Category: Bioeconomy Education

BIOLOC project

BIOLOC project

This project ends on: 30/09/2025

Biobased and social innovation to revitalise European local communities

BIOLOC project is funded by European Commission, and it promotes social innovation and inclusion as enabling factors to accelerate the transition to circular bioeconomy and thus contributes to revitalizing local communities in 12 European regions in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Through extensive interdisciplinary research and cross-sectoral analyses, BIOLOC will elaborate on concepts and solutions that will trigger positive cascading effects on communities by fostering a participatory and inclusive approach to develop resilient innovative biobased activities open to the contribution of socially disadvantaged or marginalised groups. In this way it will deliver innovative and inclusive business models and drive the establishment of permanent public-private multistakeholder hubs to pioneer a social trialogue on innovative and inclusive circular bioeconomy as a leveraging factor for sustainable and resilient local communities.

Contacts:

Mr. Peter Canciani, Project Manager: canciani@cei.int

website: https://bioloc.eu/

SCALE-UP project

SCALE-UP project

This project ends on: 30/08/2025

Concepts, tools and applications for community-driven bioeconomy development in European rural areas

The overall goal of SCALE-UP is to support regional multi-actor partnerships, consisting of private businesses, governments and policymakers, civil society organisations, and researchers in identifying and scaling-up innovative and sustainable bio-based value chains that build on regional resources.

Through its approach, SCALE-UP will adapt, implement and evaluate tools to help regional actors to overcome the apparent bottlenecks towards fully exploiting bioeconomy potentials in their region.

A four-phase methodology will:

i) establish existing knowledge and set the stage for further research, as well as create six regional platforms with local stakeholders;

ii) facilitate cross-regional transfer of knowledge and demand-driven capacity building, and provide support to multi-actor partnerships to carry out market assessments and business model designs;

iii) create a pan-European ‘Community of Practice’ to facilitate sharing good practices and lessons learned across European regions; and

iv) disseminate and exploit project results in collaboration with key stakeholders.

In addition to the focus on increasing capacity and knowledge on the bioeconomy among relevant actors in the regions, a key feature of SCALE-UP is the business development programme to be applied by the local communities.

With an emphasis on the principles of co-creation, transparency and open innovation, the project will provide advisory support to innovators and regional stakeholders to assess market conditions, elaborate business plans and identify compatible funding sources for 12 bio-based solutions.

Contacts:

Holger Gerdes: holger.gerdes@ecologic.eu
Zoritza Kiresiewa: zoritza.kiresiewa@ecologic.eu

website: http://scaleup-bioeconomy.eu/

ROBIN project

ROBIN project

This project ends on: 31/08/2025

Deploying circular BIOecoNomies at Regional level with a territorial approach

Europe’s regional authorities have a crucial role to play as agents of just, inclusive and resilient economic development for their territories. ROBIN sets out to empower them to fulfil this role with support to co-shape their governance structures and models in ways that accelerate the deployment of their circular bioeconomy targets, while also promoting social innovation and accounting for different territorial contexts.

To this end, we establish and demonstrate the potential of innovative circular bioeconomy governance structures and models in 5 European Regions within Ireland, Germany, Spain, Slovakia and Greece.

Our journey begins by setting-up Multi-Actor Regional Constellations engaging key stakeholders to co-create and work alongside novel governance structures.

Additionally, we provide the regions with tailored support for enhanced and more inclusive stakeholder engagement, as well as a practical toolbox to improve the design, operation and monitoring of their governance models. In parallel, a monitoring and evaluation framework will gauge the performance and impact of our support actions and tools, providing quantifiable evidence of their economic, social and environmental impact.

We will use this evidence to engage over 10 additional European regional authorities to test our tools and make a concrete case for their transferability, while also offering mutual learning and capacity building opportunities.

Contacts:

Dr. Clémentine Roth: clementine.roth@steinbeis-europa.de

website: https://robin-project.eu/

BioGov.net project

BioGov.net project

This project ends on: 31/05/2025

Mobilizing European Communities of Practice in bio-based systems for better governance and skills development networks in bioeconomy

BioGov.net project engages 10 experienced partners to mobilize local resources and stakeholders in eight EU states (Estonia, Italy, Netherland, Greece, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Portugal and Germany). The project aims strategically to support the establishment of innovative governance models in bioeconomy to achieve better-informed decision-making processes, social engagement of all actors and uptake of sustainable innovations in bioeconomy. With the specific objective to provide validated guidelines for bioeconomy training and mentoring based on case studies from 8 EU regions, BioGov.net undertakes to:

  • identify and assess from the perspective of using the good practices and successful case studies for novel training framework,
  • complete an assessment based on regional capacities, opportunities, barriers and potentials;
  • define regional needs and expectations, local feedstock availabilities and use, governance barriers, social and economic landscape;
  • identify needs for skills required by the novel business models and related social measures to enable consumers, industry and public bodies to switch to socially and environmentally responsible behaviour within their spheres (e.g. regulatory measures, corporate responsibility initiatives, education and training).

The methodology of the project ensures the synergies between respective parties, transparency of actions and inclusiveness of all actors, incl the socially vulnerable groups.
Based on the collected materials, analyses and Quintuple Innovation Helix approach, the project develops guidelines for the setup of the modern and inclusive training and mentoring frameworks and programmes in specific European regions targeting the local bio-systems, regulators and policies for building the bridge between knowledge, skills, bioeconomy and good governance.

Contacts:

Mari Saar: mari.saar@civitta.com

website: https://www.biogov.net/

 BIOCIRCULARCITIES project

 BIOCIRCULARCITIES project

Project concluded

Exploring the circular bioeconomy potential in cities. Proactive instruments for implementation by policy makers and stakeholders

The BIOCIRCULARCITIES project is designed to help identify and develop innovative and comprehensive regulatory frameworks and roadmaps that are well aligned with circular bioeconomy principles. The project will focus on the interactions between the circular and bio-economies, using insights derived from multi-stakeholder participatory processes. It will consider both supply-side and demand-side aspects of policymaking to maximise the effectiveness. It will determine these through four strands. The first will be by exploring the circular economy potential of unexploited bio-based waste streams generated around three European cities – Barcelona in Spain, Naples in Italy and Pazardzhik in Bulgaria. The second will be to identify and analyse those circular bioeconomy best practices in the EU that could be successful in the pilot areas. Third, opportunities and obstacles to for introducing such processes. It will then use the learnings from the three areas to propose proactive instruments and policy roadmaps that can be applied in a wider European context.

Contacts:

Rosaria Chifari: rchifari@ent.cat

website: https://biocircularcities.eu/

HARMONITOR project

HARMONITOR project

This project ends on: 31/05/2025

Harmonisation and monitoring platform for certification schemes and labels to advance the sustainability ofbio-based systems

The HARMONITOR project will improve the effectiveness of sustainability certification schemes and labels (CSLs) in various sectors of the EU bioeconomy and strengthen their possible use as a co-regulation instrument within the EU Bioeconomy policy framework. The project will also establish and test a participative review platform concept to help CSLs to find commonalities and cooperation when operating in bio-based value chains within and across EU borders. The goal of this platform is to promote continuous improvement of CSLs and continuous knowledge of these dynamic developments by market actors.

Contacts:

Sergio Ugarte: s.ugarte@sqconsult.com
Costanza Rossi: c.rossi@sqconsult.com
Monique Voogt: M.Voogt@sqconsult.com

website: https://www.harmonitor.eu

CEE2ACT project

CEE2ACT project

This project ends on: 31/08/2025

Empowering the Central and Eastern European Countries to Develop Bioeconomy Strategies and Action Plans

CEE2ACT will empower countries in Central Eastern Europe and beyond (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia) – CEE2ACT target countries – to develop circular bioeconomy strategies and action plans through knowledge transfer and innovative governance models enabling sustainability and resilience to achieve better informed decision-making processes, societal engagement and innovation, building on the practice of experienced countries serving as role models in this context (Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Sweden). Knowledge transfer and inspiration in creative formats that address the motivations, needs and knowledge gaps of each CEE2ACT target country will be realized through the CEE2ACT National Bioeconomy Hubs. A participatory, non-political, bottom-up approach will be applied throughout the project activities, tackling specific knowledge gaps and shortcomings of the top-down conventional approach, building closer interconnections between actors across public institutions, private sector, industry, energy, SMEs, feedstock providers ( waste, side streams, farmers, foresters, fishermen), academia and research, NGOs, CSOs in the target countries. To achieve this, a baseline assessment will be carried out (socio-economic and environmental aspects), stakeholder engagement activities will be implemented ensuring the proper involvement and active participation of all relevant stakeholders. Digital solutions for sustainable governance will be created, exchange of know-how and best practices on technology transfer, building the capacities of the stakeholders to develop bioeconomy strategies. The findings will be synthetized, in an analytical framework, which will result in National-level Roadmaps for the Bioeconomy Strategies in Targeted CEE2ACT countries, boosting societal engagement in the countries’ transition towards circular bioeconomy.

Contacts:

María Beatriz Rosell: Maria.beatriz.rosell@geonardo.com

website: WWW.CEE2ACT.EU 

 EBU label project

 EBU label project

Project concluded

EBU student journey. Bioeconomy qualification supplement

The European Bioeconomy University (EBU) offers a common qualification supplement (here: label) that will be granted to master students of bioeconomy-relevant study programs offered at the six EBU partner universities. This label aims to upgrade and connect existing, disciplinary university curricula on the master level with inter-and trans-disciplinarity, cross-sectoral collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and sustainability competencies, skills that have been identified as crucial for bioeconomy. So, the students will be encouraged to develop a T-shaped skills profile consisting of disciplinary expertise, relevant soft skills as well as sustainability competences.
The project explicitly promotes and equips the students with an understanding of bioeconomy-related disciplines and their scientific language in addition to the connection with their own disciplinary expertise.
By obtaining the EBU label, the students will be recognized as professionals with the right knowledge and skills to shape the transformation towards a sustainable bioeconomy.

Contacts:

Lina Mayorga Duarte: Lina.mayorgaduarte@uni-hohenheim.de

website: https://european-bioeconomy-university.eu/education/ebu-label/

INDEPENDENT project

INDEPENDENT project

This project ends on: 31/12/2027

INDEPENDENT Integrated Biorefinery Concept for Bioeconomy Driven Development

The interest in generating renewable fuels from algae, has gained attraction for quite long time and pursued by both public and private entities. Yet, the pressure of budget cuts, global economic crisis and fluctuating oil prices have pushed back the progress of algal research and development efforts. Meanwhile, Europe is moving towards a bioeconomy driven future along with renewable fuel standards and requirements triggered by algal research. This is no coincidence as algal biomass offers several advantages such as efficient photosynthesis and CO2 capture mechanisms, no direct competition with food crops, non-arable land requirements, recyclable nutrients and wastewater utilization. However, in order to achieve commercially applicable rates of return on algal biofuels, numerous economical feasibility models suggest there is a need to generate value-added products within an integrated biorefinery concept. This requires targeting not only algal lipids as biodiesel feedstock, but also other biomolecules having higher value per dry biomass weight with potential applications such as food additives, health supplements, and pharmaceuticals.

A growing interest in designing biorefineries using algae species to produce several bio-commodity products also includes means of exploring their favorable greenhouse gas, water and land-use sustainability metrics. In this respect, key inputs include utilizing recycled nitrogen and phosphorus resources, tapping into existing CO2 emissions, and uncompromised water supplies. In addition, options to exploit residual biomass for additional bioenergy and biofertilizer applications for soil amendments are also considered auspicious for a more competent biorefinery platform.

This project is designed to build on all of these well thought contemplations to construct an integrated algal biorefinery that produces a portfolio of products that can be adjusted to meet market demands as a gateway into large scale production. Project site is carefully selected on Boğaziçi University’s Saritepe Campus, located on the coast of Black Sea with readily access to seawater. Emboldening on the interdisciplinary nature of the team, a non-destructive breakwater system will be designed to generate a coastal site suitable for macroalgae cultivation at open sea. Microalgae cultivation will be supported by recycled nutrients and waste CO2. Novel marine macro- and microalgae species will be pursued for pharmaceutical, human food and animal feed applications in addition to traditional biofuel functions. Digested algal biomass will be made available to organic farming activities on campus. A wind turbine operated year round will supply renewable energy to all operations on site allowing carbon-negative production. In addition to a full scale environmental life cycle assessment (e-LCA), a social life cycle assessment (s-LCA) will be conducted to assess the social and sociological aspects of algal biorefinery and its products, their actual and potential positive as well as negative impacts on the communities involved.

This large scale study with more than 110 wet tons of algae production per harvest period will provide key scientific findings and novel engineering pipelines to manufacture high-throughput multi-products on an algal biorefinery platform. The end result is expected to be advanced knowledge and practice for economically feasible and environmentally sustainable algal biorefinery with improved production metrics. Project team is comprised experts from universities, research institutes, SMEs, and large enterprises.

Contact:

Asst. Prof. Dr. Berat Haznedaroglu

(Project Coordinator)

Bogazici University

email: berat.haznedaroglu@boun.edu.tr

website: https://independent.boun.edu.tr/en/

 COOPID project

 COOPID project

Project concluded

COOPeration of bioeconomy clusters for bio-based knowledge transfer via Innovative Dissemination techniques in the primary production sector

Bioeconomy starts on the fields, yet meaningful participation of the primary sector in the bioeconomy is currently challenged, especially due to:

  1. poor cooperation and knowledge transfer between relevant stakeholders,
  2. limited support to invest in R&D of new value chains.

To answer this challenge, the COOPID project proposes an effective strategy to mobilise primary producers and stimulate the uptake of inclusive and sustainable bio-based business models in the European primary production sector, considering regional & sectorial conditions.
To do so, a network of COOPID Bioeconomy Clusters from 10 European countries has been created ad-hoc, involving a range of stakeholders: (a) primary producers, in cooperatives or associations, within agriculture, forestry & aquaculture, (b) industry, (c) public sector, (d) research & academia.
We will foster the deployment of innovative bio-based business models in the primary production based on a four-level knowledge transfer approach:

  • Selecting “Success Story Showcases” across different EU countries among the network which will be visited in person by the participants from the network – “COOPID ambassadors”- (level 1),
  • Organising workshops to be done by the “COOPID ambassadors” for sharing main highlights of their visit to the “success story” among their peer primary producers (level 2),
  • Carrying out interactive dissemination & communication engaging other target audiences (levels 3&4).

Focus will be put on mobilisation of female and young producers as having a great potential to innovate yet being underrepresented in the primary production sector.
Recommendations for primary producers, policy-makers and academia & research will be elaborated, fostering better understanding of different perspectives on bioeconomy, having a significant impact on a wide bioeconomy deployment in primary production, reaching a broad audience (estimated at 9,500 stakeholders).

Contact:

Juan Sagarna

email: sagarna@agro-alimentarias.coop

website: https://coopid.eu/