils, which provides an important link to broader European discussions on soil health, sustainability and circular bioeconomy.
Stay tuned for more interviews as we continue to introduce the partners behind EMBEDED and explore the unique expertise, experiences, and contributions each organization brings to the project’s shared vision of a more sustainable and circular future.
