What an exciting week! From March 5th to the 7th, the BOOST4BIOEAST (B4B) project Kick-Off and the Annual BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference made Budapest the center of the bioeconomy community in the Central Eastern European and Baltic Countries.
The project already had its official kick-start on 31 January online, however the consortium was committed to meet in-person at the early stage of implementation as well to focus on the strategic planning, practical realization of main activities – namely to develop national bioeconomy action plans and the BIOEAST Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) – and building synergies between tasks for the first year. Co-creation approach using different participatory methods were applied during the project meeting to arrive to a comprehensive and rich exchange and inclusion of different points of view between partners. Both national stakeholder networks (HUBs) and macro-regional Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) foresee the participation of a variety of stakeholders, and B4B is set to consider the different needs, barriers, challenges, and opportunities of the concerned actors.

Following the B4B Kick-off, the Annual BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference took place between 6-7th March, jointly organized by the project and the BIOEAST Initiative.
The conference represented an important occasion to address pivotal strategic, policy-related, economic and political challenges concerning the macro-region’s goal of implementing a transition towards a sustainable, circular and socially fair bioeconomy by facilitating the creation and expansion of BIOEAST HUBs. Over 130 participants attended the conference from the BIOEAST macro-region across all bioeconomy related fields from research, public administration, primary sector, and industry making the event a great opportunity for networking, too.

The conference was opened by Dr. András Tompos, director of Institute for Material and Environmental Chemistry of the Research Center for Natural Sciences and Dr. Adrienn Baksa, head of department for agricultural modernization of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture.

The keynote speaker of the conference, Dr. Barna Kovács, secretary general of the BIOEAST Initiative took stock of the Initiative’s results since 2016 and rolled out the new BIOEAST agenda for 2024 onwards explaining: “ In light of the multiple crises we experience in Europe, from COVID19, the war in Ukraine to weather extremities (like unprecedented heatwaves), there is an opportunity in rethinking the role of Central Eastern European and Baltic countries, including Western Balkan to contribute to the management of this critical period in the EU. Therefore, the BIOEAST countries should take the opportunity to build up an R&I driven joint programming structure (BIOEAST Partnership) that aims to build a bridge between Eastern European countries and other parts of the EU to secure knowledge transfer for sustainable transition toward circular bioeconomies.”
Therefore, the creation and strengthening of national expert communities (BIOEAST HUBs) at the national level is an important preparatory step for the BIOEAST Partnership as they will represent national bioeconomy innovation ecosystems that support collaboration and knowledge transfer across the Partnership countries. Korinna Varga (Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture) gave an overview of the B4B project aiming to support the BIOEAST Initiative in its goals to facilitate the development of national bioeconomy action plans and BIOEAST SRIA. María Beatriz Rosell (Geonardo) presented the CEE2ACT project having similar activities and therefore, close collaboration is foreseen with B4B when creating the national bioeconomy stakeholder communities.

Inazio Martinez, coordinator of Bioregions Facility at the European Forest Institute, talked about the role of stakeholder networks in bioeconomy transition building on the good practices and experiences of the Network of European Regions for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ERIAFF). Martinez highlighted that building collaboration between stakeholders across sectors, policy domains, science-business-society and regions is essential for creating successful bioeconomy networks just as providing shared vision, economic, environmental and societial benefits for all actors involved.

Marie Kubankova, coordinator of the Czech BIOEAST HUB presented the most important lessons learnt in developing the first BIOEAST HUB in the marco-region while Dasa Beric, Head of Department for Coordination of Implementation of International Commitments in the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture explained how the Croatian bioeconomy strategy was developed though the engagement of wide range of stakeholders. The strategy aims to develop sustainable production and raw material market and increase the added value in the bioeconomy by 2035 financed by the combination of European and national funds.

Tomasz Calikowski, Policy Officer at the DG RTD Directorate B “Healthy Planet”, unit B1 “Green Transitions” talked about the recent developments in the EU bioeconomy policy, relevant research and innovation opportunites under the Horizon Europe Cluster 6 targeted for regions, while Luisa Mascia, Project Officer at the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) more specifically highlighted CBE JU’s widening strategy and its action plan and related call opportunities.

The conference also offered practical workshops aimed to involve participants in identifying the main barriers of a more active European Research Area (ERA) participation of CEE countries, good practices in stakeholder engagement in bioeconomy and on the funding and financing opportunities of bioeconomy innovation.

The BIOEAST Thematic Working Groups also had the chance to discuss with their representatives the future of their work in B4B aligned with the vision of the BIOEAST Partnership in closed sessions. The event was a perfect opportunity to identify key points (challenges, enablers, good practices, incentives, youth involvement) that support the establishment of national HUBs and foster long-term collaboration between national and macro-regional bioeconomy stakeholders.

As closure of the conference, two field trips to Hungarian biorefineries were organised to Hungrana and Pannonia Bio that represent successful case studies for the production of added value products such as bioethanol, various starch, sugar and feed products from grains.

We would like to thank all speakers and participants for offering their insights and ideas on shaping the future of the macro-region’s bioeconomy and hope to meet again next year in Bucharest, Romania.

From April 7th to the 9th, the BOOST4BIOEAST (B4B) project meeting and the Annual BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference, held at the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences in Bucharest successfully brought together more than 180 stakeholders from across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to initiate discussions on the renewal of BIOEAST-specific research and innovation priorities.

At the annual project meeting (8–9 April), all 30 partners of the B4B consortium took stock of last year’s progress and prepared for upcoming activities. During the past year, B4B marked significant progress with the kick-off of 9 national HUBs (11 in total), the renewal of BIOEAST website and launch of the Knowledge Platform along with 11 mini-HUB pages. Significant preparatory work has been done by the launch of multidimensional mapping in all HUBs to assess macro-regional bioeconomy competences, biomass availability, educational needs and innovation systems. Moreover, the methodologies for the development of national Action Plans and update of the BIOEAST Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) have been established. The main goals for 2025 are to strengthen and animate national HUBs in an engaging manner, starting the Action Plan development process for the 11 BIOEAST countries, shaping the next phase of the BIOEAST SRIA and organizing an impactful Open Innovation Challenge with pitching events across the macro-region.

After the project meeting, the Annual BIOEAST Conference (9–10 April), co-organized by the B4B project and the BIOEAST Initiative served as a critical milestone in revising the SRIA. The event focused on aligning macro-regional research and innovation (R&I) priorities with emerging EU strategies and policy developments, while reflecting the unique needs of the CEE macro-region.

The conference was opened by Zoltán-József Mihály, State Secretary and Viorel Morarescu, Director for Vegetal Sector of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dumitru-Daniel Botănoiu, State Counsellor of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Valeriu Tabara, President of the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences.

Barna Kovács, Secretary of the BIOEAST Initiative, opened the plenary with a call to strengthen the European Research Area through an enhanced bioeconomy R&I ecosystem. Looking ahead to 2025, Mr. Kovács described it as a pivotal year for the Initiative. He noted a significant shift in the EU bioeconomy landscape—from being research-driven to being oriented around market competitiveness and sustainability. He connected this to broader policy discussions, including post-2027 CAP reforms, the design of the next Research and Innovation Framework Programme (FP10), and upcoming Council presidencies, all of which are increasingly focused on issues of security, competitiveness, and sustainability. He concluded with three core questions intended to guide the strategic discussions of the coming year: whether the biomass of the CEE is being recognized as critical for Europe’s sustainability and competitiveness; whether the gaps facing the region are being adequately documented and addressed; and whether political and financial commitment exists to ensure that bioeconomy-related research and innovation can thrive long-term.

Keynote speaker Veronique Sante-Lhoutellier from the FutureFoodS Partnership – a long-term European co-funded partnership running from 2024 to 2034 aimed at transforming food systems toward sustainability – offered insights on building effective SRIA from a research management perspective. She stressed the importance of collaboration and ongoing stakeholder engagement. The methodology used in developing the SRIA—particularly its focus on co-design, multi-stakeholder involvement, and a systems perspective—sets a model for how complex societal challenges like food security and production sustainability can be addressed through research-driven partnerships.

Tomasz Calikowski from DG RTD provided an in-depth look at the European Commission’s current thinking and plans regarding the revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy (the public consultation is currently open for the Strategy until 23 June). He highlighted the strong alignment with the BIOEAST Initiative. Recent Council conclusions under the Hungarian presidency explicitly supported a Europe-wide R&I initiative to advance sustainable natural resource management and bioeconomy development, particularly in the CEE. Several recent events, including the “BIOEAST and Beyond” conference and various SCAR working group meetings, have informed the strategy’s direction. The 2025 work programme for Horizon Europe Cluster 6 includes a specific draft topic aimed at enhancing bioeconomy R&I in BIOEAST countries, with a focus on soil and water resilience, sustainable biomass use, and food system security. Mr. Calikowski closed by reaffirming the importance of aligning EU policies with regional realities, and by calling for continued engagement as the bioeconomy becomes a central pillar of Europe’s clean, circular, and competitive future.

After the plenary presentations, a science-policy panel discussion moderated by Maria Anghel from the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture showcased early findings from the BOOST4BIOEAST project’s multidimensional mapping of the bioeconomy in the macro-region, sparking valuable dialogue on knowledge gaps and policy implications. Andrea Violeta Arancibia Alfaro, from the European Forest Institute, is actively involved in strengthening national BIOEAST HUBs and leading mappings on bioeconomy education, skills, and stakeholder collaboration. Laura García, representing the German Biomass Research Centre, is leading the effort on mapping biomass use, potential and competencies (social, technological and economic). Csaba Bálint, from the Hungarian Research Institute of Agricultural Economics, is responsible for the mapping of innovation ecosystems. Dániel Ganszky, from Geonardo, represented the sister project CEE2ACT. As the project nears completion, he reflected on key achievements and explained how CEE2ACT’s results can support BOOST4BIOEAST’s mapping and Action Plan development. Panellist described the key findings from the multidimensional mapping and its connection to support decision-makers by informing the upcoming national bioeconomy Action Plans in each country.

The BIOEAST SRIA workshop formed the key part of the conference, serving as the first step in the consultative process focused on updating the SRIA of the BIOEAST Initiative.

The session began with a presentation segment, offering participants a recap of the original 2022 SRIA and highlighting why a revision is timely and necessary. Speakers Gábor Király from the Research Institute of Agricultural Economics (AKI), Valéria Csonka from the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), and Balázs Imre from the Budapest University of Technology (BME) provided key insights drawn from the ‘BIOEAST and Beyond’ high-level conference held on 4-6 December 2024, showed the planned SRIA update process of 2025-2026 as well as reflections on new drivers in the European and regional bioeconomy landscapes. They emphasized the importance of refreshing the SRIA to remain aligned with evolving EU strategies, the European Research Area priorities, and the specific innovation needs of the BIOEAST macro-region.

Beyond the sessions, the conference featured a poster exhibition which showcased 26 posters on bioeconomy best practices and projects from the BIOEAST countries or relevant to the macro-region. Best Poster Awards recognized outstanding contributions to the field which were given to “Boosting the bioeconomy innovation in Baltic Sea Region (BioBoosters project)” poster presented by Katrin Kepp and Lili Veesaar from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and to “Boosting Knowledge Valorization from Bioeconomy Research” poster presented by Marian Butu from the Romanian National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences.

A field trip was also organised on 10 April to a newly set up local food bank with composting station which organises food distribution to sensitive and disadvantaged groups along with food education programs for children within Bucharest belonging to the municipality. In the afternoon, closed meetings of the BIOEAST Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) took place to discuss activities for 2025 and progress in updating the BIOEAST thematic SRIAs.

The conference was part of a series of events, organized back-to-back with the meetings of the BIOEAST Board, TWG Coordinators and B4B annual project meeting making the week between 7-10 April specifically dedicated to BIOEAST in Bucharest. By fostering collaboration among national networks, funders, researchers, and policy actors, the conference marked a significant step toward a more connected and impactful bioeconomy in CEE.

We would like to thank all speakers and participants for offering their insights and ideas on shaping the future of the macro-region’s bioeconomy and hope to meet again next year in Croatia.

Conference related materials are available on the BIOEAST Knowledge Platform here.

Are you interested in designing vocational training for bioeconomy or similar fields?

Join us for our Engage4BIO webinar where we will provide insights into the co-creation from finding an idea to implementing a final successful one-day training.

• Welcome
• Training development: a co-creative process
• Training structure and format: Overview of our modules, format chosen and audience feedback
• Outlook

• Gain inspiration for developing bioeconomy VET trainings
• Build networks with other EU projects focused on similar goals
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• Access valuable open-source training materials

Register here!

ONE YEAR OF STAR4BBS

Funded under “HORIZONCL6- 2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-07”, Star4BBS aims to maximize the potential of Sustainability Certification Schemes (SCS) and labels to support a successful transition to a bio-based economy.

By tracing sustainability impacts along the supply chain, certification schemes and labels are crucial to unlocking the potential of bio-based systems in achieving several sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, the rapid proliferation of schemes and labels has led to questioning their effectiveness and robustness, as well as to what extent they deliver important outcomes in line with sustainability policy priorities.

STAR4BBS implementation activities have started one year ago, with project partners’ efforts focused on the setup of the initial framework: the collection and systematic review of information related to international and EU SCS, B2B labels, and their relevance for biological feedstocks, bio-based materials and products, in order to establish a monitoring system assessing SCS and labels.

At the core of this work is the gathering of precise global trade data and information regarding the volumes of biogenic feedstocks and bio-based materials imported into the EU. This work will identify the most relevant biomass flows and provide a comprehensive overview of certified and non-certified biomass flows, thus contributing significantly to the impact assessment and contribution of sustainability certification and labelling. Relevant stakeholders are regularly involved to discuss strategies and to ensure that relevant information, feedback and inputs are collected and evaluated.

Why is this work important?

The bio-based industry plays a crucial role in transition to a more sustainable and circular economy, as it spans several sectors, including agriculture, forestry, chemicals, plastics and textiles. This industry uses biological feedstocks, such as crops, wood and waste streams, to produce a wide range of materials and products. As a result, it has the potential to make a significant contribution to sustainability goals, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving resource efficiency and promoting circular economy. It can also have a positive impact on socio-economic objectives of local and regional development, promoting the use of regional resources and the creation of green jobs. However, the use of bio-based feedstocks needs to be carefully regulated and controlled to mitigate negative environmental and social impacts, such as deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss and the exploitation of child labor in developing countries.

To facilitate this transition and ensure the credibility of sustainability claims, Sustainability Certification Schemes (SCS) and labels serve as critical tools, as they provide independent verification and validation of sustainability efforts and promote transparency and accountability throughout supply chains. These SCS,however, may face challenges like limited scope, high costs and lack of harmonisation, the last one being one of the main drawbacks.

Currently, there is a rising number of SCS and labels in the EU, each with their own set of criteria and standards: this can lead to confusion among businesses and consumers, as well as increased operational costs for companies operating in several countries and seeking regional or national certifications. Businesses are often burdened with providing documentation to demonstrate compliance with different criteria. For consumers, the plethora of labels with different criteria and standards makes it difficult to make informed choices.

A lot of work has been already done by the project team, like the establishment of a synergy with two sister projects (HARMONITOR and SUSTCERT4BIOBASED).

The three projects joined forces to maximize the outcomes and outreaches of their activities. One of those is the collaborative process of developing the Joint Monitoring System (JMS), and its subsequent application that will add transparency to bio-based value chains and build the foundations to support schemes and labels in aligning and harmonizing their systems to support shared sustainability goals. The 3 projects also established a strong collaboration that will boost the implementation of joint dissemination activities, thanks to the European Commission’s Horizon Results Booster programme (HRB).

The STAR4BBS project coordinator Dr. Luana Ladu (TUB), during the recent IFIB conference in Florence, participated in the round table on “How to measure the bioeconomy“, highlighting the complexity of the issue and the importance of considering systemic impact assessments.

It is clear that a harmonization of metrics is needed to establish effective and robust certification systems for the bio-based industry, that substantiate sustainability claims. This will contribute to efficiently achieve objectives and sustainability targets prioritized in EU-relevant policies and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).