September 2022 – MainstreamBIO Horizon Europe project kicks off!

Thessaloniki, September 29-30, 2022 – The EU Bioeconomy strategy has acknowledged the immense potential of bio-based products and solutions in promoting sustainable economic growth. However, despite significant investments in research,
innovation, and business support, numerous regions within the EU have yet to fully realize this potential.

This is precisely where MainstreamBIO comes into play!

Ten partners from Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain and Belgium join forces to to get small-scale bio-based solutions into mainstream practice across 7 EU rural regions (NL, PL, DK, SE, BG, ES, IE). This goal will be achieved by establishing regional Multi-actor Innovation Platforms (MIPs), which will incorporate a diverse range of feedstocks, infrastructure, and expertise. The aim of these platforms is to facilitate co-creation of sustainable business model pathways that align with regional potentials and policy initiatives.

MainstreamBIO consortium consists of Q-PLAN International Advisors (Q-PLAN), Munster Technological Institute (MTU), Stichting Wageningen Research (WR), Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation State Research Institute (IUNG), RISE Processum AB (PROC), Agricultural University Plovdiv (AUP), Food & Bio Cluster Denmark (FBCD), Innovarum (INNV), DRAXIS Environmental S.A. (DRAXIS) and WHITE Research S.P.R.L. (WHITE). Partners held a physical meeting on September 29-30, 2022, in Thessaloniki (Greece) to officially kick-off the project and to exchange fruitful ideas for its implementation.

Under the coordination of QPLAN, the EU funded Horizon Europe project (Grant Agreement No: 101059420) MainstreamBIO uses a multi-actor approach to engage and manage stakeholders, bringing together regional players and knowledge holders with diverse backgrounds, expertise, and interests. This approach is implemented through seven Multi-actor Innovation Platforms (MIPs) that mobilize stakeholders towards learning, action, and change.

To support rural actors, MainstreamBIO is creating a catalogue of small-scale bio-based solutions, including technologies, business models, and social innovations. This catalogue will provide inspiration and guidance for innovation support services. To help rural actors choose solutions that fit their resources and socio-economic context, MainstreamBIO is also developing a decision support system (DSS).

MainstreamBIO engages key stakeholders in co-creation workshops to design innovation support services for each MIP. This process ensures a market-oriented approach that meets stakeholders’ obvious and hidden needs. Additionally, MainstreamBIO is creating a digital toolkit that aggregates bioeconomy resources and tools from various sources in one place to facilitate their development.

The main objectives off MainstreamBIO are the following:

Catalogue of small-scale bio-based technologies, business models and social innovations
Collection of best practices for improved nutrient recycling
Decision Support System
Bioeconomy Repository
Tool Library
Bio Forum

MainstreamBIO activities and expected results will benefit various actors across value chain, including farmers, foresters, biomass producers, policy makers, as well as academia, research and general public.

Make sure to follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated onthe latest developments and upcoming events of MainstreamBIO.

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