Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SCALE-UP (Concepts, tools and applications for community-driven bioeconomy development in European rural areas)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29
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 adapts, implements and evaluates tools to help regional actors to overcome the apparent bottlenecks towards fully exploiting bioeconomy potentials in their region. A four-phase methodology has been designed to: 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 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.
With an emphasis on the principles of co-creation, transparency and open innovation, the project provides advisory support to innovators and regional stakeholders through the establishment of Task Forces in each region. These Task Forces support innovators to assess market conditions, elaborate business plans and identify compatible funding sources for 12 bio-based solutions. The solutions being addressed include: the use of forestry residues for natural rubber and high value chemicals, developing agri-food residues into a “bio-circular farm” and innovative uses of apple pomace, using fibrous plants for insulation and other building materials, the valorization of spent brewery grains and bakery waste products, the development of compost from agri-food residues, and the reuse of waste products from olive oil production.
With an emphasis on the principles of co-creation, transparency and open innovation, the project provides advisory support to innovators and regional stakeholders through the establishment of Task Forces in each region. These Task Forces support innovators to assess market conditions, elaborate business plans and identify compatible funding sources for 12 bio-based solutions. The solutions being addressed include: the use of forestry residues for natural rubber and high value chemicals, developing agri-food residues into a “bio-circular farm” and innovative uses of apple pomace, using fibrous plants for insulation and other building materials, the valorization of spent brewery grains and bakery waste products, the development of compost from agri-food residues, and the reuse of waste products from olive oil production.
In order to build up a relevant knowledge base on which the individual project activities can draw, SCALE-UP has developed six regional information packages, which contain information on EU policies, EU projects, local policies, scientific and technical information, and biomass availability and nutrients.
SCALE-UP has established six regional platforms that will provide targeted and independent innovation support services to multi-actor partnerships during and after the project life. So far, 17 platform meetings have been organised across the six regions, with a total of 222 participants.
To promote the development of promising bio-based products and services in the six regions, SCALE-UP has designed and organised a call for Expression of Interest to identify and select twelve bio-based solution, which will receive dedicated innovation support services during RP2.
The SCALE-UP training programme has been developed, consisting of seven thematic work streams, through which stakeholders are being provided with capacity and knowledge as regards the effective development and promotion of small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas. So far, 3 work streams (i.e. 9 training sessions) have been implemented, with on average 67 participants per training session.
SCALE-UP has carried out a comprehensive assessment of the biomass potential and nutrient recycling opportunities within the six SCALE-UP regions. It is supplemented by a series of sustainability screening exercises in each region that aim to provide rough indications of where their ecological boundaries might currently lie.
SCALE-UP has explored the role of social innovation in rural bioeconomies. The results of a comprehensive literature review have been compiled in a handbook, which provides guidance and information on the topic: For the six SCALE-UP regions, tailored social innovation solutions are proposed that address specific challenges and capitalize on regional strengths.
SCALE-UP has established six regional platforms that will provide targeted and independent innovation support services to multi-actor partnerships during and after the project life. So far, 17 platform meetings have been organised across the six regions, with a total of 222 participants.
To promote the development of promising bio-based products and services in the six regions, SCALE-UP has designed and organised a call for Expression of Interest to identify and select twelve bio-based solution, which will receive dedicated innovation support services during RP2.
The SCALE-UP training programme has been developed, consisting of seven thematic work streams, through which stakeholders are being provided with capacity and knowledge as regards the effective development and promotion of small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas. So far, 3 work streams (i.e. 9 training sessions) have been implemented, with on average 67 participants per training session.
SCALE-UP has carried out a comprehensive assessment of the biomass potential and nutrient recycling opportunities within the six SCALE-UP regions. It is supplemented by a series of sustainability screening exercises in each region that aim to provide rough indications of where their ecological boundaries might currently lie.
SCALE-UP has explored the role of social innovation in rural bioeconomies. The results of a comprehensive literature review have been compiled in a handbook, which provides guidance and information on the topic: For the six SCALE-UP regions, tailored social innovation solutions are proposed that address specific challenges and capitalize on regional strengths.
In most of the regions covered by SCALE-UP, structures for the promotion of small-scale bio-based solutions were only partly developed. With the establishment of six regional platforms, SCALE-UP has created new, dedicated spaces for stakeholders to discuss and elaborate alternative bio-based development pathways for their respective regions.
The project team has compiled six regional information packages, which contain valuable information on EU and local policies, EU projects and on biomass availability, technical solutions and nutrient recycling possibilities. In this complied form, the packages form an important knowledge base for the regional platforms that have been established in the project's six focal regions. This new knowledge will inform stakeholder discussions within the six regional platforms.
Large quantities of biomass resources are available in the six regions that participate in SCALE-UP. The large quantities have formed a fertile soil for the development of a range of ideas for using the resources for bio-based products. SCALE-UP has performed detailed biomass assessments, with an analysis of the ecological boundaries and possibilities for nutrient recycling. This new knowledge will inform stakeholder discussions within the six regional platforms.
The role of social innovation in rural bioeconomies has so far received little attention among researchers; existing research has focused on specific environments or sectors, e.g. forestry (Ludvig et al. 2019). With its “Handbook of social innovation in rural bioeconomies”, SCALE-UP contributes new knowledge to the scientific discourse and, at the same time, provides practical information for interested stakeholders in rural areas.
The project team has compiled six regional information packages, which contain valuable information on EU and local policies, EU projects and on biomass availability, technical solutions and nutrient recycling possibilities. In this complied form, the packages form an important knowledge base for the regional platforms that have been established in the project's six focal regions. This new knowledge will inform stakeholder discussions within the six regional platforms.
Large quantities of biomass resources are available in the six regions that participate in SCALE-UP. The large quantities have formed a fertile soil for the development of a range of ideas for using the resources for bio-based products. SCALE-UP has performed detailed biomass assessments, with an analysis of the ecological boundaries and possibilities for nutrient recycling. This new knowledge will inform stakeholder discussions within the six regional platforms.
The role of social innovation in rural bioeconomies has so far received little attention among researchers; existing research has focused on specific environments or sectors, e.g. forestry (Ludvig et al. 2019). With its “Handbook of social innovation in rural bioeconomies”, SCALE-UP contributes new knowledge to the scientific discourse and, at the same time, provides practical information for interested stakeholders in rural areas.