Project description
Promoting bioeconomy and rural development through new bio-based initiatives
Dissemination and communication; this is the key to reinforcing the link between the science of bio-based economic models and their actual implementation. The EU-funded BRANCHES project will work to increase the flow of information, new ideas and technologies between European agriculture and forestry practitioners, particularly in rural areas. Bringing together 12 partners and over 30 organisations (including companies, associations, government ministries, councils and federations), the project will summarise, share and present the existing best practices and research results from earlier and running EU and national projects to promote bioeconomy and rural development through new bio-based initiatives. The project will also showcase the success stories concerning forest and agricultural biomass supply chains.
Objective
BRANCHES aims to increase implementation of cost-efficient new technologies mobilize more biomass and create new business opportunities in rural areas by improving and strengthening the connection between practice and science of bio-based economy through offering a channel for two-way flow of information, new ideas and technologies within European agriculture & forestry practitioners particularly in rural areas. Research in bioeconomy has accelerated during the last ten years and a vast amount of knowledge has been generated. However, due to the multiple sectors and complex value chains involved, a significant part of that valuable information is in danger to stay untapped.
The BRANCHES project will summarize, share and present the existing best practices and research results from earlier and running EU and national projects to promote bioeconomy and rural development through new bio-based initiatives. The demands and needs of the practitioners will be gathered by a series of workshops and meetings and active co-operation within national networks. In BRANCHES, the selected knowledge on forest and agricultural biomass supply chains will be integrated with available and innovative technologies and best-practice cases for bioeconomy solutions with bioenergy conversion systems in wider bioeconomy context. Policy recommendations, competitive biomass supply chains and most suitable innovative technologies will be summarized and shared in easily understandable formats (Practice abstracts and factsheets) through Thematic Networks launched by BRANCHES. The cooperation within Thematic Networks is expected to lead to outcomes which will have a lasting and widespread impact on practitioners across Europe in the rural environment. The project consortium has 12 partners, and, in addition, over 30 different organizations (including companies, associations, Ministries, Councils and Federations) have express their support to the project (through support letters).
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.1. - Increasing production efficiency and coping with climate change, while ensuring sustainability and resilience
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.3. - Empowerment of rural areas, support to policies and rural innovation
- H2020-EU.3.2.2.3. - A sustainable and competitive agri-food industry
- H2020-EU.3.2.4.1. - Fostering the bio-economy for bio-based industries
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.4. - Sustainable forestry
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.2. - Providing ecosystems services and public goods
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
00790 Helsinki
Finland