Bio-Plastics Europe is organising the Scientific Colloquium on “Bio-based Plastics: Exploring Perspectives, Risks, and Solutions“, which will take place on September 20-21, 2023, at the Alfred Wegner Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Unite with experts, researchers, and industry leaders to delve into the latest advancements, applications, and future prospects of bio-based plastics. Experience captivating presentations, thought-provoking discussions, and interactive sessions designed to foster collaboration, ignite knowledge-sharing, and inspire collective action towards building a sustainable and circular economy. Seize this opportunity to explore the perspectives for bio-based plastics. Secure your spot today to witness this event! Hurry, as spots are limited!

Stay tuned for updates on the agenda, keynote speakers, and presentations. Together, let’s explore the possibilities of biobased plastics and a sustainable economy.

Don’t miss out on this transformative journey. Register now and join!

To avoid food waste, please let us know if you have any dietary requirements that you wish to be considered: https://ftznk.limequery.com/787796?lang=en

Call for Posters and Speakers

Are you a researcher or industry professional with knowledge about bio-based and/or biodegradable plastics? Share your expertise by becoming a speaker at the scientific colloquium!

Simply submit an abstract of your presentation by sending it to caterina.baars@haw-hamburg.de.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is the 1st of August. Please do not exceed a maximum of 300 words and 6 keywords.

Additionally, if you have noteworthy projects, case studies, or exciting initiatives that you’d like to present in a visual format, we welcome you to bring a poster for display during the colloquium.
Join us as a presenter or poster exhibitor and be part of bio-based plastics developments.

Do not forget by contributing to this event you can also have your work published in the Springer book “Innovative Approaches to Handle Plastic Waste and Foster Bio-based Plastics Production”. If this is of your interest, we will consider the abstract you send and invite you for a full paper submission.

The BioGov.net Project aims to establish innovative governance models in the bioeconomy by providing an inclusive training and mentoring framework in specific European regions. With this objective in mind, a questionnaire was created to gather information from key stakeholders.

This questionnaire aims to identify the needs, opportunities, expectations and solutions that stakeholders encounter regarding the governance of education and training in bioeconomy. Guidelines for the training governance framework will be developed using the collected data and the discussions held as part of the Communities of Practice established within the Project.

English, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Estonian, Slovenian, and Czech are the supported languages for the questionnaire. Please use the drop-down option to choose the language of your choice from the link.

Check out the questionnaire here!

The Executive Committee of the ICA Community of Practice for Bioeocnomy Education (ICA-CoP Bio-Edu) is organising the workshop “Engaging with industry to ensure that graduates and professionals are well prepared for employment in the Bioeconomy“, to be held at Warsaw University of Life Sciences from 26 to 28 April 2023.

Download the flyer with details and agenda.

A  Workshop focus

Educators and employers are experiencing a gap between the competences of graduates and what is needed by the employer in the bioeconomy. Although it is not possible to prepare students for specific jobs, it should be possible with the support of industry to prepare students more effectively for their future careers in the bioeconomy

The key objectives of the workshop will be to:

• recognise and examine the gap between expectations of graduates and industry on the working ethos of the bioeconomy industries.
• identify the specific generic competences required by graduates for careers in the bioeconomy
• recognise the need to embed in our graduates the mindset for the bioeconomy  – referring back to the Colloquium in 2022
• exchange good practices in realising cooperation between representatives of employers and educational institutions to improve the engagement of industry employees in curricula at VET, Bachelor and Master education levels.
• examine how to develop life long learning cooperation between employers and educational institutions in support of up-skilling industry employees for the bioeconomy

B   Expected Outcome

It is expected that participants will:

• address how to realise an optimal engagement of employer partners in the educational programmes to prepare graduates and professionals for their future employment.

C  Target Audience

Degree programme coordinators, lecturers, members of committees responsible for the (strategic) development of curricula. National education advisors and employers, who have a special interest in cooperating with education institutions, are also invited to contribute to the discussion.

D  Workshop Format

On the Wednesday afternoon there will be a joint plenary session focusing on all three workshop themes.  The Thursday session has three parallel sessions, one for each Workshop Theme. The Friday session will start with the three parallel sessions and then come together for a final plenary session.

Each Session of the Workshop theme will be addressed by keynote speakers followed by round table breakout groups to discuss the issues raised, with a concluding report from the breakout groups of the issues raised in the final plenary session on Friday morning.

Overview of the three Workshops:

1)  ICA Network for Innovation in Life Sciences Higher Education (ICA-Edu)

Workshop Title: The Student Engagement Challenge

The nature of learning is changing with a greater emphasis on blended approaches and flexible learning paths.  Students themselves have changing expectations about how, when and where they learn and the types of extra-curricular activities they are interested in and willing to engage with.

2)  ICA Community of Practice for Bioeconomy Education in Europe (ICA-CoP Bio-Edu)

Workshop Title: Engaging with industry to ensure that graduates and professionals are well prepared for employment in the Bioeconomy.

Educators and employers are experiencing a gap between the competences of graduates and what is needed by the employer in the bioeconomy. Although it is not possible to prepare students for specific jobs, it should be possible for universities with the support of industry to prepare students more effectively for their future careers in the bioeconomy.

3)  ICA-Edu Special Interest Group (SIG) for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education

Workshop Title: Embedding student challenges and competitions in sustainable entrepreneurship education

This ICA-SIG Workshop will focus on the role of student challenges and competitions as catalysts for entrepreneurial learning and student engagement within life science universities.

On February 14, 2023 the first Mobilisation and Mutual Learning workshop of the EuBioNet working group in “Standardisation, certification, labelling and monitoring” took place as a fruitful meeting organised under SUSTRACK project.

The event engaged 12 EU funded projects and 40 active participants in a discussion to facilitate networking, collaboration, share methodologies, lessons and plan future activities in order to maximise the joint efforts.

After a brief introduction by the main organisers and by Silvia Maltagliati, Policy Officer at the European Commission, DG RTD, the projects participating provided an overview of the main objectives, expected outcomes, sectors of interest and methodologies and tools.

During the second part of the workshop, the participants interacted with the collaborative online tool MIRO board to define opportunities for collaboration and an initial common action plan.

Are you a EU funded project working on Standardisation, certification, labelling and monitoring?
Join the EuBioNet working group! Write to Susanna Albertini – albertini@fvaweb.it