Strengthening the European Research Area by enhancing the bioeconomy research and innovation ecosystem in BIOEAST countries 

This topic targets proposals for the alignment of research and innovation agendas for sustainable natural resources, with a particular attention to soil and water resilience, food systems security, and sustainable biomass valorisation in the bioeconomy. The primary goal is to enhance research and innovation capacities, while fostering ownership in BIOEAST and EU accession countries, with special focus on Ukraine, Moldova, and Western Balkans. Based on the BIOEAST Initiative involvement and format, the proposal should be able to mobilise the research funders and managers, but also thematic networks from the macro-region. For establishing the knowledge transfer and good cooperation, consortia should include entities from EU Member States with significant experience of managing joint research initiatives and partnerships. Collaboration with the BIOEAST Initiative is expected to be instrumental in achieving the outcomes of the project.

Proposals should demonstrate the potential for impact and scalability of their proposed activities. Proposals should collaborate and ensure synergies with ongoing and past projects and initiatives on bioeconomy governance[[ BIOEASTsUP, BOOST4BIOEAST]],and collaborate with the Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE) JU and its widening strategy. The successful proposal will contribute to:

• engage ministries, research funders, and managers as well as thematic networks, to mobilise resources and create synergies between European, national and regional level funds;
• establish frameworks for communication and coordination among European and national bioeconomy related programme owners and managers to reduce fragmentation;
• enhance long-term cooperation in the bioeconomy to amplify research impact on socio-economic development while supporting widening and enlargement processes;
• address the region's geopolitical, research, and innovation challenges by achieving coherence across research, policy, and funding instruments in the bioeconomy. This includes fostering climate neutrality, contributing to the reduction of biodiversity loss, promoting an inclusive, circular, sustainable bioeconomy through an integrated macro-regional approach to research and innovation.