This upcoming webinar by the EU funded 3-CO project will showcase good practice examples of social innovation from all across Europe and beyond to inspire sustainable change and present policy recommendations on how to support and scale such initiatives. The webinar will be held on July 10th 2025, from 13:00 to 14:30 CEST.

This event will present a new brochure about 17 social innovation best-practise examples from across Europe and beyond. The brochure is designed to inform, inspire and guide policymakers, civil society organisations, private businesses and citizens, demonstrating that everyone has a role to play in adopting and supporting social innovations. The project further developed and recently published a policy paper that aims to foster social innovation. The included recommendations for policy makers will be presented in the webinar. Two social innovations holders will discuss challenges of setting and scaling up their initiatives and evaluate the generated societal and environmental change.

The European Research Project 3-CO (Concise Consumer Communication through Robust Labels for Biobased Systems) is committed to supporting consumers and stakeholders in making more sustainable and environmentally responsible choices. Beyond its efforts to improve consumer communication and labelling, 3-CO actively aims to implement and promote social innovation practices that empower citizens, businesses, and actors in the public sector to adopt responsible behaviours.

Register here

The European project ALFA – “Upscaling the market uptake of renewable energy by unlocking the biogas potential of livestock farming” aims to promote the large-scale adoption of agricultural biogas as a driver for a sustainable energy transition in Europe. Funded by the Horizon Europe programme, the project supports livestock farms in starting up or modernising biogas plants, providing commercial and technical assistance, capacity building and awareness raising activities, while promoting innovative collaborative approaches.

During the Mutual Learning Workshop and field visit organised in Rome in April 2025, a common challenge emerged among many Italian stakeholders: although interest in biogas is growing, small and medium-sized farmers face economic, bureaucratic, and operational barriers. In this context, cooperation between farms—for sharing resources, by-products, and facilities—represents a concrete yet still underexplored opportunity.

This is the model promoted by Laura Brida, expert at the Circular Economy Cluster in Bolzano and co-founder of the start-up Eco8 srl. Through digital solutions and local network projects, she has long been advocating for cooperative models that make biogas accessible even to smaller farms. The idea is simple yet ambitious: to unlock the potential of agricultural biogas in Italy through shared development models and decision-support tools. As part of the project’s awareness-raising campaign, Luna del Pizzo, project manager at APRE (Agency for the Promotion of European Research), partner in the ALFA project, interviewed her to explore the potential of this approach and understand what is really needed today to spread agricultural biogas in Italy.

Interview with Laura Brida – Circular Economy Cluster of Bolzano

• Laura, could you briefly tell us how Eco8 srl was founded? What is the context in which your work takes place? And how do you address the issue of biogas accessibility for small and medium-sized agricultural and livestock farms?

Eco8 srl was established in an area characterized by small farms, scattered over mountainous terrain. This means that, in order to set up a plant, it is necessary to have a significant number of farmers, who are also willing to invest in a plant that in any case has high costs, both in terms of construction and management. Hence the difficulty of setting up a number of plants capable of recovering a significant percentage of the manure produced by the farms in the area. It was therefore clear that the first objective had to be to improve the interactions between the different actors that revolve around a biogas plant, first of all optimising logistics; the next step was to give measurability to the positive impacts in terms of CO2e of the entire management cycle of the circular economy through an accurate and scientific tool such as the carbon footprint. Through this calculation we compare a situation without a plant to a situation with a biogas plant. Finally, it became clear that this could only be done with a digital medium that was simple, immediate and updated in real time; thus ‘Biogas Optitool’ was born.

• In the Italian context, many rural realities/farms are interested in biogas, but hindered by high costs, regulatory constraints and management challenges. What do you think are the main barriers that need to be overcome today to enable the widespread adoption of biogas among livestock farmers?

In general, the main barriers are the incentive environment. With FER2, not only is the tariff lower than with FER1, against a considerable increase in construction costs, but it also adds a constraint such as the gasometric recovery of digestate storage, which is more than acceptable from an environmental point of view for large plants, but very impactful from an economic point of view for small plants. The management difficulties are minimal for the individual farmer who has the possibility of building his own plant, enormous from a logistical (and economic) point of view when the inputs of several farmers must be managed.

• During the ALFA project, the importance of collaboration between farms emerged as a potential key to unlocking access to biogas. What potential do you see in cooperative models involving shared biogas plants among multiple agricultural or livestock farms?

Shared plants are obviously crucial for farms that do not independently have the minimum amount of biomass necessary for the plant to be economically justified. The logistical problem remains the main one, both in planning and management.

• What role can consortia, cooperatives, or local authorities play in supporting the development of biogas plants at the territorial level?

Farmers already have their own organization for cooperation; the role of local authorities, on the other hand, is fundamental because one of the main problems is precisely the location of the plants, as well as acceptance by the population. One of our goals is to initiate territorial agreements with public authorities to act as a ‘facilitator’ for the realisation of small biogas plants.
In view of the climate commitments of the territorial authorities, the cluster can be a very important tool for territorial planning (and the realisation of objectives), as it provides data based on a rigorous and certified calculation system. A possible territorial agreement can foresee, with the goal of the realisation of a series of plants, not only the simulation of improvements in terms of GHG or the financing during the realisation/management phase of the plants, but also bureaucratic simplifications, both for plants and digestate storage, e.g. by approving their landscape impact in a cumulative manner.

• Have you analyzed or supported projects based on the sharing of manure or agricultural by-products? What technical, logistical, or administrative conditions need to be in place to make this model truly replicable?

From our experience, apart from the logistical problem that we hope to have solved, the problem remains bureaucratic-administrative. Providing simplified authorisation procedures for small plants is crucial.

• In your opinion, are the agricultural and livestock sectors sufficiently informed today about the opportunities offered by biogas? What tools or communication channels are lacking to raise awareness and support informed decision-making among farmers?

I think the problem is more information overload, where the individual farmer is no longer able to understand which information is reliable and which is not. This is why associations are important, as they remain the point of reference for the farmer, as well as initiatives such as the ALFA project.

• Many livestock farmers, although interested, are afraid they lack the skills to manage a biogas plant or assess its feasibility. What kind of technical support, including digital tools, can help facilitate this decision-making process—especially for those starting from scratch?

For those starting from scratch, I believe that the sector associations can give all the technical support necessary to make a technical-economic assessment. Instead, we use our software as a simulation tool for the CO2e savings of a potential cluster and for calculating the ‘break-even point’ in terms of CO2e.
For the subsequent management, I believe the technical problem does not exist; all plant manufacturers provide a remote control system that supports the plant operator.

• During the Mutual Learning Workshop organized in April in Rome by the Italian Hub of the ALFA project, we visited a successful example of a small yet efficient biogas plant connected to several local farms. In your opinion, how important is it to start from these real-life cases to inspire and convince other farmers?

I would define it as crucial; from our experience, it is crucial for farmers to talk about practical problems with people who live the same reality and ‘see with their own eyes’ how the plant works. Creating a network for exchanging experiences, which has the necessary reliability (compared to what you might find on the net), is certainly a very important step.

• Simplifying regulations, introducing targeted incentives, strengthening technical support: which measures do you consider most urgent to facilitate the development of collaborative plants locally?

The priority is definitely to change the incentive system for smaller plants. When the business plan of a plant is credible with a long-term incentive, the rest will follow. If to this, as I said before, we add the support of a local authority, the conditions are all there.
The contribution we can make is to valorise the GHG savings given by these plants compared to a situation without a plant. Indeed, it is important to emphasise that biogas plants running on livestock manure not only produce green energy, but also remove nitrous oxide and methane from the environment that would otherwise be lost.
When it is possible to put an economic value on this saving, it will contribute significantly to the development of the sector. Small farms will then be able to see livestock manure as a resource, which is all the more profitable when it is better managed; this can also be a small part of ensuring their survival.

• Looking ahead to the next few years, how do you imagine the evolution of biogas in Italy? What, in your opinion, are the necessary steps to make it a real widespread opportunity also for small farms?

The incentivisation of biomethane was a fundamental step towards decarbonisation, but it is equally important not to forget that this is technically only possible for larger plants. It will therefore be crucial to continue to valorise biogas electricity, which not only represents a continuous renewable energy (as opposed to photovoltaics and wind power) but also removes GHG emissions from the environment. Proper incentivisation and economic valorisation of the savings, as well as support from local authorities, remain fundamental.

Our consortium is excited to announce our first national event taking place in Bologna, Italy on 27^th of June 2025. The National Event will be a public event open to researchers, industrial professionals, policymakers and all stakeholders interested in enhancing the safety and sustainability of chemicals and nanomaterials through innovation. This event is dedicated to exploiting pathways to bridging the gap from science to policy, industry and the general public. Specifically, scientific sessions will be alternated with roundtable discussions to bring multiple perspectives and embrace transdisciplinary knowledge exchange. The event will also mark the official launch of the CheMatSustain Facility, and is organized in a Hybrid setting to make the event accessible to all interested stakeholders. The in-person session will take place in Bologna, Italy. All details about participation will be provided after registration. The facility is an open-access platform, designed to serve three main stakeholder groups—policymakers, industry leaders, and the general public—with targeted resources and support.

For policymakers, the platform provides essential support in developing a clear regulatory framework and offers guidance on safety and sustainability standards, enabling informed decision-making and policy development. Industry leaders will benefit from resources that facilitate the scale-up of safe and sustainable production methods for specific chemicals and nanomaterials, helping them to align with emerging safety regulations and sustainability goals.

Additionally, the platform offers robust methodologies for assessing the toxicological and ecotoxicological properties of nanoparticles. This includes comprehensive data on their absorption within the body, accumulation in tissues and organs, transport characteristics, exposure levels, dose/response information, and their distribution and persistence in the environment.

For citizens, the platform serves as an accessible, science-based resource to better understand chemical exposure and its implications for daily life, providing clear, reliable information to support public health and safety awareness.

Do not miss the opportunity to engage with the latest advancements in the field.

Reserve your seat by registering at the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/PTBmTqNrGk

On 14 May 2025 join BioGov.net project in Brussels for the Final Event “Growing Together: Art, Inclusion & Green Skills”, where the key results focused on capacity building, governance, and skills development for a sustainable and circular bioeconomy will be presented to the community in bioeconomy education and relevant policy makers.

Date: 14th of May, 2025
Time: 14h30 to 17h30
Venue: Comet Louise Brussels, Belgium – Pl. Stéphanie 20, 1050 Bruxelles, Bélgica

Check the agenda here!
And don’t miss the chance to register here!

Details

Over the past two years, BioGov.net has collaborated across eight European countries, engaging diverse stakeholders to identify local needs and co-create solutions that enable regions to lead in the transition toward a greener, more inclusive bioeconomy.
This final event brings together policymakers, educators, researchers, and bioeconomy practitioners to explore how the project’s outcomes and tools can support regional strategies and capacity building across Europe.

Dive into insights that shape regional and EU bioeconomy strategies during the Policy & Education Recommendations session, followed by two interactive moments: the Designing a Bio-Based Education Programme session and the Art Meets Bioeconomy session—a unique sensory experience blending creativity and sustainability.

Don’t miss our Exhibition Corner, showcasing standout project results and innovative, even disruptive, bio-based products!

On 6 May 2025 (10:00 – 11:30 CEST, online) the SUSTRACK project, in collaboration with the European Bioeconomy Network (EuBioNet), is hosting “Projects4Future – Shaping Tomorrow: Horizon Europe Projects Driving the Circular Bio-based Transition”.

This Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) workshop will bring together leading Horizon Europe projects focused on Standardisation, Certification, Labelling, and Monitoring to exchange knowledge, share lessons learned, and consolidate policy recommendations that will shape the future of the circular bio-based economy.
Specifically, the workshop will identify key outcomes, tools, resources, and policy recommendations that support the transition to a circular bio-based economy. The consolidated results will be presented at the BIOBASEDCERT cluster final conference on 13 May in Brussels, engaging policymakers from different DGs and key stakeholders.

Who Should Participate?
This event is designed for coordinators and task leaders of EU-funded projects and initiatives working on:

• Monitoring indicators for the circular transition
• Scenario assessment and foresight
• Standardisation, labelling and certification
• Business models
• Capacity building and collaboration
• Policy recommendations
• Exploitation strategies

What to Expect?
Through interactive sessions using the MIRO Board, participants will:

• Map and exchange project outcomes, tools, and resources
• Identify gaps, needs, and challenges for their effective implementation
• Gather and consolidate policy recommendations to inform future research and policy agendas

Discover more browsing the concept note and agenda!

How to Participate?
Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Secure your spot by 5 May at noon: your insights can help supporting current and future projects, initiatives, and policies in the transition towards a circular bio-based economy!