We are proud to announce the second iteration of our Cluster Capacity Building Programme, ready to be rolled out in March/April 2022.

The first edition had over 70 participants, which were able to take part in 10 courses designed to help clusters build their capability to support SMEs in improving their investment readiness level. After the CBP ended, we received valuable feedback from participants and reviewed the lessons learned.

For this year’s edition, we have sharpened the focus of some courses and added a few more. We can now invite all European bio-based clusters to check out our Cluster Capacity Building Programme 2022: 13 courses, designed to help you understand investment readiness level, check if your SME member has covered all their bases to clearly understand and explain their product, service, and business idea, and to help them define the most suitable way to get investment to cross the valley of death towards successful market entry.

Become an associated cluster and benefit from the expert trainings and the networking with bio-based industry clusters from around Europe.

Find out more and register for the courses here.

If you are not yet from an associated cluster, check out the benefits here.

The SCALIBUR project has launched an e-learning platform to educate about biowaste management and treatment.

Developed by Geonardo the platform consists of two modules aimed at different users:

• Module 1 is for Municipal staff and waste managers and looks at the concept of circular bioeconomy, EU regulations on biowaste and best practices for biowaste management;
• Module 2 is for entrepreneurs in the field of biowaste and covers EU support to circular business models, successful cases of circular businesses, and emerging technologies.

The e-learning can be followed by users independently and at their own pace. Quizzes are incorporated to reinforce learning.

Make sure to check it out at https://scalibur.geonardo.com/ and help us spread the word!

Applications from Master’s graduates, PhD students or Post-Doc researchers are welcome from all countries.
Participation is free of charge.

To discover more about the programme and how to participate, visit the following page
https://www.italbiotec.it/smartfeed.html
or contact the mail verdepertutti@gmail.com

BRANCHES Project is launching a competition to highlight the best innovative practice in the circular bioeconomy sector and, since last December, has launched an invitation opened to all practitioners from the 5 project countries to participate to the initiative by submitting good practices proposals.

Participants are requested to propose their good practice and describe the main strengths through an easy-to-fill-in format. The received good practices will be circulated through several channels
including web pages, social media and traditional distribution through project partners.

The best good practice will be identified by an open public vote (accounting for 50% of the evaluation) and by the evaluation of a jury composed by experts from the BRANCHES Consortium.

The prize will cover travel and accommodation costs for the winner to participate to a meeting /
event and illustrate the innovative best practice in detail. The good practice will also receive prominence through all the channels activated by the project and good visibility will also be ensured by issuing a dedicated Practice Abstracts (PA) that will be brought to the attention of DG AGRI of the EU Commission, published on the BRANCHES website and mentioned in the project
newsletter.

AWARD CRITERIA
The award criteria should include the following:

• Replicability potential, feasibility of the solution in the assessed operational environment
• Innovation, usefulness, applicability
• Economic profitability
• Environmental improvement reached through the innovation implementation
• Social sustainability

ELEGIBILITY
Innovative practices will be considered eligible when:

• The innovation is already in practice in real environment (not only at lab or pilot scale)
  corresponding to TRLs 8-9.
• The applicants are owners or developers or users of the innovation, and have undersigned
  of a self-declaration of responsibility.
• There is clear evidence that the practice can be adopted (high replicability potential). Very
  singular unique cases may fall out of the scope.
• There is evidence of profitability, and whenever the practice has been subsidised, it must be
  evident the practice can be implementable profitably without subsidising.
• All sections of the award template have been fulfilled and criteria have been addressed.
• There is no evidence of a potential hacking of the voting, or machine voting. In such case the
  suspicious practice will be considered not eligible.

Two transnational hackathons by BioPaavo – Gather a team and enroll now!

1. KemiraHackathon – Solutions from digitalization and platform solutions to a renewed and sustainable chemical industry
2. ValtraHackathon – Harnesting Working Machinery Telemetry Data for Added Value for the End Customer

 What is a hackathon? Find out from here!

KemiraHackathon

Kemira Plc is the world’s leading manufacturer of sustainable chemical solutions for water-intensive industries. It focuses on the pulp and paper, oil and gas industries and water treatment. In 2020, Kemira’s net sales were approximately EUR 2.4 billion and the number of employees was approximately EUR 5,000. Kemira’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Sustainability is an essential part of Kemira’s strategy and value creation for customers.

BioPaavo and Kasvu Open, in cooperation with Kemira Oyj, are opening a hackathon that aims to find solutions to promote the availability of renewable raw materials and green transition in chemical industry. Hackathon aims to highlight the opportunities offered by digitalization and platform solutions to build new business models and concepts that support the green transition of chemical industry.

Hackathon is open to all interested parties: companies, research institutes, educational organizations and students, as well as other actors. Your team can be made up of representatives of your organization, or you can form a team that crosses organizational boundaries for this very challenge!

Why participate? 

• Find new business opportunities
• Get to network with other participants
• You have the opportunity to develop long-term business cooperation with the sponsoring company Kemira Oyj
• As a finalist, you will have access to the experts’ know how and support in refining your solutions and building cooperation with the sponsoring company

Timetable 

• Submit your application describing briefly your idea and team by Sunday February 6th, 2022 at the latest.
• The ideas and teams selected for the follow-up will be published on Wednesday February 9th, 2022
• The Kick-Off event will be held on Wednesday February 16th, 2022
• Hackathon Days are organized on March 9-10th, 2022

More information (inc. registration): KemiraHackathon – JAMK and from:
Senior Expert Annimari Lehtomäki, BioPaavo
annimari.lehtomaki@jamk.fi,
tel. +358 50 464 2563

ValtraHackathon

Valtra Inc. is the leading manufacturer and service provider for agricultural tractors in the Nordic countries. Valtra tractors are known for their ease of use, versatility and durability. Tractors designed for individual needs are used by precision farmers using new technologies, agricultural contractors and professionals using more traditional mechanical machines.

BioPaavo and Kasvu Open, in cooperation with Valtra Inc., are opening a Hackathon that aims to find solutions that can provide added value to the end customer from the data generated by the working machines, hence contributing to digitalization, knowledge-based management, real-time data-based decision-making and profitability of sustainable food production and primary production in the food chain. Hackathon aims to highlight the potential of advanced algorithmics and software development to utilize the data generated by working machines and to develop new applications that improve end-user’s situational awareness.

Hackathon is open to all interested parties: companies, research institutes, educational organizations and students, as well as other actors. Your team can be made up of representatives of your organization, or you can form a team that crosses organizational boundaries for this very challenge!

Why participate? 

• Find new business opportunities
• Get to network with other participants
• You have the opportunity to develop long-term business cooperation with the sponsoring company Valtra Inc. and AGCO Finland Ltd.
• As a finalist, you will have access to the experts’ know how and support in refining your solutions and building cooperation with the sponsoring company

Timetable 

• Submit your application describing briefly your idea and team by Sunday February 6th, 2022 at the latest.
• The ideas and teams selected for the follow-up will be published on Wednesday February 9th, 2022.
• The Kick-Off event will be held on Wednesday February 16th, 2022 , when the participating teams will meet each other and representatives of the sponsoring company.
• Hackathon Days are organized on March 22-23rd, 2022.

More information (inc. registration): ValtraHackathon – JAMK and from:
Senior Expert Annimari Lehtomäki, BioPaavo
annimari.lehtomaki@jamk.fi,
tel. +358 50 464 2563