Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ROBIN (Deploying circular BIOecoNomies at Regional level with a territorial approach)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29
Europe’s regional authorities have a crucial role to play as agents of just, inclusive and resilient economic development. ROBIN sets out to empower them with support to co-shape governance structures and models 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 (Ireland, Germany, Spain, Slovakia, Greece). We begin by setting-up Multi-Actor Regional Constellations (MARCs) engaging key quadruple helix stakeholders to co-create novel governance structures, mandated to coordinate and execute circular bioeconomy strategies with and for the entire actor ecosystem. In parallel, a monitoring and evaluation framework will gauge the performance and impact of our support actions and tools, providing quantified evidence of their economic, social and environmental impact. We will 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. In the process we coordinate our actions with the CCRI-CSO and complementary European initiatives, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project’s results.
ROBIN has successfully established and mobilized 5 Multi-Actor Regional Constellations (MARCs) in the 5 regions of the project, including the to-date participation of 47 members, representing all quadruple helix stakeholder groups, with the mission to drive the creation and adaptation of the ROBIN governance models throughout the project implementation. A baseline analysis of the bioeconomy policy mix, as well as the barriers and opportunities for the uptake of regional bioeconomy governance models was conducted in each region, deepened by means of 21 in-depth semi-structured interviews. An analysis of 57 bioeconomy governance models and 20 in-depth case studies resulted to the development of a typology of Circular Bioeconomy Governance Models. An inventory of 75 good practices of regional governments supporting local operators and innovation developers via business models and social measures was developed. Five workshops for co-creating new and improved regional governance models and practices with key stakeholders were held with 69 participants in total, and a value proposition and a new or improved regional governance model linked to them was created in each region. Each regional node (ROBIN’s Regional authorities with the partners of their region), inspired by a Support Actions Portfolio (SAP) of 50 support actions, developed its own detailed Regional Action Plan with 10 dedicated Support Actions, contributing to the realization of the regional governance model. In parallel, the three core tools of the project were developed: i) the Circular Bioeconomy Governance Model Canvas (CBGMC) for developing a region’s circular bioeconomy governance model ii) the Bioeconomy Policy Monitoring Tool (PMT), for the evaluation of the performance of governance models with respect to Environmental, Socioeconomic and Governance (ESG) and territorial Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) aspects and iii) The Environmental Protection Planning (EPP) tool for the identification of potentially non-environmentally friendly practices across environmental management areas. The ROBIN Toolbox, a user-friendly, online toolbox offering guidance, knowledge and practical tools for reginal authorities in developing circular bioeconomy governance models and strategies was developed, comprising of the following main components: i) the ROBIN Knowledge Platform (inventory of regional bioeconomy governance models, inventory of good practices of regional governments supporting local operators and innovation developers); ii) the ROBIN Tools (CBGMC, PMT, EPP) and iii) the ROBIN Support Actions Portfolio (Inventory of potential Support Actions and Support Actions typology matrix). The regional nodes elaborated the plans that will guide the validation of the ROBIN Toolbox in each of each region, detailing the Toolbox validation actions and the 10 Support actions they will implement. A plan for involving other EU regional authorities in the ROBIN Toolbox beta testing was also developed. Preliminary steps were taken to set the validation plans in motion, and the the project’s Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation (MAE) framework was developed. Finally, we commenced discussions about the exchange of best practices and lessons learnt among the regions and projects interested in regional bioeconomy governance support.
ROBIN has developed an easy to use, practical digital Toolbox to drive the operation of successful governance models at regional level. The Knowledge Platform comprises a diverse collection of 20 circular bioeconomy governance models for EU-wide regional implementation. Its good governance practices section provides 10 practical, ready-to-use examples for streamlining the development of bioeconomy strategies. Regarding the ROBIN tools, the Circular Bioeconomy Governance Model Canvas enables regional policymakers to explore governance models and structures, the Bioeconomy Policy Monitoring Tool enables the assessment of governance models in environmental, social, and governance factors, and the Environmental Protection Planning tool focuses on improving regional environmental management and promoting eco-friendly practices. The Support Actions Portfolio (SAP) provides examples of 49 inspirational actions for capacity-building. At its current stage, ROBIN has led the foundations towards local and regional collaboration of all stakeholders involved in circular bioeconomy, with the establishment and engagement of its 5 Multi-Actor Regional Constellations (MARCs). Regional teams have initiated the delivery of Toolbox validation actions (workshops and stakeholder events to hands-on testing and online surveys), while the delivery of 10 selected Support Actions per region is also underway. All in all, regional social measures and business practices with enhanced potential to produce realistic, actionable and sustainable results for promoting the biobased economy are being delivered, while the regional authorities of the project are being supported in the implementation of a shared vision for the future of circular bioeconomy and the design of new or the sharpening of existing bioeconomy strategies.