Post Term: BERURAL

The Macro-environment Surrounding BE-Rural’s Open Innovation Platforms

Posted on by LIFT-Team

With the recent update of its Bioeconomy Strategy, the guidance of its advisory bodies and the engagement of regional groups and representatives, Europe has found a new track towards a sustainable bioeconomy, building on the notion that regions are the most appropriate territorial level at which to implement bioeconomy strategies. The BE-Rural project incorporates this regional focus into its core vision, putting its regional Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs) front and centre in the process of studying the potential for regional bioeconomies, and articulating and implementing strategies to make them a reality.

In providing an outline of the macro-environment at each of the OIP regions, this task has also served to shed light on key points of collaboration between them, confirming previous notions of potential synergies and revealing new areas where the regional bioeconomies of BE-Rural could complement each other and contribute to the vision of a sustainable EU-wide bioeconomy.

Sustainability and Participation in the Bioeconomy: A Conceptual Framework for BE-Rural

Posted on by LIFT-Team

This report outlines the conceptual framework of BE-Rural and provides practical guidance to the design and implementation of the five regional Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs) within BE-Rural. This conceptual framework aims to provide guidance regarding the overall ambition of BE-Rural, and the foundations by which the project will operate throughout its duration. The first part of this document describes the context, objectives and regional focus to be taken within the project. The second part outlines key concepts and founding principles that lay at the heart of the project. Following this, the conceptual framework of BE-Rural is presented and discussed.

Overall, the founding principles that lay at the heart of BE-Rural include the principles of co-creation, openness and inclusiveness, sustainability and transparency. These are incorporated into the key concept of the Quintuple Helix Approach, in which knowledge and innovation generated by key stakeholders from policy, business, academia and civil society are placed within the larger frame of the environment. Supporting this, the Action Research Approach ensures that reflection is integrated throughout all stages of project work.

BE-Rural Briefing paper: Knowledge exchange and capacity building for the bioeconomy in rural areas

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.

To prepare and guide activities in the BE-Rural target regions this briefing paper discusses the following three elements:

  • Definitions and rationales for knowledge exchange and capacity building
  • Existing approaches to knowledge exchange and capacity building, notably: (i) national and regional bioeconomy strategy-building processes, (ii) the EU’s Smart Specialisation Strategy approach, and (iii) the U Rural Development Policy
  • Good practice examples (case studies) of knowledge exchange and capacity building in rural bioeconomy strategies in five European regions (Baden-Württemberg in Germany, Catalonia in Spain, Oulu in Finland, Scotland in the United Kingdom and Tajo-Salor-Almonte in Spain).

 

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.

BERURAL – Bio-based strategies and roadmaps for enhanced rural and regional development in the EU

BERURAL – Bio-based strategies and roadmaps for enhanced rural and regional development in the EU

Posted on by LIFT Team

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

BE-Rural will investigate the particular characteristics of the selected regions at a macro level, as well as existing best practices and business models geared towards the bioeconomy.

This higher-level analysis will aid in the assessment of the ‘bioeconomy potential’ of the selected regions. This work will set the foundation for the implementation of a series of regional Open Innovation Platforms to kick-start the co-creation process, bringing together key stakeholders from academia, policy, business and civil society to develop ideas and capitalise on this bioeconomy potential. Activities will include research & innovation capacity building workshops, educational seminars and webinars, summer schools, and Bio-based Pop-up Stores. Building from this, the proposed ‘Network of Knowledge’ will aim to share knowledge and lessons learned from the Open Innovation Platforms at an inter-regional level, further disseminating best practices, closing the information gap on issues related to sustainability, and increasing capacities of regional authorities and stakeholders.

  • Grant Agreement ID
    818478
  • Call Topic
    H2020-EU.3.2.4.1.
  • Project Website
    https://be-rural.eu/
  • Duration
    From: 2019-04-01
    To: 2022-05-31
  • Overall Budget
    2 996 288,75 €
  • Coordinator
    ECOLOGIC INSTITUT gemeinnützige GmbH

PROJECT CONTENTS

BE-Rural Briefing paper: Knowledge exchange and capacity building for the bioeconomy in rural areas
BE-Rural aims to realise the potential of regional and local bio-based economies by supporting relevant actors in the participatory development
Read more
BE-Rural: Bioeconomy potential analysis
This BE-Rural report analyses the bioeconomy potential of the BE-Rural target regions based on the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) launched by
Read more
BE-Rural: Business models for regional bioeconomies
BE-Rural aims to realise the potential of regional and local bio-based economies by supporting relevant actors in the participatory development
Read more
BE-Rural: Concept for a pop-up store with bio-based products and participatory events
BE-Rural aims to realise the potential of regional and local bio-based economies by supporting relevant actors in the participatory development
Read more
Sustainability and Participation in the Bioeconomy: A Conceptual Framework for BE-Rural
This report outlines the conceptual framework of BE-Rural and provides practical guidance to the design and implementation of the five
Read more
The Macro-environment Surrounding BE-Rural’s Open Innovation Platforms
With the recent update of its Bioeconomy Strategy, the guidance of its advisory bodies and the engagement of regional groups
Read more