Author: Louis Ferrini

The European Bioeconomy Network (EUBioNet) is a proactive alliance of EU funded projects dealing with Bioeconomy promotion, communication and support. The main goal is to maximise the efforts, increasing the knowledge sharing, networking, mutual learning, coordination of joint activities and events. The European Bioeconomy Network will work in close collaboration with the European Commission, to ensure that the objectives identified by the Bioeconomy Strategy update will be properly communicated, addressed and implemented.
 BIOPEN project

 BIOPEN project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

Nowadays, the center of the bio-based economy is the development of integrated value chains removing sector barriers, where market and product innovations are driven by societal needs and vision of brand owners, and require the collaborations between different sectors through new bio-based value chains (from feedstock to products), also establishing co-operations throughout industry clusters.

Open innovation has been identified as the major driver to perform innovation through the flow (in and out) of knowledge, technologies and competences, for organisations to design, plan, and implement market and product innovations as well as to establish sustainable partnerships joining forces with customers, feedstock suppliers, academia, and financial sector.

In BiOPEN a consortium highly specialized in the bio-based industry, composed by five European bio-based clusters, three open innovation expert companies, and one research centre, will embark on an ambitious programme to support collaboration and knowledge sharing in the bio-based industry, stimulating the set-up of co-innovation partnerships for the development of new products and markets in the sector.

BIOPEN ambition is to become a single voice for the bio-based industries in Europe, gathering expertise and promoting engagement and involvement of industry, researchers and academia at European and national level, by setting up an Open-innovation platform addressing strategic cross-cutting challenges such as (i) clustering and networking to develop new value chains and favour the emergence of co-innovation partnerships across the value chains; (ii) Stakeholders engagement and support with regards to setting-up at least 20 co-innovation partnerships alongside existing and new value chains; (iii) creation of a knowledge centre collecting the prospective and insight of the community, and providing access to relevant information for markets and products innovations in the bio-based ecosystem.

Contacts: Patrizia Circelli: p.circelli@cioatech.com

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 BioMonitor project

 BioMonitor project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The overall objective of the Monitoring the Bioeconomy (BioMonitor) project is to establish a sustainable data and modelling framework for the bioeconomy.

This will be achieved by developing and implementing a data and modelling framework that is effective (supported by a stakeholders’ platform) and robust (implementable in existing systems of statistical and customs offices, laboratories and industries).

The framework will enable quantification of the bioeconomy and its economic, environmental and social impacts in the EU and its Member States. Interlinks with current CEN standardisation work related to bio-based products will be established from the outset of the project.

The contributions of BioMonitor are threefold.

  • First, the project will close the data gaps in measuring the bioeconomy by updating and enhancing currently used data sets. BioMonitor will assure the inclusion of new emerging bio-based products and industries by developing appropriate tools and strategies.
  • Second, the improved data will be used to enhance established and new modelling tools, linked in the BioMonitor toolbox, to guide industries and governments responsible for the execution of consistent, coherent and longer term strategies with desirable consequences for multiple objectives.
  • Third, a BioMonitor platform for stakeholder engagement and training will be created to design, test (by industry-based and country-level case studies) and disseminate results of the improved datasets and modelling capacity.

The platform will inform the formulation of strategies and policies directing the bioeconomy to achieve its economic, environmental and social policy objectives according to the EC Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan. The awareness about the importance of measuring the bioeconomy within the industry will be raised through tailored training on bioeconomy standards and measurement of sustainability indicators targeted towards SMEs within the sector.

Contacts: Justus Wesseler: Justus.Wesseler@wur.nl

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 BioLinX project

 BioLinX project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

BioLinX will bridge research and innovation efforts in the bioeconomy by building three large clusters in Europe and initiating within them a range of powerful linking and innovation acceleration processes. The BioLinX partners have leading roles in the bioeconomies of South West Netherlands and Flanders, the Nordic Countries and Northern Italy and in the lignocellulose, agro- and agro-waste feedstock sectors.

The partners are all pioneers of systematic innovation management and cluster acceleration practices and between them have leading roles in over 45 current or recent collaborative bioeconomy projects. From this strong starting point they will select sixty or more FP7 and Horizon 2020 biobased projects from all stages of the value chain, form the BioLinX clusters and develop among them brokerage, collaborative innovation and business acceleration dynamics.

Specific objectives are:

  1. Selecting and scouting more than 60 high potential bio-economy projects,
  2. Developing a network of key regional bioeconomy clusters (i.e. RIS3 regions or equivalent) covering 3 geographical regions (north, central, south),
  3. Analysing, clustering and focusing selected FP7 and H2020 projects as well as the network of RIS3 bio-economy regions,
  4. Implementing the Innovation Linking & Support Programme consisting of activities focusing on Brokerage and Innovation incubation, Business development, finance and funding, Identifying and sharing good practices and Advocacy, communication and dissemination.

Contacts: Dennis van der Pas: d.vanderpas@rewin.nl

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 BioHorizon project

 BioHorizon project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

BioHorizon is a network of specialised NCPs (National Contact Points) for Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, within the scope of the Societal Challenge 2 (SC2) “Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy” and the Key Enabling Technology (KET) “Biotechnology” (KET-B). The network consists of officially appointed Food Security National Contact Points (NCPs) and Contact Points in International Cooperation Partner Countries (ICPC CPs), coordinated by the Instytut Podstawowych Problemów Techniki Polskiej Akademii Nauk (IPPT PAN) in Poland.

The mission of BioHorizon is to facilitate transnational cooperation within the network of BIO NCPs with a view to identifing and sharing good practices in order to improve general standard of support to programme applicants taking into full consideration the diversity of stakeholders and actors involved in SC2 and KET Biotechnology.

Contacts: Bożena Podlaska info@ncp-biohorizon.net

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 BIOECO-R.D.I project

 BIOECO-R.D.I project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The ADRION region has relevant unexploited potential of biomass from agricultural, fisheries and forestry waste and residues. The enterprises operating in such sectors are suffering serious delays in the green reconversion, multi-functioning, technology innovation, cross-sectoral integration. In this perspective, BIO-Economy represent a common smart specialization priority
BIOECO-RDI aims at developing a Regional Innovation System for the Adriatic-Ionian area based on a structured bio-economy sector though the development of Research Driven Innovation (R.D.I.) strategy at regional and transnational level
BIOECO-RDI will improve the situation:
– creating a collaborative network among Adrion regions, enterprises and academia for collaborative research, knowledge transfer and skills development
– supporting the enterprise and cluster in the transition process toward an industrial model with higher level of innovation and international collaboration
– boosting the integration between Green- chemistry and Agri-food cluster according with a circular economy approach
– creating an Adriatic-Ionian bio-based product market
– bridging the gap among the existing wide regional disparities
– activating a mutual learning process among regions with different levels of R.D.I. and bioeconomy business maturity
Project main outputs are:
-BIOECO-RDI regional and internazional strategies supporting regions in increasing bioeconomy RDI level and cluster maturity
Thanks to the full implementation of those outputs, it will be possible to integrate in a unique and consistent process, regions living different steps in the process of creation of regional bio-economy.
This process guarantees to the enterprises of the ADRION area to operate in a more advanced and integrated market, and to regional and national policy makers the needed support to develop effective policies based on circular economy approach.

Contacts: Diego Mattioli, d.mattioli@noesisonline.eu

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 BioEcon project

 BioEcon project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The overall objective of BioEcon is to develop, extend and fully unlock the research potential of IUNG in accordance with the new global strategies trends and changes in national needs through the creation of an excellent international and interdisciplinary department on bio-economy and systems analysis. The knowledge, experience, developed tools, research programme and collaborations will allow the institute to maintain the new unit in the institute also after the completion of the ERA Chairs project, it will operate in close cooperation with the rest of the departments of the Institute, with main purpose being regional development in line with knowledge-based bio-economy. This structural change in IUNG is a response to an identified need and potential on the national level and will receive the support of public authorities, industry and other research structures.

Contacts: Magdalena Borzęcka: mborzecka@iung.pulawy.pl

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 BIOEASTsUP project

 BIOEASTsUP project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The overall objective of BIOEASTsUP project is to support the BIOEAST initiative and Action Plan for transition of 11 Central and Eastern European (CEE) to bioeconomy. The specific objectives are: SO1: To trigger strategic thinking at governmental level and transnational peer-to-peer development of national circular bioeconomy strategies in BIOEAST countries. SО2: To emphasize the role of multi-actor approach in developing new value chains to advance bioeconomies. SO3: To develop in a multi-stakeholder driven approach a consolidated BIOEAST Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). SO4: To set-up and maintain a macro-regional framework in support of the BIOEAST initiative and the SRIA development and sustainability. SO5: To facilitate evidence-based policy making. SO6: To increase the visibility of the bioeconomy within the quintuple helix in the BIOEAST region. BIOEASTsUP methodology was developed to support a parallel setup: the project structure and the structure of the BIOEAST Initiative. Two work packages focus on the national bioeconomy deployment (WP1, WP2), two are dedicated to the impact at the macro-regional and the EU level (WP3, WP4) whereas dissemination activity complements all the components (WP5). The work plan is as follows: WP 1: Framework for National Bioeconomy Strategies Development WP 2: Capacity building for BIOEAST stakeholders WP 3: Establishing macro-regional structures in support of the BIOEAST initiative WP 4: BIOEAST SRIA development and positioning the macro-regional economies WP 5: Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation WP 6: Project Management and Evaluation BIOEASTsUP has been initiated directly by the BIOEAST Initiative’s ministries. In total 26 ministries support the project. In addition associations, industrial chambers, innovation centres, other research organisations and NGOs have committed to the project. BIOEASTsUP will further engage all stakeholders in the bioeconomy value chain to coordinate efforts to maximize the impact.

Contacts: Magdalena Borzęcka: mborzecka@iung.pulawy.pl

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 BioCannDo project

 BioCannDo project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The Bioeconomy Awareness and Discourse Project (BioCannDo) aimed to raise awareness and acceptance of the broad public towards the bioeconomy and bio-based products through a strategic, stakeholder-driven information campaign and education.

Convincing people that the bio-based economy offers something desirable, with new products, functionalities and applications for their daily life, that provide answers to societal concerns (e.g. climate change), requires neutral and science-based information. BioCannDo presented such information in a way that is easy to understand for the broader public. It provided various means for feedback, interaction and encouraged engagement in a discourse on common questions and concerns.

Collaborating with bio-based stakeholder networks and communities at EU, regional and national level, BioCannDo provided information, educational materials and key communication messages through such channels as a community of related projects and educational partners and an Infohub which combines different means of online communication (i.e. social media, blogs, videos, journalistic articles).

BioCannDo built on the legacy of previous projects (i.e. by using their networks, or social media accounts), existing material developed by them and collected, connected, aggregated and reformulated content from different actors and resources. It generated new content addressing the most urgent gaps in information and education. Such dual approach helps to maximise synergies and increase impact of both existing and new material.

The developed content and key communication messages was assessed and tested by stakeholders and target users through focus groups and a market survey. Findings were used in feedback loops to adapt the content and messages.

Contacts:

Martin Behrens, Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR): m.behrens@fnr.de

John Vos, BTG Biomass Technology Group BV: vos@btgworld.com

Website

 Biobridges project

 Biobridges project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

BIOBRIDGES is a 24 months action aiming at boosting the marketability of bio-based products – BBPs by establishing close cooperation and partnership between bio-based Industries – BBI, brand owners and consumers’ representatives. The ultimate goal is to stimulate and support the active engagement of and interaction among all stakeholders (including local communities and local authorities) and improve market acceptance of BBPs.
BIOBRIDGES will design and implement replicable methodologies, procedures and good practices supporting multi-stakeholders’ interaction, leading to new cross-sector partnerships.

Main activities will be:

  • Identify the cooperation challenges among consumers, brand owners and BBI
  • Create a sustainable multi-stakeholder community involving consumer representatives, BBI and brand owners from different bio-based economy clusters and stimulate dialogue and cooperation
  • Following a co-creation approach, increase consumers’ and brand owners’ awareness, confidence and trust on the benefits of BBPs compared to the fossil-based counterparts
  • Support the establishment of at least 2 new cross-cutting interconnections in bio-based economy clusters and define replicable procedures and good practices leading to the establishment of new cross-sector partnerships and business opportunities
  • Stimulate the multi-stakeholder discussion toward pre-and co-normative research, new standardisation/labelling and emerging co-creation models (B2B and B2C)

At the end of the project, at least 2 new cross-sector interconnections in bio-based economy cluster will be established, while the foundations for the creation of new ones based on the arguments, best practices and recommendations deriving from the project will be formed.

The BIOBRIDGES consortium merges a variety of complementary expertise, aiming to build a consistent multi-actor approach integrating 9 partners already involve in other projects like BIOWAYS, BIOVoices and BIOSTEP.

Contacts: Alexandre Almeida: alexandre@loba.pt

Website

 BioBase4SME project

 BioBase4SME project

Posted on by Louis Ferrini
Project concluded

The BioBase4SME network, representing many leading bio-based economy experts, will advise SMEs from across North-West Europe on how to develop new ideas into marketable products. The BioBase4SME project intends to help Start-ups and SME to overcome technological and non-technological barriers to bring their innovation to market. The project is based on three pillars:

  • Free workshops and professional training (see ‘events’)
  • Innovation Biocamps (see ‘events’)
  • Innovation vouchers worth up to €100.000.

The support offered through the voucher system can consist of:

  • Technical assistance such as scale-up to pilot scale
  • Life Cycle Assessment
  • Techno-economic evaluation
  • Market research
  • Feedstock analysis
  • Social acceptance
  • Business planning and business plan support
  • …

or a combination thereof.

Partners involved are AC3A (France), Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (Belgium), CLIB2021 (Germany), Ghent Bio-Economy Valley (Belgium), Materia Nova (Belgium), NNFCC (UK), REWIN (NL), TCBB Resource (Ireland).

In the biobased economy lays a big opportunity for Europe. Locally produced biobased feedstocks rather than imported fossil resources are used to produce materials, chemicals, energy… creating a new knowledge and technology intensive economy with high employment potential and with reduced environmental impact.

Contacts: Tanja Meyer: tanja.meyer@bbeu.org

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