Bioeconomy model regions

Transitioning to a sustainable bioeconomy is an acknowledged pathfinder to achieving European Green Deal ambition by enabling sustainable development, reduced dependence on fossil resources and the creation of new economic opportunities. While the realisation of bioeconomy on a regional level holds great promise it still faces hurdles in its concrete implementation. The majority of stakeholders in regions throughout Europe lack actionable knowledge to translate existing strategies into practice and to embed them into society, industry and research while simultaneously considering planetary boundaries. Thus bioeconomy model regions tackle the urgent need to specify bioeconomy into tangible transition measures. It embodies a forward-thinking approach to bioeconomic development, rooted in collaboration, innovation and sustainability.

An open-face mine with a field in the foreground.

Michael Zöphel / Adobe Stock

The systemic bioeconomy model region approach is quite new, relatively unknown and applied as a pilot by the German initiative BioökonomieREVIER, coordinator of the BIO2REG project. Within BIO2REG, a detailed concept of a bioeconomy model region will be developed in the first project year in 2024 to operationalise the approach and make it accessible to other regions.

A model region can be understood as a geographic area in which bioeconomy acts as a central transformative power, helping the region transition to a regionally adapted bioeconomy. It serves as an innovation nucleus of an entire region to develop its regional strengths. It does so by fostering and showcasing regional, bio-based value chains and technologies, research, policies and by serving as a network opportunity to create added value and jobs.

Key characteristics

In model regions bioeconomy is broadly integrated into society, economy, education sectors and policies. At the same time, it seeks to ensure healthy ecosystems within ecological boundaries, including the sustainable use of biological resources and the preservation of biodiversity.

1. Integration and interplay of regional stakeholders

Bioeconomy model regions connect diverse regional stakeholders such as companies, farmers, researchers, local communities, civil society organisation, educators or policy makers. Integration is achieved through collaboration, knowledge exchange, networking and joint decision-making processes towards sustainable bioeconomic development.

2. Systemic approach

Model regions through their systemic approach draw on technological and societal innovations and are able to link sectors of the bioeconomy, contribute to sustainable development and growth within economic, ecological and social dimensions and identify and resolve trade-offs.

3. Innovation nucleus

Bioeconomy model regions serve as an innovation nucleus in which new technologies, business models, education and vocational training approaches, and policy instruments are tested, scale-up and realised. This fosters the emergence of novel solutions to current pressing societal, environmental and economic challenges, such as climate change, resource scarcity or rural development. For greenhouse gas-intensive regions in particular such as coal mining, intensive agriculture, forestry-based energy intense industry (e.g.pulp and paper), fisheries and peat production, the model region approach offers hands-on solutions.

4. Regionally adapted

The model region approach acknowledges the great diversity of bioeconomy potential, their regional specifics and their unique traits and characteristics. This includes regions different bioclimatic conditions and biomass availability (both primary and secondary), their economic frameworks and market conditions, political and governance structures, the interplay of their stakeholders, their science, education and qualification structures, as well as the public media, civil society and its ecosystem. This is where model regions are able to best consider structural and contextual specifics and strengths and can support regional stakeholders to adopt regionally adapted transition paths.

5. Rooted in sustainability

Inherent to the model region approach is the inclusion of the multidimensionality of sustainability: ensuring that bioeconomic development is environmentally sound, socially inclusive, fair and just, and economically viable. Practices such as circularity, resource efficiency, biodiversity, conservation and social equity are fostered.

6. Knowledge and capacity sharing

Bioeconomy model regions serve as platforms for knowledge sharing and capacity building, both within the region and beyond. Lessons learned, best practices, and success stories generated within these regions are disseminated widely to engage companies, inform decision-makers, inspire replication efforts and catalyse further innovation in the bioeconomy domain.

Background on bioeconomy model regions

Bioeconomy model regions are based on the concept that material cycles as well as (agricultural) economic innovation ecosystems and social transformation can be implemented most efficiently in explicit regions. At the same time, the extrapolation and adaptation of knowledge gained in one region and shared with another region is particularly effective. As emphasised by the Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB), “Interregional coordination is necessary to share best practices and facilitate knowledge exchange, but also to overcome divergences among different territorial aspects.” Therefore, bioeconomy model regions should

make important contributions to the creation and development of jobs and sustainable value creation in regions (regional structural effectiveness) and
provide transferable knowledge on how other regions can be transformed into circular bioeconomy regions (model for regional transformation).

Bioeconomy model regions

Key characteristics

Background on bioeconomy model regions

Service

Funded by the European Union