Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Allthings.bioPRO (Allthings.bioPRO - Game changer for the bio-based economy)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-03-01 bis 2023-08-31
This is a crucial moment for involving society in the transition to a more circular economy. Since all individuals, whether as citizens or consumers, will be affected, they should be able to play a role when shaping it. On the other hand, it goes without saying that the bio-based industry needs the input of citizens and consumers, to make sure that the products developed are in tune with consumers’ requirements and expectations.
In Allthings.bioPRO we put all emphasis on getting citizens involved in the bioeconomy and making their voices heard. We focused on issues and products, which connect with the daily life of citizens and consumers. Possible themes are the creation of growth and jobs, sustainable and circular use of resources or the societal dimension of the bio-based industry in Europe but also outside Europe, where the biomass products might impact societies in other countries. The personal viewpoint of a consumer considers quality, functionality and the costs of products but does also care about sustainable production and the environmental impact of daily life products.
In Allthings.bioPRO we used serious gaming to channel citizens’ voices to the bio-based industries. We developed a serious game within a co-creation and co-design process involving both citizens and experts. To ensure focus, we already decided on the subject of the serious game but left the final creation of its content to the engagement process.
AllThings.bioPRO also used mobile phones as a means to collect data that comes from citizens. By developing a mobile application that scans logos, labels and certification schemes and provides users with information on the sustainable performance of the scanned bio-based/biodegradable products, the app generates data that can be used by bio-based industry actors and provide important insights to policy makers. Based on the assumption that the bioeconomy is in the process of transforming from a fossil-based economy to a sustainable bio-based economy, the ATB scanning tool aims to specifically inform consumers about "bio-based" aspects, providing information about what the (eco-) label stands for, on which products and product categories it can be found, which aspects it covers, what it guarantees and who owns or operates the label.
An adoption strategy was developed to ensure the sustainability of the project results and to set the stage for the use of the data generated from the project. In addition, bilateral meetings were held with project stakeholders at an early stage. A matching matrix between stakeholder interests and project opportunities was also created. The project also presented the project results via various communication materials, a roadshows and through a European Bioeconomy Citizen Action Network, created on a social media platform. A handbook for teachers was developed and translated in different European languages to support the use of the game and smartphone app in schools.
The project focused on four themes closely related to everyday life: food packaging, fashion and textiles, kids and schools, and jobs and careers. These themes are central to the serious game and also guide the smartphone app and an associated public communication campaign. A handbook for teachers was developed and translated in different European languages to support the use of the game and smartphone app in schools.
Citizen engagement was organised in a series of focus groups and co-creation workshops at a local level, suppoerted by eight regional partners and implemented in local languages. The serious game and smartphone app not only engage citizens using them, but can also be used as tool to aggregate citizens' ideas, preferences and opinions related to the four themes and relevant products. They also inform them about bio-based alternatives for fossil based products. Additionally the project created the BioAction Network, which is a social media group dedicated to interested citizens and stakeholders who want to learn more about the bioeconomy and are interested to share related ideas and information.
The project findings are relevant to brand owners, bio-based industries, bioeconomy knowledge centers, policy actors, and others. Allthings.bioPRO worked closely with them to ensure that project outputs are of high quality, relevance and have direct benefits. The results will help stakeholders understand citizens' perspectives and views on the bioeconomy and provide them with access to citizen-generated data on preferences and ideas for specific product applications.