CENTRAL EUROPEAN LEADERS OF BIOECONOMY NETWORK

Project Information

CELEBio

Grant agreement ID: 838087

DOI

10.3030/838087

Project closed

EC signature date 29 April 2019

Start date 1 June 2019

End date 30 November 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology

Total cost

€ 749 350,00

EU contribution

€ 749 350,00

Coordinated by

INCE INIZIATIVA CENTRO EUROPEA - SEGRETARIATO ESECUTIVO
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CELEBio (CENTRAL EUROPEAN LEADERS OF BIOECONOMY NETWORK)

Reporting period: 2019-06-01 to 2020-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

"The Central Europe Leaders in Bioeconomy (CELEBio) project aimed at strengthening Bioeconomy-related activities in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Slovenia through the assessment of sustainable biomass availability, the mapping of actors along biobased economy value chains, the elaboration of evidence-based Action Plans. CELEBio, therefore, elaborated reports that include (a) comprehensive overviews of the countries, (b) detailed descriptions and quantification of sustainable biomass from agriculture, forestry, transformation industry and waste streams, including their current uses and untapped potentials; (c) overviews of the bio-based industries and market, with an outlook towards future biomass valorisation options; (d) descriptions of related infrastructures, logistics and energy assets; (e) insights into the innovation potential and research capacities; (f) detailed policy assessments, with information about financing options. To enhance the (macro-) regional outlook, similar studies have been performed for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. CELEBio performed a detailed analysis of each target country's bioeconomy landscape to develop stakeholders' exhaustive databases along bio-based value chains. This information will prove essential for any further mobilisation effort and strategic planning and investments. CELEBio also elaborated six specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based guidelines for National Action Plans, and one similar regional scope report. Each National Action Plan includes a statement on the current level of development of the country's bioeconomy, an analysis of comparative advantages, an assessment of the policy framework and a Vision for future growth. An implementation plan with specific goals upholds the Vision. Moreover, CELEBio successfully set-up the network of ""BBI Ambassadors"". Finally, CELEBio elaborated six National Bioeconomy Dossiers to support further dissemination and mobilisation in target countries. Each of them includes the analytical report, the stakeholders mapping and the policy guidelines, thus allowing the reader having access to an exhaustive, yet handy, analysis of the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of a specific territory. The National Bioeconomy Dossiers represent a tangible heritage and, owing to their completeness and overall quality, a cornerstone of the future bio-based industry in the CELEBio region."

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

"CELEBio was conceived as a wide-ranging CSA with the ambitious goal of facilitating the convergence of ""moderate"" or ""modest"" innovators from Central and South-Eastern Europe towards bioeconomy forerunners through the delivery of a comprehensive and detailed knowledge base to public and private decision-makers. This goal has been mainly achieved within the boundaries of a time-limited action. CELEBio engaged with a wide panel of interlocutors at both national and European level, reaching out to almost 300 stakeholders, many of which represent governmental, sector- or umbrella organisations from the CELEBio region. CELEBio contributed to raising awareness on the topic of bioeconomy in the relevant region, thus contributing to building a thematic network among stakeholders. The studies, analyses and reports developed in the framework of CELEBio have been disseminated through the website, national mini-sites, social media, national and international events, and bilateral interactions. The Consortium is committed to prolonging this action beyond the project lifetime, with particular regards to National Bioeconomy Dossiers that will be re-edited on own resources and distributed among relevant national and international interlocutors."

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

"The studies developed by CELEBio represent a tangible contribution to the expansion of industrial bio-based activities in target countries and the broader CELEBio region as they convey to relevant decision-makers detailed information on the sustainable biomass potentials, including current uses and untapped potentials, logistics and infrastructures, market landscape and costs. Moreover, the project mapped relevant stakeholders along the bio-based value chains, fostering synergies and clustering. The detailed analysis of the policy frameworks and the development of country-specific visions and policy guidelines are expected to motivate policy-makers and accelerate deployment. CELEBio compiled very detailed assessments of sustainable biomass availability from primary production, transformation and waste-streams in countries, where such information was perhaps more difficultly accessible or was not systemised. CELEBio delivered verified data and information that could be reliably used for informed decision-making to foster bio-based industries and relevant investments, thus strengthening the region's prospects to align with European leaders in bioeconomy. Moreover, CELEBio mapped and therefore facilitated access to information about the ""bioeconomy enabling environment"" (policy framework, logistics, research infrastructures and industrial landscape) in the six target countries and the broader Central-South-East European region. The assessments developed in the framework of CELEBio, and particularly the National Bioeconomy Dossiers, highlight the environmental and socio-economic impacts of strengthened bio-economy for the target countries and the region for the medium term. Moreover, the extensive set of outreach activities deployed at the national level favoured the prioritization of the topic in the ""greening"" debate, even if the pandemic limited these aspects significantly."

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