The concept of “Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems” was launched in an event in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) on 13 October 2023, which brought together around 150 bioeconomy stakeholders and other interested actors in person, and more than 500 people following online.
The participants represented existing and potential emerging bioeconomy and food system valleys, European regions, in particular from BIOEAST countries, relevant bioeconomy stakeholders, university staff and students, and media.
The Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems will contribute to the New European Innovation Agenda and its flagship action in building 100 regional deep-tech innovation valleys. Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems have significant potential to support and accelerate the deployment of the bioeconomy in regions where people live and work, and to address the innovation divide within the EU,with a particular attention to countries from Central and Eastern Europe.
The concept of the Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems was developed by the European Commission with input from Member States in a workshop at the European Bioeconomy Policy Forum.
Specific objectives of the launch event were to:
- introduce EU instruments which are relevant for building-up a network of Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems, particularly the New European Innovation Agenda and the flagship initiative on the Regional Innovation Valleys
- explain the specific characteristics of Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems and showcase good practice examples
- discuss and explore challenges and opportunities to set-up Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems, in particular for BIOEAST countries and regions, and discuss the role of bioeconomy innovations
- highlight and strengthen the role of bioeconomy education and skills development, and discuss the needs and gaps in current curricula to support Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems
Highlights
European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Iliana Ivanova, and the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Nikolay Denkov, welcomed the participants and both expressed their support for bioeconomy deployment in those regions.
Representatives of the European Commission, Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, and the European Investment Bank presented the EU instruments that can facilitate the creation of regional innovation valleys. Regions’ representatives, academics, and bioeconomy businesses shared their success stories and experience in unlocking the bioeconomy potential across Europe.
Exhibition
Several bioeconomy successful projects showcased their results in an exhibition space, among them the Rural Bioeconomy Alliance, ShapingBio, and MainstreamBio, the EIT Food, and some promising Bulgarian startups.
Event Organisers
This high-level event to launch the resulting concept on ‘Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems’ was organised jointly by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and the Agricultural University of Plovdiv, in close cooperation with the BIOEAST Initiative.
Source: European Commission | Research and Innovation (https://shorturl.at/djDR4)