Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BOOST4BIOEAST (BOOSTing the bioeconomy transformation FOR (4) the BIOEAST region)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
BOOST4BIOEAST is designed to boost the participation of national stakeholder networks in the development of national bioeconomy action plans, and to set-up long-lasting structures for cooperation and networking in the BIOEAST macro-region. The project supports the BIOEAST Initiative in achieving its vision to develop and implement sustainable and inclusive bioeconomies across the CEE countries. At the heart of the project are the BIOEAST HUBs, which are national platforms that serve as interfaces between government institutions and bioeconomy stakeholders. These HUBs will promote structured stakeholder engagement using participatory methods, facilitate inter-ministerial coordination and long-term cooperation between actors from research, business, and public policy and contribute to the design and implementation of national bioeconomy action plans. A cornerstone of the project is the BIOEAST-wide multidimensional mapping of bioeconomy competencies, biomass resources, innovation ecosystems and educational needs that creates shared knowledge base across the region. The project aims to increase the accessibility of bioeconomy knowledge materials and results through the development of the BIOEAST Knowledge Platform, a central open-access digital repository offering various resources from educational materials, policy briefs, datasets to best practices in bioeconomy. It will enhance regional innovation ecosystems through the Open Innovation Challenge (OIC) and pitching events designed to connect public and private funding bodies with industry actors, academia, and civil society to solve key bioeconomy challenges of the macro-region. It will expand the BIOEAST UniNet, which links universities across the region with broader European education networks for curriculum development to support the next generation of bioeconomy professionals. By embedding bioeconomy into national policies and creating a lasting framework for cooperation, the project aims to bridge the innovation and policy gap between Western and Eastern Europe.
Nine new national BIOEAST HUBs were launched, building on the BIOEAST HUB Handbook (D2.1) which provided shared operational procedures, stakeholder engagement techniques, and best practices. Two pre-existing HUBs expanded their networks accordingly. Using the LogFrame methodology, all eleven HUBs and seven TWGs had prepared their roadmaps for the first two years. The project’s new website was launched, serving as a central communication platform that regularly shares updates on HUB kick-offs and national events, while also providing dedicated HUB mini-sites, accessible in both English and national languages. In addition to the 11 HUB mini-sites, the Knowledge Platform was launched, featuring over 170 materials in national languages, supporting both knowledge sharing and HUB-level outreach. Complementing this, WP7 led the co-design of the AP methodology which was tested and finalized in D7.1. This methodology guides the HUBs in structuring national AP workshops. So far, three HUBs (SI, HR, LT) have organised their first AP workshops. The TWGs organised seven science-policy webinars aligned with their thematic priorities. Preparations for the OIC began with co-design workshops, and finalization of eight thematic challenges and a promotional plan. The OIC received 43 proposals aiming to identify key bioeconomy challenges across the macro-region. In parallel, the multidimensional assessment of bioeconomy competences, innovation systems, biomass availability, and educational needs was initiated. The methodology for mapping competences and biomass (D3.1) was tested and applied in 10 HUB countries. WP4 completed the mapping of national and EU bioeconomy strategies, innovation indicators, and funding instruments, consolidated in D4.1 which also supports the development of APs. WP5 completed the education needs assessment (D5.1) informing recommendations for the UniNet. Two major Bioeconomy Conferences were organised fostering stakeholder exchange and partnerships with 20+ EU bioeconomy projects also hosting one international policy dialogue focusing on the policy implications of the multidimensional assessment results.
The establishment of 11 national HUBs have the value in laying the groundwork for inclusive policy development aligned with EU bioeconomy objectives, improved communication with policymakers and evidence-based decision making. Moreover, the HUB methodology created during the project can be used to replicate these highly participatory structures in other parts of Europe (South Europe, West-Balkan). HUBs have also initiated national AP development. The APs will be robust and widely accepted policy documents, ensuring that public administrations onboard, decreasing policy incoherence. The BIOEAST SRIA will provide a strategic research framework based on which public and private funding opportunities can be designed at national and macro-regional level to accelerate innovation from climate change mitigation, biodiversity enhancement to socio-economic challenges of bioeconomy. The Platform now functions as the main repository for bioeconomy stakeholders of the macro-region to store and make available bioeconomy-related knowledge materials. The outcomes of the multi-dimensional assessment will not only enrich current knowledge base on bioeconomy education, innovation ecosystems, biomass availability and competences, but will also pinpoint gaps and needs for further research. Based on the current findings, future research needs to be done in relation to improving social networks of HUBs, mapping technology readiness levels and innovation transfer opportunities in the macro-region to increase the uptake of bioeconomy innovations by the private sector. An overall assessment of the implementation of current bioeconomy research and sectoral policies might be also needed. Lastly, the value of the OIC and pitching events lies in providing unique networking opportunities for the macro-region’s entrepreneurs and youth to ideate solutions for bioeconomy development and support matching solutions with private investors.