Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOMODEL4REGIONS (BIOMODEL4REGIONS - Supporting the establishment of the innovative governance models to achieve better-informed decision-making processes, social engagement and innovation in the bio-based economy)
Période du rapport: 2022-07-01 au 2023-12-31
The BIOMODEL4REGIONS project aims to:
- Supporting the development of regional/local bio-based economy strategies blueprints, aiming at exploiting the local potentials and innovations
- Developing novel business models to enable consumers, industry/producers and public bodies to a societal switch towards environmentally responsible behaviour
- Developing best practice guidelines for local operators and innovation developers.
These results will be demonstrated within the project to support 6 pilot regions chosen in clusters partners’ network. The pilot regions , taking into account different model regions (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central-Western EU), their conditions and assets and different primary sectors (forestry, agri-food, aquatic biomass and organic fraction of municipal solid waste- OFMSW) will be demonstrated under a fully transferable case-study approach, that can be replicated throughout Europe.
- Supporting the development of regional/local bio-based economy strategies blueprints, aiming at exploiting the local potentials and innovations
- Developing novel business models to enable consumers, industry/producers and public bodies to a societal switch towards environmentally responsible behaviour
- Developing best practice guidelines for local operators and innovation developers.
These results will be demonstrated within the project to support 6 pilot regions chosen in clusters partners’ network. The pilot regions , taking into account different model regions (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central-Western EU), their conditions and assets and different primary sectors (forestry, agri-food, aquatic biomass and organic fraction of municipal solid waste- OFMSW) will be demonstrated under a fully transferable case-study approach, that can be replicated throughout Europe.
At the beginning of the project, a Centralised Governance Structure (CGS) to coordinate the activities among the consortium partners and each pilot region was set-up. In order to initiate stakeholder engagement and mobilisation, an accurate and up-to-date picture of all relevant stakeholder groups in each of the partner regions (and other connected nearby regions) was obtained. This required a short process of stakeholder mapping realised at the beginning of the project. Each regional partner (i.e. BEC, BFR, CluBE, SPRING, CBBD and AQ) contributed to map stakeholders in its region.
In parallel, an on-line management tool has been set-up as part of the project website, providing a shared workspace and a collaborative environment. The tool facilitates cross-sector collaborations among all stakeholders in the bio-based sector and provide a knowledge centre to share relevant project results.
Workshops to collect needs from stakeholders involved in the 6 pilot regions were carried out with the aim to collect inputs (potentialities, bottlenecks, opportunities, capacities etc. for feedstocks, infrastructure, investment, human skills, innovation actors, including community knowledge, etc.) to feed the analysis related to governance and business models, through a dialogue with the actors involved in the governance structure and additional local stakeholders. 6 workshops in total have been organised, one for each of the regional pilot, reaching a total of 70 stakeholders.
To develop a generic bioeconomy governance model, a review of relevant literature was first carried out that can serve as a method of governance analysis. This was followed by the organisation of focus groups within each pilot region to validate the proposed generic model. The generic governance model outlines functions, roles and opportunities of different entities within a given regional government, including non-state actors, and exemplary policy instruments, as well as among different levels of government; local, national and EU. The results and methodology are being applied to identify opportunities and challenges within regional policy, set benchmarking and ultimately enable the development of recommendations for improved bioeconomy governance in the pilot regions and across Europe.
After the governance assessment framework, a set of profile and governance KPIs in line with the bioeconomy were identified and selected. Pilot regions supported the collection of data for these selected KPIs. The bioeconomy governance assessment framework was populated with the collected data for a preliminary analysis. An online dashboard has been developed aiming to support the analysis and visualisation of the selected KPIs.
In each pilot region a consumers’ focus group discussion was organized to collect input about citizens perception of the different bio-based products and services. In parallel, a conceptual framework on bio-based business models has been developed through a thorough literature study. This framework then has been tested in every region through five online and one real life workshop. The workshops focused on 1) the definitions of bioeconomy, biomass and bio-based products and services, 2) positive and negative consequence of bio-based business models, and 3) drivers and barriers.
Finally, an innovation process to commercialization has been defined. The process is divided into four phases through idea to launch. Throughout all four phases there are seven defined areas that include the variety of topics relevant to innovation (e.g. technical feasibility, market viability, financial viability). The process was applied to one of the pilot regions, in a case study approach, showcasing the promising economic prospects of developing a biorefinery using hardwood as a feedstock.
In parallel, an on-line management tool has been set-up as part of the project website, providing a shared workspace and a collaborative environment. The tool facilitates cross-sector collaborations among all stakeholders in the bio-based sector and provide a knowledge centre to share relevant project results.
Workshops to collect needs from stakeholders involved in the 6 pilot regions were carried out with the aim to collect inputs (potentialities, bottlenecks, opportunities, capacities etc. for feedstocks, infrastructure, investment, human skills, innovation actors, including community knowledge, etc.) to feed the analysis related to governance and business models, through a dialogue with the actors involved in the governance structure and additional local stakeholders. 6 workshops in total have been organised, one for each of the regional pilot, reaching a total of 70 stakeholders.
To develop a generic bioeconomy governance model, a review of relevant literature was first carried out that can serve as a method of governance analysis. This was followed by the organisation of focus groups within each pilot region to validate the proposed generic model. The generic governance model outlines functions, roles and opportunities of different entities within a given regional government, including non-state actors, and exemplary policy instruments, as well as among different levels of government; local, national and EU. The results and methodology are being applied to identify opportunities and challenges within regional policy, set benchmarking and ultimately enable the development of recommendations for improved bioeconomy governance in the pilot regions and across Europe.
After the governance assessment framework, a set of profile and governance KPIs in line with the bioeconomy were identified and selected. Pilot regions supported the collection of data for these selected KPIs. The bioeconomy governance assessment framework was populated with the collected data for a preliminary analysis. An online dashboard has been developed aiming to support the analysis and visualisation of the selected KPIs.
In each pilot region a consumers’ focus group discussion was organized to collect input about citizens perception of the different bio-based products and services. In parallel, a conceptual framework on bio-based business models has been developed through a thorough literature study. This framework then has been tested in every region through five online and one real life workshop. The workshops focused on 1) the definitions of bioeconomy, biomass and bio-based products and services, 2) positive and negative consequence of bio-based business models, and 3) drivers and barriers.
Finally, an innovation process to commercialization has been defined. The process is divided into four phases through idea to launch. Throughout all four phases there are seven defined areas that include the variety of topics relevant to innovation (e.g. technical feasibility, market viability, financial viability). The process was applied to one of the pilot regions, in a case study approach, showcasing the promising economic prospects of developing a biorefinery using hardwood as a feedstock.
BIOMODEL4REGIONS, by developing innovative bio-based economy strategies blueprints and business models, will support the development of bio-based economy strategies at local/regional levels going beyond the state by:
i) Supporting a better-informed decision-making process: by analysing the governance system and related policies in the pilot regions under study to identify gaps and assess their bio-based economy potential and by involving stakeholders to co-create innovative bio-based economy strategies blueprints able to overcome identified gaps.
ii) Fostering the societal engagement: through well-designed initiatives and the partners network it will be possible to include all actors along the value chains, including civil society and consumers.
iii) Fostering the uptake of Innovation at local/regional level: uptake of best practices value chains which was not possible before due to gap in the governance system, and thanks to the development guideline for local operators and innovation developers with the aim to transfer the best practices realised within the project.
i) Supporting a better-informed decision-making process: by analysing the governance system and related policies in the pilot regions under study to identify gaps and assess their bio-based economy potential and by involving stakeholders to co-create innovative bio-based economy strategies blueprints able to overcome identified gaps.
ii) Fostering the societal engagement: through well-designed initiatives and the partners network it will be possible to include all actors along the value chains, including civil society and consumers.
iii) Fostering the uptake of Innovation at local/regional level: uptake of best practices value chains which was not possible before due to gap in the governance system, and thanks to the development guideline for local operators and innovation developers with the aim to transfer the best practices realised within the project.