As a result of twelve consortium partners’ co-work, an assessment of the region’s bioeconomy potential has been completed in September 2023 coordinated by the University of Ljubljana’s Biotechnical Faculty. The team put agricultural by-products in the focus of investigation.
The primary goal of the activity was to map biomass potential and those factors which could contribute to bioeconomy development in the macroregion. Through national reports and statistical indicators, the team analyzed biomass availability, logistic potentials, industrial initiatives, and key bio-based innovations. The resulting synthesis report provides comprehensive information on the existing bioeconomy fundamentals in the eight participating countries. Among them, there are countries that have already made significant progress in understanding the bioeconomy concept (AT, IT) while the others are still in the familiarization phase.
The project employed a two-fold approach, combining national reports and statistical indicators for a comprehensive analysis. The methodology aligned with the JRC-(European Commission) typology, ensuring consistency with other EU bioeconomy studies. The project aimed to identify key assets influencing bioeconomy development, considering biomass supply, infrastructure, competitive bioeconomy products, existing sectors, funding opportunities, strategies, and policies. The project activity paid attention to both national and regional specifics, acknowledging the unique strengths and challenges of each region. The survey pointed to facts from which important conclusions can be drawn.
It can be stated that participating countries showcase diverse bioeconomy characteristics, they have significant, and underutilised bioeconomy potential, they however. The gap between leading performers (e.g. Italy, Austria) and those are lagging behind is not closing, and good practices limited to individual firms. There is also weak cooperation among actors along the value chains both on locally and regionally. To conclude there are untapped potential for closing the loops, adding value to residual biomass and there are opportunities in the BIOECO-UP region lied in the development of transnational bio-based industry value chains. The findings indicate potential areas for collaboration and innovation, as well creating a roadmap for sustainable bio-based growth.
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