Circular economy and bioeconomy are main strategies adopted by the EU in fighting climate change at global level. The EEA report 'The circular economy and the bio-economy — Partners in sustainability' shows that the two policy agendas have similar objectives and areas of intervention (food waste, biomass and bio-based products) and that they would benefit from stronger links and collaboration throughout the value chain. 

Engage4BIO comes into play, giving an important impulse on circular and bio economy, involving several sectors and players at local level in our 5 different Hubs. Our project is working towards a better use of waste as a resource, to help reduce emissions in the Hubs’ value chains.  

In this 2nd newsletter, we share the exciting initiatives that are at the core of our Hubs. Engage4BIO Partners have been busy and proactive in meeting and consulting stakeholders, with the goal of strengthening the uptake of circular bioeconomy processes and practices. Engage4BIO has been making significant progress in engaging local stakeholders, developing a regional map and gap analysis, and designing tailored training programs.

As we look ahead to the second half of our project, the focus will be on implementing co-created initiatives and refining our strategies based on lessons learned. We will continue to foster collaboration in the bioeconomy sector. 

We would like to thank our associate partners, stakeholders, and supporters for their contributions and dedication. Together, we are making significant strides towards a more sustainable future! 

Engage4BIO Hubs have been working relentlessly towards the organisation of events and activities to strengthen local bioeconomy practices! 

Once the co-creation activities have been completed by the Consortium, our Hubs have been busy with the planning and implementing of innovative, creativetrainings and events. 

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Engage4BIO Austria Hub is actively rolling out its initiatives, successfully completing six activities aimed at outreach, communication campaigns, training, network strengthening, and result out-scaling.

For example, the Hub engaged stakeholders in various activities centred on the wood and interior construction value chain. They partnered with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria to produce a video on understanding bioeconomy. They also developed a card quiz (in German language) to foster discussion, which was tested with young ambassadors from different youth organizations. Additionally, they organized a training excursion to showcase best practices in Austria's wood value chain and interior construction in collaboration with the University of Arts Linz and organised a short bioeconomy conference organized for a group of renowned architects in cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. 

Many activities are under preparation for the fall in the Finnish Hub regarding the implementation of training and mentoring programs, innovative governance and knowledge gain and awareness raising.  
For example, The Finnish Hub is creating a 5 ECTS course called "Sustainability in the Packaging Life Cycle" and as a learning outcome, students will be able to review all requirements related to sustainable packaging. For innovative governance, CLIC Innovation has identified activities for developing a dynamic collaborative working space, which will support the creation of novel sustainable packaging solutions.  

To support awareness and knowledge building, the Finnish Sustainable Packaging Hub has established a cooperation with the Finnish Museum of Technology. The collaboration will result in an immersive STEM learning environment for school children, with sustainable packaging as one of the topics that children can explore.  

The Finnish Hub has many more exciting activities and opportunities for the fall, and we can’t wait to share them with you! 

The Hungarian Hub organized several interesting awareness raising activities; to name a few, the “Design Sprint Food Hackathon”, an event dedicated to designers and non-designers’ students aimed at the re-evaluation of our existing food system. Participants worked in groups to find sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to issues related to food and food waste.  

In addition to that, interactive installations were set up: one for agricultural students (agricultural EXPO in May 2024), one for farmers (June 2024). All these activities were performed in popular events that ensured the collection of diverse points of view and allowed the dissemination of our project’s objectives to a broad number of participants.  

The Dutch Hub has been actively organising various events and activities focused on circular and bio-based textiles. Notably, the Hub participated in several art events aimed at bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public perception of the bioeconomy transition.

One particularly successful activity was the “Textile Surgery.” As part of the State of Fashion event, the Dutch Hub hosted a session where experts analysed garments, discussing their materials and cultural significance. The audience engaged in the discussion, gaining clear insights into the impact of clothing and the complexities of garment anatomy. The event was well-received, and a video report is available for viewing here.

The Italian Hub has been actively supporting regional development in the blue bioeconomy through various activities. One significant initiative was a training and mentoring program for secondary school teachers, titled "Adult Education and Skills Development on the Blue Bioeconomy" featuring lectures and demonstrations at UNIPA labs.

Among the most successful awareness-raising campaigns were those involving secondary art school students from the Trapani province. The students developed two impactful campaigns: "Conscious and sustainable consumption of marine resources" and "What a wonderful waste!!! Re-use, recycling, and valorisation of waste from marine supply chains in different sectors."

The Hub is now preparing several exciting activities for the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates

Creativity is the heart of our project!

All of us Partners strive to find new and innovative ways to strengthen bioeconomy in local processes and practices. To do so, we developed useful tools to make learning through co-creation easy and effective. 

A few examples below: 

We have so much to share!

Our Consortium has been working hard to implement all activities and collect useful information and data that can be easily used and shared. 

Read our results here: 

Deliverable 1.1 outlines a comprehensive framework to address circular bioeconomy challenges at a regional level, integrating technological, regional development, art and design, and education approaches. It includes structured co-creation workshops, canvas frameworks, an activity catalogue, and innovative training examples. Regional hubs play a crucial role in local implementation, stakeholder engagement, education, and ensuring sustainability, aligning with the European Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals.  

Deliverable 2.1 presents the results of a Map and Gap analysis, detailing the current state, potential, and future directions of the five bioeconomy hubs. Using a canvas methodology, the report incorporates insights from interviews and workshops with diverse local partners, including public institutions, government representatives, industry, arts and design, academia, and civil society. The analysis covers bioeconomy, regional development, arts and design, and learning perspectives, highlighting the unique cultural backgrounds and varying maturity levels of innovation ecosystems across the hubs.  

Deliverable 2.2 of the Engage4BIO project presents the outcomes of co-creation tasks conducted in the five regional bioeconomy hubs. These tasks included developing regional visions, training formats, awareness-raising campaigns, and innovative governance models through co-creation workshops with local stakeholders. This process was built on the co-creation guidelines and on the Map and Gap Analysis.  

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