Better understanding, intensified engagement, training and development in regional bio-based systems

Engage4BIO will strengthen circular, sustainable bioeconomy and sustainable regional development through engaging quadruple helix actors - taking into account their diversity of societal, economic and cultural perspectives, in five regional bio-based systems (hubs) in processes of design thinking, co-creation, (re)training and skills development. This is crucial for the updated European Bioeconomy strategy (2018) and its outlined need to launch actions for the deployment of local bioeconomies and new ways to govern the required societal transformation and at the same time engage citizens through awareness raising and education on sustainable production, consumption and lifestyles. Based on their regional specificities (availability of biomass feedstock, level of technology, planetary boundaries and social capital) activities will be co-created, performed and (re-) shaped to their best advantage ensuring the inclusiveness of all actors.

The hubs focus on five major value chains, namely circular and bio-based textiles (NL), agriculture and agro-food industries (HU), wood and interior (AT), bio-based and sustainable packaging (FI) and blue bioeconomy (IT). At the same time, the inclusion of art and design the activities are targeting to a) strengthen local governance feedback loops and respective governance models, b) design thinking and co-create formats for training, retraining, mentoring and skills development fostering understanding and engagement in bio-based systems c) co-create communication and awareness campaigns. The outcome will be captured within a bioeconomy development framework transferrable to European regions. It is fully open to the public by providing the resources as open educational resources (OER).
Thus, exploitability reaches even beyond the targeted audience and allows access beyond borders. This transferability and openness is key, since bioeconomy implementation is often limited in regions and fails to engage on a broad level.

Each hub implements regionally developed and adapted measures in five task areas (see figure), considering regional, natural and cultural differences, applicable in different European regions. It will boost a better-informed decision-making process and enhance engagement and innovation allowing transition to socially and environmentally responsible behaviour within their choice.
Approach: The regionally anchored bioeconomy hubs, entailing bioeconomy clusters and networks, experts in design thinking and co-creation, practitioners from education and outreach and bioeconomy researchers, follow a concept framed by four layers:

(1) Understanding and building up bioeconomy innovation governance models based on diversity and inclusion;
(2) Engagement by design thinking, co-creation and co-development - application of wide range of bottom-up participatory practices including all actors with respect to minority groups and adapted to local specificities;
(3) Implementing innovative approaches, social innovation, including engagement techniques and opportunities created by the (post)human-centric principles, offered by art, culture and (eco)-design, in respect to the bio-based feedstocks and diversity of communities;
(4) Upscaling through engagement, dissemination, exploitation and communication - effective uptake and implementation of results ensuring transparency and transferability to other European regions.

Team:

• Dr. Judith Feichtinger (project leader)
• Dr. Margit Hofer (project leader)
• Magª. Maria Schrammel (project leader)
• Barbara Anrather
• Alexandra Krammer

Section: Technology and Knowledge

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