Across Europe, regions reliant on greenhouse gas-intensive industries - such as coal mining, intensive agriculture, forestry, and fisheries - are facing a critical turning point. As the continent accelerates toward a climate-neutral, sustainable future, these regions are under pressure to undergo deep structural changes. The transition is often fraught with challenges: economic disruption, rising unemployment, social tension, and growing regional disparities. Without targeted support and a clear roadmap, many of these areas risk being left behind in the green transition.
BIO2REG was established in direct response to this context. The bioeconomy offers regionally adapted, sustainable bio-based solutions that can help address these challenges by fostering innovation, creating new economic opportunities, and supporting just transitions. As a European-funded project, BIO2REG seeks to empower carbon-intensive regions with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to become circular bioeconomy model regions.
A circular bioeconomy uses renewable biological resources and innovative technologies to produce food, materials, and energy. When tailored to the regional specificities, the circular bioeconomy can foster new value chains, create quality jobs, support ecosystem restoration, and strengthen regional resilience. What is unique to BIO2REG is its "regions-to-regions" approach, which prioritises mutual learning and acknowledges that each transition pathway must be context-specific and regionally rooted. It emphasises the integration of a region’s resources, stakeholders, socio-economic conditions, and innovation ecosystems, as well as the entire regional bioeconomy system, from primary sectors and value chains, governance structures, research, and education.
To drive regional bioeconomy transformation, BIO2REG equips stakeholders with practical guides, best practices, and provides self-assessment tools, alongside a structured framework to evaluate bioeconomy potentials, build capacities in regions and foster collaboration through an interregional network and a guided exchange.
Through this collaborative informed process, BIO2REG aims to:
• Facilitate the systemic shift toward circular and sustainable bioeconomy across Europe by equipping regional stakeholders with tools and knowledge;
• Reduce socio-economic disparities between regions through growth and innovation;
• Support the development and uptake of innovative, sustainable value chains in the bio-based sectors.
