On November 22nd, the Austrian hub successfully concluded its fourth and final co-creation workshop, focusing on supporting existing or initiating innovative governance models within the Austrian wood-based bioeconomy value chain. In an engaging and interactive format, a small group of twelve people delved into the nuances of communicating and steering wood-based bioeconomy in Austria, dissecting specific challenges and proposing strategies for improvement.
One prevalent theme that emerged was the significant lack of common understanding and communication structures among stakeholders along the value chain. Additionally, participants highlighted the need for better connections between researchers who have already gained valuable knowledge on the potentials of sustainable, circular bioeconomy. Participants generated a list of ideas that aimed to support the existing steering and communication patterns. Three ideas were further elaborated:
- The first proposal involves organizing a face-to-face networking event to connect bioeconomy projects and stakeholders in Austria. This event, resembling a conference format, aims to expand existing networks and facilitate connections between researchers, regions, and various actors within the bioeconomy value chain. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, the event seeks to eliminate redundancies, ensuring a swift and efficient dissemination of research results across Austrian regions. The goal is to initiate a knowledge circle that helps to spread innovation and research findings across bioeconomy projects but also with industry and business, and to foster continuous collaboration in potential future projects. The target audience includes individuals from regional development, project partners in bioeconomy initiatives, research funders, policymakers, demonstrator regions, and representatives from industry and businesses.
- The second idea revolved around connecting various knowledge-sharing institutions to empower educators and trainers with information. The goal is to strengthen awareness, foster experience exchange, share best practices, and establish a network that enhances understanding of bioeconomy. The aim is to embed the concept of bioeconomy in educational institutions, exchange knowledge, unleash pioneering effects, promote awareness, and build a robust community of practice.
- The third idea focused on linking consumers to the wood-based bioeconomy value chain by providing guidelines in making informed purchasing decisions concerning wood-based products. This involves establishing a connection with experts, conducting an innovation check, and offering guidance on general inquiries about bioeconomy. Incentives will be provided to encourage conscious decision-making.
