"The ATBEST ITN will develop innovative research and training for the biogas industry in Europe. It comprises eight training sites located in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Sweden and is a multidisciplinary collaboration between internationally-renowned research teams and industrial partners, each with complementary expertise in a wide range of environmental technologies. 12 ESRs and 2 ERs will be recruited and each will participate in secondments, industrially relevant training and 3 Summer Schools. The aim is to establish long-term collaborations and develop structured research and training relevant to industry and academia along the biogas supply chain (biogas production from feedstock to its utilisation as energy). The project will reinforce and expand existing research links to standardise and advance biogas training.The Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC) sets EU targets of a 20% share of energy from renewable sources in the overall energy mix by 2020. However, current technologies are not sufficient to reach these targets in a sustainable manner. ATBEST will develop new and innovative technologies for the biogas sector, to enable Europe to implement its Energy 2020 strategy and to address the challenges of increasing energy demand and energy generation costs. The young researchers will create new knowledge for the biogas industry, and will develop advanced technical and commercial skills to enhance their employment opportunities upon completion of the programme. ATBEST outputs will be disseminated across Europe – to policy makers, applicable sectors (including energy, agri-food and transport), academia and to the general public. An Innovation, Exploitation and Employability Steering Group will input industrial and policy expertise from the Associate Partners to the training programme. The Associate Partners will also provide feedback to each fellow and provide additional industrial secondment opportunities."