SCALE-UP Project Launches Regional Platforms for Bio-based Innovation

By bringing together key stakeholders in six regions across Europe, the Horizon Europe funded project SCALE-UP aims to promote participatory governance and co-creation of bio-based solutions to support rural bioeconomy development.

The project will create regional platforms linked to existing infrastructures in the six SCALE-UP regions, including Northern Sweden, Mazovia, French Atlantic Arc, Upper Austria, Strumica, and Andalusia. These regional platforms will facilitate participatory governance of regional bio-based systems and engagement with the entire spectrum of bioeconomy stakeholders in each region. SCALE-UP will place an emphasis on co-creation, transparency, and open innovation, and will offer guidance to entrepreneurs on evaluating market conditions within the bioeconomy, crafting business plans, and locating funding sources to support their bio-based solutions.

The kick-off meetings for the regional platforms were recently held in three out of the six regions, namely in Strumica, Upper Austria, and Andalusia. More than 20 stakeholders from municipalities, NGOs, food producing companies, universities, retailers, and business support organizations participated in the kick-off meetings in their respective regions. Participants had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the SCALE-UP project, regional bio-based value chains, and their involvement in this initiative.

"We're excited to launch these regional platforms and support the growth of sustainable bio-based value chains," said Holger Gerdes, the project coordinator for SCALE-UP. "By bringing together key stakeholders in each region, we can ensure that the bioeconomy potential is fully exploited, and that innovation is supported in a way that is sustainable and impactful."

Upcoming kick-off meetings will be organized soon in France, Northern Sweden, and Mazovia. For more information on SCALE-UP, please visit https://www.scaleup-bioeconomy.eu/ or contact the project coordinator Holger Gerdes at holger.gerdes@ecologic.eu.