The Research Centre for Renewable Energy (CREAR) of the University of Florence (UFL) merges several different Departments (such as the Energy Engineering Dept, the leading partner, and the Agricultural, Forestry, Chemistry, Earth Science Departments) into a single body. CREAR members are deeply involved in biomass and bioenergy research activities since many years. CREAR currently coordinates EU and National supported projects in the field of both biofuels as well as small scale bioenergy generation, and support public authorities (EC, Ministries, Regions) with experts for project evaluation and monitoring, and assessment of programmes. CREAR is national representative of the THERMALNET Network (EU IEE network on thermo-chemical biomass conversion technologies), IEA-Bioenergy (task biomass pyrolysis), and participates to several other Institutions and associations dealing with renewable energies (as ISES). In the biofuel sector the most recent activities are related to the areas of pure vegetable oils, pyrolysis oils, and ligno-cellulosic bio-ethanol. CREAR members have also long experience on the numerical and experimental analysis of gas turbine combustion chambers.