On 11 December 2025, the CAPTUS project hosted its second dissemination online workshop, “Building Social Acceptance for Biofuels and Carbon-Neutral Fuels in Europe”, bringing together research organisations and industry representatives from EU-funded projects to discuss one of the most critical enablers of the energy transition: social acceptance.
The online event has been organised in collaboration with SUSTEPS, COCPIT and NIAGARA, and featured insights from the REFOLUTION project. Together, these projects are part of the SustaFuels Cluster, a growing initiative of 10 Horizon Europe projects working to accelerate the development and uptake of sustainable fuels across Europe.
Social acceptance as a cornerstone of the energy transition
Opening the workshop, Irene Paoletti, Project Manager at EEIP, framed social acceptance as a strategic pillar of innovation and a decisive ingredient shaping market readiness, policy effectiveness, and societal trust. The workshop explored how social acceptance intersects with technology development, governance, market conditions and citizen engagement, drawing insights from both research and industry perspectives.
Demonstrating social value: insights from SUSTEPS
The first contribution came from José Gallego, President of ARDITEC Association, presenting work from the SUSTEPS project. His intervention highlighted how algae-based biofuels and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) can deliver not only climate benefits, but also positive social impacts, including job creation, regional development and circular use of resources.
By applying Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) and region-specific narratives, SUSTEPS shows how social acceptance can be strengthened when technologies are linked to tangible local benefits and aligned with community priorities, particularly in different geographical contexts across Europe and beyond.
Measuring perceptions: CAPTUS social acceptance survey
Chiara Monacchini, PhD candidate at the University of Genova, guided participants through a live walkthrough of the CAPTUS social acceptance survey, developed in collaboration with SUSTEPS.
The interactive session captured real-time input from technical stakeholders on their familiarity with biofuels, perceived barriers, and enabling factors. Results confirmed recurring themes such as high costs, regulatory uncertainty and infrastructure constraints, while also showing strong support for policies encouraging sustainable fuel adoption.
Industry perspective: market readiness and stakeholder insights from COCPIT
Representing COCPIT project, Dr. Michaela Papageorgiou, New Technologies & Innovation Analyst, shared industry reflections on the readiness of SAF and maritime fuels markets.
Her presentation emphasised stakeholder insights across the value chain, from refiners and ports to ship owners and regulators, evealing how different actors prioritise decarbonisation, cost, feedstock availability, certification and investment risk. These insights highlight that social acceptance is not limited to citizens alone, but also depends on alignment and trust within the industrial ecosystem itself.
Technology and trust: lessons from NIAGARA
Mihaela Mirea, Senior Project Manager at Lomartov SL, presented findings from the NIAGARA project, focusing on why social acceptance is as critical as technical and financial performance for advanced biofuel pathways.
Drawing on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles, she illustrated how transparency, early stakeholder engagement, perceived fairness, and visible local benefits are essential to earning a social licence to operate. NIAGARA demonstrates how technology can act as a tool to build trust, through monitoring, traceability and participatory approaches.
Citizens vs experts: evidence from REFOLUTION
The final intervention was delivered by Dr. Nina Wessberg, Principal Scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, presenting evidence from REFOLUTION workshops comparing experts and citizens perspectives.
Her analysis revealed strong convergence between the two groups on the need for reliable information, sustainable raw materials and fair pricing, alongside clear differences in focus. While experts emphasise systemic solutions and technology readiness, citizens prioritise affordability, convenience and transparency, with concerns about greenwashing and responsibility allocation. These insights underline the importance of tailored communication and inclusive governance in advancing sustainable fuels.
Strengthening collaboration through the SustaFuels Cluster
Across all contributions, a common message emerged: social acceptance must be embedded from early research stages through to market deployment. The SustaFuels Cluster plays a key role in this process by fostering cross-project learning, aligning methodologies, and amplifying collective impact at European level.
Keep on following us through #SustaFuelsCluster!
Watch the full workshop recording on YouTube
Disclaimer: Due to an unforeseen fire alarm during the event, the planned roundtable discussion with all speakers could not take place. The organisers will explore opportunities to continue this exchange in a future session or dedicated follow-up activity.