Category: Regional potential, bioeconomy strategies and action plans

BE-Rural: Concept for a pop-up store with bio-based products and participatory events

Posted on by LIFT-Team

BE-Rural aims to realise the potential of regional and local bio-based economies by supporting relevant actors in the participatory development of bioeconomy strategies and roadmaps.

This BE-Rural report introduces the concept of bio-based pop-up stores and explains why it is a suitable instrument to inform about the bioeconomy and aspects of the larger sustainability debate.  Bio-based pop-up stores will be organised in each of the BE-Rural target regions (Stara Zagora in Bulgaria, Vidzeme and Kurzeme in Latvia, Strumica in North Macedonia, Szczecin Lagoon and Vistula Lagoon in Poland, and Covasna in Romania).

The report explains how the pop-up store is embedded into the larger BE-Rural project framework and explains how it will contribute to achieving the project objectives. The report provides design visualisation examples and lists potential educational materials (publications, videos, apps, games etc.), which will be made available to guests alongside the exhibits. The report’s annex presents a list of bio-based products that are currently considered to be included in the pop-up stores.

BE-Rural: Business models for regional bioeconomies

Posted on by LIFT-Team

BE-Rural aims to realise the potential of regional and local bio-based economies by supporting relevant actors in the participatory development of bioeconomy strategies and roadmaps.

This BE-Rural report focusses on small-scale bioeconomy businesses that are suitable for rural areas and addresses the business opportunities of the BE-Rural target regions (Stara Zagora in Bulgaria, Vidzeme and Kurzeme in Latvia, Strumica in North Macedonia, Szczecin Lagoon and Vistula Lagoon in Poland, and Covasna in Romania). Four exemplary small-scale businesses were selected. These were analysed with the business model canvas (a tool for developing and analysing business models). Their suitability for the BE-Rural target regions was assessed and the economic, social and environmental impacts of each business were analysed.

BE-Rural: Bioeconomy potential analysis

Posted on by LIFT-Team

This BE-Rural report analyses the bioeconomy potential of the BE-Rural target regions based on the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) launched by the European Commission. The SAT is an online tool composed of two sets of questionnaires, one that identifies biomass from agriculture and forestry as alternative raw material, and another one that identifies waste to produce bio-based chemicals. The SAT is based on eight key factors: Long term, stability and availability of feedstock; infrastructure to handle feedstocks and production; access to finance; skilled workforce, technical expertise and training; existence of support institutions; strength and availability of regional markets; entrepreneurship; and public support policies.

Regions covered in the report include: Stara Zagora in Bulgaria, Vidzeme and Kurzeme in Latvia, Strumica in North Macedonia, Szczecin Lagoon and Vistula Lagoon in Poland, and Covasna in Romania.

Power4Bio – Recommendations for the use of existing tools when developing bioeconomy strategies

Posted on by LIFT-Team

Power4Bio aims at empowering regional stakeholders to boost the transition towards bioeconomy regions in Europe by providing them with the necessary tools, instruments and guidance to develop and implement sound sustainable bioeconomy strategies.

ThePower4Bio report Recommendations for the use of existing tools when developing bioeconomy strategies presents (in fact sheets) an inventory of most interesting tools for supporting the analysis of the different aspects of a regional bioeconomy. The tool evaluation focussed on the content (data) and the user interaction aspects. The report makes recommendations on further use of the tools by the regional stakeholders involved in the project.

A gross list of 26 tools were reviewed in a quick evaluation. For 10 tools fact sheets were developed that are meant to support users to guide them towards the right tools for their information needs and to facilitate the use of the tools. Another 10 tools were selected to further inspire the design of the Bioregional Strategy Accelerator Toolkit (BSAT).

 

Power4Bio – Key performance indicators to evaluate regional bioeconomies

Posted on by LIFT-Team

Power4Bio aims at empowering regional stakeholders to boost the transition towards bioeconomy regions in Europe by providing them with the necessary tools, instruments and guidance to develop and implement sound sustainable bioeconomy strategies.

The Power4Bio report  Key performance indicators to evaluate regional bioeconomies aims to identify and compile consistent factors, features and key performance indicators (KPI) for the short and medium-term bioeconomy potential assessment. Factors characterizing regional bioeconomies were grouped in eight categories (summing a total of 67 key performance indicators): availability and use of resources, infrastructure and industrial factors, research and innovation, market/economic, transition towards bioeconomy, public and institutional support/governance/policy framework, funding and social and environmental aspects.  The set of indicators is meant to be easy to understand, use and support the bioeconomy situation in the region from very diverse points of view and needs.

BIO4ECO State of the art on woody biomass for renewable energy production in Abruzzo

Posted on by LIFT-Team

The Interreg project BIO4ECO ( “Sustainable regional biomass policies – A game changer”) aims to improve regional and national policy processes and policy implementation in the project partner countries addressing the transition to a low carbon economy, in relation with renewable energy use, energy efficiency of building, and forest and agricultural biomass.

The main expected project outcomes are:

  • increase the share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix
  • take into account bioenergy and bioeconomy in all planning and decision-making
  • lay the groundwork for future integrated strategies and programmes for regional bioeconomy and carbon neutrality.  

BIO4ECO organises interregional and local learning process by thematic workshops, study visits and local stakeholder groups meetings.

The BIO4ECO report on the Abruzzo region (Italy) presents the state of the art on the use of woody agroforestry biomass for energy purposes in the region.

RUBIZMO – Replicable business models for modern rural economies – Policy brief

Posted on by LIFT-Team

RUBIZMO will identify innovative business models with a significant potential to support modernisation and sustainable growth in rural economies, and relevant to the food sector, bio-based value chains and ecosystem services. Business models with the potential to contribute to the modernisation and sustainable growth of rural economies will be selected, packaged and classified according to their nature, comprising technologies, services, business support structures, financing mechanisms, etc.

The RUBIZMO Policy brief Anticipated Futures for Modern Rural Economies builds on a review of literature and EU policies for rural development, innovation, entrepreneurship and the bio-based economy. It provides a basis for conceptualizing modern rural economies. It outlines emerging opportunities to promote diversification, shared values, innovation, and resource conservation, and to reach a common understanding of the solutions to set up a “Modern Rural Economy” in different conditions.

Training Guide Social Acceptance – Developing dialogue with your stakeholders. Applying social acceptance tools to avoid barriers in bio-based projects

Posted on by LIFT Team

Many companies implementing emerging technologies encounter barriers or objections from consumers or local stakeholders. “Social acceptance” is the result of a process where stakeholders and project leaders work together to find solutions to these barriers and objections. It is important to be aware that the stakeholders affected by a new product or process go way beyond the SME’s customer base. Involving stakeholders in a series of activities to establish relationships is essential – there are tools for this. Tools will enable SMEs to achieve legitimacy and credibility regarding the stakeholder, form a strong and well-communicated company mission statement and clear long-term vision and set up long-term connections with their stakeholders, resulting in trust. This guide takes you through the context and the theory behind the social acceptance concept. It addresses SME managers and business support organisations, presenting a number of tools which can be useful for those launching new products or services in the bio-based economy, and beyond.