Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOLOC (Biobased and social innovation to revitalise European local communities)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-10-01 do 2024-03-31
BIOLOC recognises the unique value of local knowledge and its contribution to the circular bioeconomy. Despite the disruptive nature of these technologies, their adoption often mirrors traditional industry deployment patterns. While this replication has organisational advantages, it may fail to fully utilise the potential of the new paradigm, which is rooted in its connection with local territories and inhabitants. We see these individuals not just as providers and consumers of biomass, but as custodians of valuable local knowledge. Their insights can contribute to creating more sustainable, resilient, and innovative circular bioeconomy ecosystems. BIOLOC is committed to leveraging this knowledge.
BIOLOC stands out for its unique approach, exploring the intersection of the typical techno-economic model of circular bioeconomy with societal enabling factors. The project's goal is to amplify the role and influence of social innovation and inclusion in the circular bioeconomy, with the aim of rejuvenating local economies in 12 European regions (Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic). BIOLOC achieves this by blending multisectoral research and methodological elaboration with extensive quadruple-helix co-creation activities. This approach allows BIOLOC to delve into societal drivers that could hasten the shift from a fossil linear to a circular biobased production and consumption pattern, and to develop practical measures for fostering social inclusion and participatory innovation in selected regions.
BIOLOC conducted a clustering analysis to highlight structural similarities and differences in environmental, economic, and social aspects to address the heterogeneity of participating regions. Based on these assessments, BIOLOC endeavoured to conceptualise a revitalising approach capable of evaluating the maturity of innovations beyond technological concepts, considering factors such as network and market readiness, public support, and ethical and cultural perceptions. BIOLOC, therefore, elaborated on an innovative Societal Readiness Level (SRL) concept. This relatively new concept intends to provide a maturity assessment of innovation beyond conventional environmental and technological aspects—considering factors such as network and market readiness, public support, and ethical and cultural perceptions.
BIOLOC's collaborative nature is exemplified by the establishment of 12 regional BIOLOC Hubs that pioneer social trialogue on innovative and inclusive CBE. The Hubs play a crucial role in informing the project with specific knowledge of biomass potentials, local development strategies, policy framework, and other socio-economic aspects. They also help identify needs, drivers, and barriers to the inclusion of vulnerable target groups, and explore the dynamics of marginalised communities' engagement in circular bioeconomy, including the capacity enhancement perspective. The Hubs will be the focal point of co-creation activities in the coming months, tailoring BIOLOC's theoretical solutions to local conditions.
The outcomes of BIOLOC's activities underscore its role as a catalyst for change. The project fosters an environment encouraging educational outreach, inclusive policy formulation, and community-driven initiatives, facilitating a more equitable and sustainable CBE landscape. BIOLOC's commitment to innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity is reshaping the involvement of marginalised communities in CBE initiatives, offering the promise of a more sustainable economy and a fairer society.
BIOLOC stands out for its unique approach, exploring the intersection of the typical techno-economic model of circular bioeconomy with societal enabling factors. The project's goal is to amplify the role and influence of social innovation and inclusion in the circular bioeconomy, with the aim of rejuvenating local economies in 12 European regions (Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic). BIOLOC achieves this by blending multisectoral research and methodological elaboration with extensive quadruple-helix co-creation activities. This approach allows BIOLOC to delve into societal drivers that could hasten the shift from a fossil linear to a circular biobased production and consumption pattern, and to develop practical measures for fostering social inclusion and participatory innovation in selected regions.
BIOLOC conducted a clustering analysis to highlight structural similarities and differences in environmental, economic, and social aspects to address the heterogeneity of participating regions. Based on these assessments, BIOLOC endeavoured to conceptualise a revitalising approach capable of evaluating the maturity of innovations beyond technological concepts, considering factors such as network and market readiness, public support, and ethical and cultural perceptions. BIOLOC, therefore, elaborated on an innovative Societal Readiness Level (SRL) concept. This relatively new concept intends to provide a maturity assessment of innovation beyond conventional environmental and technological aspects—considering factors such as network and market readiness, public support, and ethical and cultural perceptions.
BIOLOC's collaborative nature is exemplified by the establishment of 12 regional BIOLOC Hubs that pioneer social trialogue on innovative and inclusive CBE. The Hubs play a crucial role in informing the project with specific knowledge of biomass potentials, local development strategies, policy framework, and other socio-economic aspects. They also help identify needs, drivers, and barriers to the inclusion of vulnerable target groups, and explore the dynamics of marginalised communities' engagement in circular bioeconomy, including the capacity enhancement perspective. The Hubs will be the focal point of co-creation activities in the coming months, tailoring BIOLOC's theoretical solutions to local conditions.
The outcomes of BIOLOC's activities underscore its role as a catalyst for change. The project fosters an environment encouraging educational outreach, inclusive policy formulation, and community-driven initiatives, facilitating a more equitable and sustainable CBE landscape. BIOLOC's commitment to innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity is reshaping the involvement of marginalised communities in CBE initiatives, offering the promise of a more sustainable economy and a fairer society.
To effectively tackle the diverse challenges related to BIOLOC goals, activities are deployed over 36 months and organized into 7 Work Packages and 23 Tasks.
• WP2 - "Barriers and opportunities assessment to revitalize local EU communities by tailoring biobased systems to their specific needs" adopts a multistakeholder approach to guide BIOLOC regions towards a comprehensive and realistic assessment of their bio-based value chain potential. The aim is to evaluate the conditions, barriers, and opportunities for bio-based systems that can help revitalise local communities and provide environmental and social benefits, especially for socially marginalised groups. WP2 analysed the relationships between local communities and innovation systems to uncover structural similarities and differences.
• WP3 – “Catalogue of biobased solutions and good practice examples” aims to create a catalogue of relevant biobased solutions that address the unmet needs of BIOLOC regions. It considers regional innovation concepts to support local biobased systems. The catalogue includes the innovative SRL concept of the Societal Readiness Level (SRL) to monitor innovation developments and facilitate effective innovation uptake. The SRL provides a maturity assessment of innovation beyond conventional environmental and technological concepts, considering network and market readiness and public support factors.
• WP4 – “New and updated network-oriented business models, governance and local capacity building” is dedicated to developing innovative network-oriented business models to build local capacity and enable positive trade-offs and performance of specific biobased value chains. It assessed the socio-economic baselines in regions to uncover concrete opportunities based on local strategies, development plans, and ongoing initiatives. The analysis identified sectors and products with high expected growth rates in the coming years. Evaluating the feasibility of proposed value chains is crucial for creating network-based business models with a high-value proposition.
• WP5 – “Support the deployment of biobased solutions for the revitalization of local communities” is dedicated to mobilizing stakeholders and activating local networks to foster the uptake of participatory and inclusive development patterns, including innovative CBE. To this end, 12 regional BIOLOC Hubs have been established and animated. Participating stakeholders played a crucial role by informing BIOLOC’s technical WPs with bottom-up data, and, in the upcoming months, they will be involved in capacity-enhancing and co-creation activities.
• WP2 - "Barriers and opportunities assessment to revitalize local EU communities by tailoring biobased systems to their specific needs" adopts a multistakeholder approach to guide BIOLOC regions towards a comprehensive and realistic assessment of their bio-based value chain potential. The aim is to evaluate the conditions, barriers, and opportunities for bio-based systems that can help revitalise local communities and provide environmental and social benefits, especially for socially marginalised groups. WP2 analysed the relationships between local communities and innovation systems to uncover structural similarities and differences.
• WP3 – “Catalogue of biobased solutions and good practice examples” aims to create a catalogue of relevant biobased solutions that address the unmet needs of BIOLOC regions. It considers regional innovation concepts to support local biobased systems. The catalogue includes the innovative SRL concept of the Societal Readiness Level (SRL) to monitor innovation developments and facilitate effective innovation uptake. The SRL provides a maturity assessment of innovation beyond conventional environmental and technological concepts, considering network and market readiness and public support factors.
• WP4 – “New and updated network-oriented business models, governance and local capacity building” is dedicated to developing innovative network-oriented business models to build local capacity and enable positive trade-offs and performance of specific biobased value chains. It assessed the socio-economic baselines in regions to uncover concrete opportunities based on local strategies, development plans, and ongoing initiatives. The analysis identified sectors and products with high expected growth rates in the coming years. Evaluating the feasibility of proposed value chains is crucial for creating network-based business models with a high-value proposition.
• WP5 – “Support the deployment of biobased solutions for the revitalization of local communities” is dedicated to mobilizing stakeholders and activating local networks to foster the uptake of participatory and inclusive development patterns, including innovative CBE. To this end, 12 regional BIOLOC Hubs have been established and animated. Participating stakeholders played a crucial role by informing BIOLOC’s technical WPs with bottom-up data, and, in the upcoming months, they will be involved in capacity-enhancing and co-creation activities.
BIOLOC aims to bolster local development by enhancing the leveraging effect of CBE and, specifically, the impact of inclusive business models in creating robust and adaptable grassroots innovation ecosystems. The project conducted thorough multisectoral assessments in the participating regions, mainly reinterpreting and combining existing knowledge and data from the perspective of local development and social innovation. The generated knowledge represents a novelty as it endeavours to find a convergence between approaches typically used in social sciences and those more common in techno-economic research in the field. To corroborate the societal outlook of local CBE ecosystems, BIOLOC elaborated on an original SRL concept that will represent an additional decision-making tool for the appraisal of societal implications connected with the uptake of innovations. BIOLOC will further enhance the cooperation with stakeholders through regional Hubs to deliver capacity building and co-develop viable business models and participatory mechanisms that will support the creation of an enabling environment for the uptake of CBE innovations.