WP1 (Project Coordination & Management): The project office at ECO has efficiently managed the project. Project meetings have taken place as planned in the Description of Action (DoA) and monthly coordination calls with all project partners have been organised. In addition, ECO provided specific guidance to the OIP facilitators regarding the implementation of the regional stakeholder processes.
WP2 (Regional Potentials & Business Models): Sustainable technology options and good practice business models, which are suitable for local deployment, were identified, described and analysed by WIP. Their local suitability was ensured as local partners from the OIP regions were consulted for advice in the selection process. WIP authored an easy to understand handbook on local and regional bioeconomies, which was translated into all target country languages. The policy frameworks and the biomass potentials of the OIP regions were analysed by ECO and WIP, respectively, in close collaboration with the OIP facilitators.
WP3 (Education, Awareness & Engagement): STRATH has compiled educational resources on bioeconomy, circular economy and sustainability in a report on materials for educational events in schools, colleges and universities. In addition, a teachers' summer school on bioeconomy & sustainability has been organised. Three physical and two virtual bio-based pop-up stores were organised by BIOCOM and the respective regional partners. The exhibition introduced the BE-Rural project, showcased sustainable bio-based products and gave insights on how bioeconomy innovations can contribute to the achievement of selected UN Sustainable Development Goals.
WP4 (Knowledge Exchange & Capacity Building): IPE facilitated knowledge exchange across European regions through the organisation of three webinars and two face-to-face workshop with regional stakeholders. Supported by STRATH, a series of regional knowledge-exchange and capacity-building seminars has been organised by the OIP facilitators. In addition, an international R&I capacity-building workshop has been organised by STRATH. Finally, the BE-Rural Network of Knowledge has been established.
WP5 (Regional Strategies & Roadmaps): On the basis of comprehensive stakeholder mapping exercise, stakeholders have been invited to join BE-Rural’s regional Stakeholder Working Groups, which met regularly to discuss the way forward regarding the development of concrete strategy/roadmap documents in the five OIP regions. Facilitated by the regional project partners, five regional bioeconomy strategies/roadmaps have been developed in a participatory manner. Coordinated by ECO and using the BRIGAID Market Analysis Framework, small-scale business models for five bio-based ideas have been developed. Finally, a concept for the development of a sustainability screening for regional bioeconomy strategies has been developed and applied by ECO in two case studies.
WP6 (Dissemination, Communication & Exploitation): A prioritisation of the project results/outputs, based on their potential to target specific audiences, took place as part of the communication, dissemination and exploitation strategy, which was developed by BIOCOM. Following this selection of project outputs, key messages, communication channels and measures, and windows of opportunity were identified. Based on the strategy document, a project brand identity was designed, including a project logo and theme.
WP7 (Ethics Requirements): The project office at ECO ensured that all project activities complied with the ethics provisions set out in applicable international, EU and national law and submitted two dedicated deliverables outlining the ‘ethics requirements’ that the project had to comply with
