Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden is coordinating a new EU-funded project, SPECTRA, to develop groundbreaking technologies that use solar energy to transform plastic waste into valuable resources.
“Upcycling plastic waste and increasing its value using a sustainable energy source would bring significant benefits for society. I am very grateful for this opportunity,” says Ergang Wang, Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and coordinator of the project, which kicks off on 1 October 2026.
Global plastic production exceeds 400 million tonnes globally each year, while only a small fraction is effectively recycled. Current recycling technologies often require large amounts of energy and extensive sorting. In addition, the use of recycled plastic often results in materials of lower quality than the original. As a result, large quantities of plastic waste are incinerated, landfilled, or exported.
The vision behind SPECTRA (Multispectral Solar Photoreforming Device for Selective Depolymerisation of Mixed Plastics) is to develop a new generation of solar-powered waste-to-value technologies that can convert difficult plastic waste streams into valuable chemical building blocks that can be reused in manufacturing and industry.
Ergang Wang stresses that the key to making plastic waste a part of the circular economy is to make it economically attractive to industry.
“By increasing the value of plastic waste, we can create stronger incentives to address the long-term environmental impacts of plastic production. This is where our research can make a real difference,” he says.
SPECTRA has been granted a total of € 4 million over four years in the Horizon Europe European Innovation Council Pathfinder Challenge call. It is one of three Chalmers projects awarded funding through the call, and the only one coordinated by the university.
The project was selected in a highly competitive evaluation process, with only 30 projects funded from 667 proposals submitted across all EIC Pathfinder Challenges. Within the specific “Waste-to-Value Devices” challenge, only 8 projects were selected from 247 applications.
The consortium consists of researchers and innovators from Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy. Read more about them below:
Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden) – Coordinator Ergang Wang
Leads the project and develops advanced photocatalytic materials and separation technologies for converting plastic waste into valuable chemicals.
“We are excited to receive this prestigious grant and to work with outstanding partners across Europe. Plastic waste is a global challenge that demands breakthrough solutions. SPECTRA will explore how advanced materials, solar energy, and innovative engineering can be combined to turn waste into valuable resources and support a more sustainable future,” says project coordinator Ergang Wang.
Karlstad University (Sweden) – Prof. Moyses Araujo
Develops computational and AI-assisted tools to accelerate the discovery and optimization of materials and processes.
Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) – Assistant Prof. Fabian Eisenreich
Designs innovative photocatalytic systems and investigates reaction mechanisms for selective plastic conversion.
Cicci Research (Italy) – Dr. Lucio Cinà
Develops advanced optical systems and testing platforms that enable precise control and monitoring of solar-driven processes.
Antares Electrolysis (Italy) – Dr. Sebastiano Bellani
Designs and validates continuous-flow reactor technologies for scalable solar-powered plastic upcycling.
Chalmers Industriteknik (Sweden) – Dr. Liley Ye
Supports sustainability assessment, techno-economic evaluation, dissemination, communication, and future exploitation activities.
“The project will develop next-generation technologies to transform plastic waste streams into high-value resources, addressing one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time. It is a great privilege to work on a project that addresses such an important challenge,” says Lilei Ye, project manager and business developer from CIT.
Funding
This project will receive funding from the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) under the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101307317.
Interested in working in the project?
Ergang Wang will soon start the recruitment of a doctoral student and a postdoctoral researcher – more information on Chalmers webpage for vacancies:
Contact
- Director of Studies, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering