Strengthening Regional Bioeconomies through Engagement and Co-Creation
Engage4BIO strengthens circular and sustainable bioeconomies by actively involving stakeholders from business, science, policy, and civil society. Across five regional hubs, the project fostered co-creation, design thinking, and skills development, all tailored to the specific strengths and needs of each region.
The hubs focused on key bio-based value chains: circular textiles in the Netherlands, agro-food industries in Hungary, wood and interior design in Austria, sustainable packaging in Finland, and the blue bioeconomy in Italy. Activities were adapted to local conditions such as the availability of biomass, existing technologies, and cultural contexts, always aiming to reflect the diversity of societal, economic, and environmental perspectives.
Art and design played an important role in stimulating innovation and inclusive participation. The project supported the development of new governance models for regional bioeconomy, participatory methods for co-creation, and awareness-raising and training formats that encourage sustainable thinking and action. Social innovation approaches, inspired by cultural and human-centered design, were integrated into all activities to deepen local engagement. All tools and results, including open educational resources (OER), are publicly available and transferable to other European regions.
