SC2 Rural Renaissance Bio-based

Innovation

BERST Myrna van Leeuwen (LEI WageningenUR), Project

coordinator

27 June 2016, Dissemination event, Brussels

www.BERST.eu

Brussels, 27 June 2016

BERST: BioEconomy

Regional Strategy Toolkit

BERST outline – challenge addressed

In principle all regions can be regarded as potential bioregions

They can be encouraged to find ways to supporting and enhancing concrete actions towards the bioeconomy

Understanding and identifying the potentials and challenges of regionals bioeconomies

Developing regional profiles and smart strategies for bioregions

So that entrepreneurs can guide regional priorities in the development of the bioeconomy

“Keep it simple! Start from what you have, and build strategy around the characteristics. That approach is valid for all regions in the world”,

according to Rogier vd Sande (rapporteur of CoR)

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Context: bioeconomy as engine of economic

growth in EU regions

Transition from fossil based to biobased economy is complex

Has a long run time horizon

How to achieve the implementation of the bioeconomy?

Brussels, 27 June 2016

BERST outline – main objectives

Exploring the bioeoconomy potential of EU regions by focusing on the following questions:

Brussels, 27 June 2016

What is current bioeconomy

potential of EU regions?

What is future bioeconomy

potential of EU regions?

How to close the gap between

current and future bioeconomy?

How to develop smart

strategies for regional

bioeconomies?

BERST outline – approach used

Brussels, 27 June 2016

BERST Consortium

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Foreground: BERST dashboard (link)

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Catalogue of Criteria

& Indicators

Catalogue of

Instruments & Measures

Catalogue of Good Practices

Network of Bioregions

Regional bioeconomy

profiles (factsheets)

Benchmark tools (NUTS

regions)

Scientific impacts of BERST

BERST’s purpose is to demonstrate how a region can valorise its bioeconomy potential. This is supported by:

● quick scan of opportunities by creating (dynamic) regional profile factsheets (http://www.berst.eu and http://berst.databank.nl/dashboard)

o for 7 BERST regions (benchmark and SWOT analysis of development stage)

o for other EU regions (benchmark)

● operational online BERST toolkit (dashboard):

o with criteria & indicators for appr. 200 NUTS regions

o with (around 800 unique) instruments & measures

o with good practices of bioeconomy clusters

o with case study analyses (barriers, enabling factors, recommendations)

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Societal impacts of BERST

BERST shows how regional bioeconomy development can contribute to the competitiveness and cohesion policies of Europe

BERST shows that the future of bioeconomy seems promising:

● GP regions are successful in raising public funds (and ensuring continuous funding and combine with private funds) related to items on regional, national and EU agenda

● if other regions manage to implement the strategy of GP regions in the own region, this may encourage opportunities for firms and jobs

BERST undertook alignment activities at regional, national and EU level:

● to engage stakeholders in contributing and making use of BERST findings and toolkit: 4 external Community of Practice events

● to identify alignment and agenda settings: participation in networks, exchange of knowledge and experiences, identifying complementary activities, exploring barriers and needs in bioeconomy development, creating synergy effects across projects and platforms (closing knowledge gaps): e.g. with BISO, ERRIN, SAT-BBE, S2Biom

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Impact of BERST–beyond dissemination actions

Knowledge platform sharing:

● open access of online BERST toolkit (dashboard)

● embed BERST tools in e.g. Bioeconomy Knowledge Centre (JRC)

Follow-up projects:

● Interreg proposal: to unroll toolkit to Baltics

● H2020 proposal: to embed toolkit in package of innovation support services for developing successful biobased industries

BERST issue in Energy journal (under development)

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Lessons learnt from BERST – main success

factors contributing to outcomes

Collaboration between research partners and regional partners makes sense:

● to get balance/cohesion between science and practice

● research partners set the conceptual framework; regional partners provide empirical evidence and validate project results (utility assessments)

● in international and regional CoPs, research and regional partners discussed the usefulness of toolkit, barriers & enabling factors, and possible smart strategies for building regional bioeconomies

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Lessons learnt from BERST – benefit from

EU funded project/international consortium

Using broad expertise from research and practice, from places across EU

Agro meets chemical, paper, energy

Stepping stone towards aligning with other international platforms, projects, consortia

Connecting regions/countries, sectors, stakeholders within and across biobased value chains

Investigating of barriers and enabling factors – similarities and regional focus

Inspiring and learning from other regions (and GP examples)

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Lessons learnt from BERST - knowledge gaps

Brussels, 27 June 2016

Extend to EU regional benchmark

In-depth development path analyses

Analyse GP regions (outside

EU)

Integrate with BISO,

S3

Test tool in more EU regions

Brussels, 27 June 2016

LINKS to:

BERST website

BERST bioregional

dashboard