Bioeconomy means using natural substances for new and alternative products. The most important oals are to replace fossil resources with renewable materials and to find applications for by-products and waste materials. Synergies of technology, ecology and sustainability are harnessed to create new opportunities and prospects for economic activities. By targeting an economic cycle, the concept of bioeconomy comprises raw material sources of agriculture, forestry, water management and waste (food and feed, materials, energy). The transition from a fossil to a bio-based economy reduces society‘s dependency on fossil fuels and improves sustainability. New business models and cross-industrial innovations are the basis for such transitions. With its raw material sources and diverse economy, the Alpine region has good starting conditions. At this point, the AlpBioEco project comes into place to foster development towards bioeconomy by investigating the valorisation of innovative potentials along bio-based food and botanical extract value chains. In the first work package, AlpBioEco examines the biobased potential of the three value chains apples, walnuts and herbs.
