IAESTE Internships

Location

Belgium

Internship type

ON-SITE

Reference number

BE-2026-002-UGE

Students Requirements

General discipline

Biotechnology

Completed Years of Study

4

Fields of Study

Languages

English Excellent (C1, C2)

Required Knowledge and Experience

-

Other Requirements

-

Work Details

Duration

25 - 52 Weeks

Within These Dates

01.04.2026 - 31.03.2027

Holidays

20.07.2026 - 24.07.2026

Work Environment

-

Gross pay

300 EUR / month

Working Hours

40.0 per week / 8.0 per day

Living Lodging

Type of Accommoditation

Trainee with the help of the LC.

Cost of lodging

150 EUR / month

Cost of living

300 EUR / month

Work Offered

Additional Info

Only candidates with EU citizenship (EEA or Swiss) (or dual EU nationality) are eligible, as the internship duration exceeds 90 days under Belgian visa regulations. Unfortunately, applications for shorter durations (up to 90 days) cannot be considered.

Work description

Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant was established in 2008 and currently has more than 165 employees.We work in a unique, open innovation pilot and demonstration facility for process development, scaling up and (trial) production of bio-based products and processes, from laboratory to multi-ton scale.We combine a wide and flexible range of modular unit operations with a team of highly qualified and experienced bio-process engineers and technicians to translate laboratory-scale bio-based processes into cost-effective industrial processes. Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant wants to be the workplace where all employees can grow and use their full potential. We offer a pleasant atmosphere, value and reward initiative, hard work and commitment.********TOPIC 2 - From lost fibres to sustainable bioplastics: upgrading industrial paper and cardboard waste streamsAvailable Project description:With an ever-increasing rise in demand for plastics, macro- and microplastics are increasingly being released into the environment. As a result, there has been a surge of interest in replacing conventional fossil-based plastics with biodegradable alternatives like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). To further enhance the sustainability of the production of these bioplastics, waste streams are targeted as a carbon source. In this respect, millions of tons of paper and cardboard waste are yearly incinerated in Flanders and the Netherlands. Yet, these unrecyclable reject streams contain over one million ton of valuable fibres that can be used in circular applications like bioplastic production.The FibreSave project aims to upcycle these lost fibres into sustainable, biodegradable plastics.This internship will focus on the saccharification and fermentation of true industrial paper and cardboard waste streams to produce PHA bioplastics. The specific objectives include:Optimisation and scale-up of the saccharification process for paper and cardboard waste streams to yield kg-scale fermentable sugars with high cost-efficiency.Development of a scalable fermentation process in state-of-the-art bioreactors, optimising key process parameters such as pH, aeration, and feed composition. Different feed strategies and fermentation modes like fed-batch and continuous will be investigated and the challenges of working with waste-derived feedstocks will be tackled.Assessment of downstream processing (DSP) technologies to recover purified PHA materials from the microbial biomass.This internship frames within the EU-funded FibreSave project and takes place at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP), a leading institution that assists companies and research groups to bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial implementation of their innovations. BBEPP is equipped with advanced process and analytical tools that will facilitate high-quality research in an industrial environment, in collaboration with an experienced team of researchers and engineers.

Deadline

27.04.2026