From March 17 to 19, 2026, the LCA4BIO project participated in BIOKET 2026, one of Europe’s leading conferences in the bioeconomy sector, held in Fribourg, Switzerland. The event brings together key stakeholders to foster innovation in bio-based technologies and promote sustainable value chains.
Within this framework, LCA4BIO hosted its fourth Co-Creation Workshop on March 17, focusing on a crucial pillar of sustainability: Life Cycle Costing (LCC).
A collaborative approach to robust methodologies
The workshop is part of an ongoing series of co-creation sessions organized within LCA4BIO to develop harmonized methodologies for sustainability assessment in bio-based systems.
These sessions actively engage stakeholders to ensure that the developed tools are:
- Scientifically robust
- Practical and applicable in real-world contexts
- Aligned with market and certification needs
- Easy to interpret and support decision-making
This participatory approach is essential to building a comprehensive Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) framework that integrates environmental, economic, and social dimensions .
Focus of the fourth workshop: Life Cycle Costing (LCC)
The fourth Co-Creation Workshop focused on Life Cycle Costing (LCC), a key methodology used to assess the economic impacts of products and services across their entire life cycle—from raw material extraction to end-of-life.
Key topics discussed during the session included:
- Alignment of LCC with the LCA framework (ISO 14040/44)
- Definition of system boundaries and functional units
- Key economic indicators such as:
- Net Present Value (NPV)
- Levelized Cost of Production (LCOP)
- Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
- Payback Period (PP)
- The importance of evaluating costs from different perspectives:
- Manufacturer
- Consumer
- Society
This multi-perspective approach helps answer a fundamental question: which option is cost-effective—and for whom?
Introducing the LCA4BIO LCC tool
A key highlight of the workshop was the presentation of the LCA4BIO LCC tool, an Excel-based application designed to assess life cycle costs from multiple perspectives in line with ISO standards.
The tool enables stakeholders to:
- Support eco-design and business decision-making
- Evaluate the economic performance of bio-based products
- Compare alternative scenarios
- Integrate economic assessment within the broader LCSA framework
Its applicability was demonstrated through practical examples involving project stakeholders, showcasing its relevance in real industrial contexts .
Engaging stakeholders through co-creation
The session also included interactive activities that encouraged active stakeholder participation and real-time feedback.
This exchange plays a crucial role in:
- Validating methodological approaches
- Identifying challenges and opportunities
- Ensuring usability and relevance of the tools
Advancing certification for bio-based systems
The LCA4BIO Co-Creation Workshops are instrumental in shaping methodologies that can be integrated into future certification schemes for bio-based systems.
Following previous sessions addressing:
- Barriers in LCSA implementation
- Dynamic carbon footprint
- Circularity
this fourth workshop strengthens the economic dimension within the sustainability framework.
What’s next?
The insights gathered during the workshop will directly contribute to refining LCA4BIO methodologies and tools, moving closer to a harmonized, robust, and widely applicable framework at European and international levels.
LCA4BIO warmly thanks all participants for their valuable contributions and engagement. Together, we are advancing towards a more sustainable, measurable, and transparent bioeconomy.