The treatment of organic residues with the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Hermetiinae) belongs to the so-called CORS (Conversion of Organic Refuse by Saprophages) process. The bioconversion carried out by the larvae of black soldier fly (BSF) can allow for the recovering and exploiting of organic residues. The process will produce a larval biomass as source of biomolecules or feed for animals, and a residual substrate, potentially available for agricultural use. The HERMES project was funded within POR FESR Lazio 2014-2020 to develop a biorefinery model based on CORS at regional level. The general objective of the project is the setting-up of a sustainable technology for the bioconversion of residual biomasses through the saprophagous activity of the BSF. In a circular economy perspective, the project aims to draw a "closed" cycle downstream the production processes recovering biomolecules from the larval biomass beside the use of the bioconverted substrate as soil amendment. A key issue of the project is the design of a prototype for the automation of the process on a laboratory scale, but with characteristics suitable for the scaling-up. The work will present the structure and objectives of the project as well as some results of the first year of activity on the mass rearing of BSF and the characterization of the residual substrate after bioconversion. © 2023, Procedia Environmental Science, Engineering and Management. All Rights Reserved.

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