Pressing forward: BIO2REG reaches midpoint
BIO2REG is moving from its foundational build-up phase to an exciting new stage of implementation and interregional collaboration. The project has reached the halfway point of its three-year runtime, marking significant progress and the development of practical tools for the regional bioeconomy transition. The project is now well on its way to activating its interregional exchange instrument and launching the BIO2REG network later this year.
“With the first project period completed and the second now underway, this turning point reflects both the consortium’s collective achievements and our shared commitment to supporting regional transitions toward circular bioeconomy model regions,” emphasises Denise Gider, the BIO2REG project coordinator at BioökonomieREVIER, Forschungszentrum Jülich. A suite of practical outputs has been finalised to empower regional stakeholders and policy actors as they move toward sustainable, systemic change.
Among the key achievements is the Multi-Criteria Assessment (MCA) tool, designed to guide regional stakeholders through a self-assessment process for regions’ bioeconomy potential. Delivered as an accessible Excel-based tool, the MCA offers practical decision support built on a clear set of bioeconomy indicators. It is accompanied by a user-friendly guide that helps non-expert stakeholders evaluate their region’s bioeconomy potential in four practical steps. Grounded in the BIO2REG regionalization concept, the guide promotes a hands-on, operational approach to mapping and assessing regional bioeconomy indicators.
Recognising that bioeconomy transitions require consistent monitoring and strategic adjustment over time, the guide also emphasizes the importance of ongoing evaluation. “Bioeconomy transitions take time and require constant re-evaluation of the progress and the targets,“ points out one of the authors, Panos Kalimeris, Assistant Professor at Research Institute of Urban Environment & Human Resources, Panteion University Athens, adding: “A clearly defined monitoring system, supported by regional engagement and incremental progress, creates the best conditions for lasting regional transformation.”
In addition to the MCA tool, BIO2REG has released:
- A set of implementation guides to support regional actors in deploying transition measures.
- A database of user-friendly cooperation tools to foster circular and systemic bioeconomy model regions.
Looking ahead, the BIO2REG consortium is actively preparing for the launch of its interregional exchange instrument around October – an initiative that will foster alliances between more advanced bioeconomy model regions and GHG-intensive regions seeking to transition. The anticipated BIO2REG network will offer tools, expertise, and strategic support to regional actors. By connecting regional development agencies, public authorities, entrepreneurs, and bioeconomy experts, the network will promote knowledge exchange, collaboration, and long-term partnerships across regions.
“With these strong foundations laid,” concludes Gider, “the project is well-positioned to facilitate dialogue and mutual learning between regions – helping both experienced regions and those just beginning their bioeconomy transition to advance practical, regionally adapted bioeconomy solutions and structures across Europe.”
