Dear BIOECONOMY GIANTS reader,
A summer full of milestones... and an exciting autumn ahead!
The past few months have been full of opportunities, learning, and important milestones for BIOECONOMY GIANTS.
One of the biggest highlights was undoubtedly the launch of Open Call I, inviting primary producers from across Europe to become part of the European bioeconomy transition.
Throughout June and July, 71 applicants had the opportunity to apply for one of 40 travel vouchers supporting their participation in the BIOECONOMY BOOTCAMP, part of the “Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy” event.
Check out some key insights!
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Now, the next chapter begins!
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In September, the selected applicants will discover whether they will travel to Brussels, Belgium, to join the BIOECONOMY BOOTCAMP, participate in pitching, networking and matchmaking activities, explore the BIOECONOMY GIANTS tools and coaching programme, and experience first-hand the scaling-up facilities of the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant.
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The journey continues this autumn with two final sessions:
• Business model development and market uptake
• Cooperation and governance models
Follow BIOECONOMY GIANTS on social media and don't miss the next opportunity to learn.
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Turning plans into action!
Every successful project needs moments to reflect, evaluate progress and prepare for what's next.
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Around the project's twelfth month, the consortium gathered online to review achievements, exchange updates and prepare the next phase of BIOECONOMY GIANTS.
Among the latest achievements, CIRCE completed the regional value chain mapping and technology assessment for secondary biomass. The regional value chain mapping and technology assessment of secondary biomass constitute a critical evidence base for enabling the development of viable and sustainable bio-based value chains. By integrating information on feedstock potential and spatial distribution with an assessment of available conversion technologies, the activity provides stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the real bioeconomy potential within a region. This integrated approach connects biomass resource assessment, spatial mapping and technology screening, thereby supporting more informed decision-making and the identification of feasible biomass valorisation pathways.
SPRING finalised the Database of Funding Schemes, now accessible through the interactive Funding Database on the BIOECONOMY GIANTS website. The platform allows users to browse funding opportunities across Europe, with information on sectors covered, funding bodies, target beneficiaries and frequency among others.
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Building on the cooperative models identified in Task 1.1, Flander’s Food has completed the final report on Governance Structures for Cooperative Models, which details the most suitable governance structures, with recommendations for aligning with broader regulatory requirements and stakeholder needs.
At the same time, Flanders' FOOD has been developing the structural framework and process model behind the COOMPY Tool, the decision-making platform that will help stakeholders create and optimise Cooperative and Circular Bio-based Business Models (CCBBMs).
Partners also aligned on the next phase of BIOECONOMY GIANTS, preparing the activities that will shape the months ahead and pave the way towards Open Call II.
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From knowledge to real impact!
Innovation is only valuable when it reaches those who can use it.
Are you a primary producer, startup or SME working in the European bioeconomy? Get free access to Climate KIC's Impact Assessment Tool!
BIOECONOMY GIANTS offers you free access to the Impact Assessment Tool -an easy-to-use, science-backed, comparative life cycle assessment to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions your solution avoids compared to the current industry standard. Additional services, including 1-to-1 coaching and third-party validation, can further strengthen the use of the Climate Impact Assessment Tool and ensure that you will gain proof of your impact and master the methodology behind it. By the end, you can explain your numbers with confidence, defend them in due diligence, and re-run your forecasts as your solution evolves.
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Listening to the people who matter most!
Consumers Share Their Views in the First Living Lab
On 23 June 2026, our partner CNTA organised the project's first Consumer Living Lab in Logroño, Spain.
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Through a series of interactive exercises, participants shared their ideas and preferences about future products and innovations. Activities such as The Consumer's Wallet, Would You Buy It?, Build Your Product, Red or Green?, and Vote and Guess encouraged open discussion and provided valuable insights into consumer expectations and purchasing decisions.
This event marks the first phase of a broader consumer engagement process. The results are still being analysed, as additional activities will take place in Spain and Belgium, and in the Czech Republic.
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Where innovation meets people!
Over the past months, BIOECONOMY GIANTS continued to engage with the European bioeconomy community through conferences and events!
At EXPO FOODTECH & FOOD 4 FUTURE WORLD SUMMIT 2026 in Bilbao, BIOECONOMY GIANTS joined forces with Pilots4U by CoPilot and GRAPPA during the session "SCALE FAST: Accelerating Startup Growth in the Bioeconomy" to showcase practical tools and funding opportunities that help innovators overcome scale-up barriers.
BIOECONOMY GIANTS joined the Innobusiness Meeting Point 2026, bringing together agri-food companies, innovation leaders and business experts to discuss the future of competitiveness, talent and organisational transformation.
From 1–3 June 2026, our partner from Wageningen University (WU), Alireza Alerasoul, showcased BIOECONOMY GIANTS at the Renewable Resources & Biorefineries (RRB 2026) Conference in Leuven, Belgium. During the conference, Alireza presented “Circular Business Models for the Bioeconomy”, focusing on sustainable and collaborative business models and introduced management and organisational perspectives to an interdisciplinary audience from a wide range of scientific backgrounds.
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On 5 June 2026, FOOD+i - Cluster Alimentario del Valle del Ebro, hosted by SPRI Group for an information session in Bilbao, bringing together organisations from across the Basque Country to explore current and upcoming cascade funding opportunities, learn about successful initiatives, and receive practical guidance on preparing competitive applications.
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BIOECONOMY GIANTS on Fallow Land!
Just like fallow land prepares the soil for a stronger harvest, the summer months gave our project the opportunity to pause, reflect, and prepare for what comes next.
With the summer behind us, BIOECONOMY GIANTS is ready for the next activities in Phase II: The Grind to Greatness – Rigorous Training:
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Ecosystem Training Programme – continuing to equip primary sector actors with the knowledge and skills needed to build sustainable Cooperative Circular Bio-Based Business Models (CCBBMs)!
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Empirical Analysis and Adaptation of Cooperative and Circular Models- Wageningen University & Research will complete the analysis and adaptation of the identified cooperative and circular governance models for the prioritised bio-based value chains!
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COOMPY Tool – the Beta version will be introduced, marking another step towards supporting stakeholders in creating and optimising CCBBMs!
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Growth Workshops (November & December 2026) – igniting wider value networks and encouraging participation in Open Call II
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BIOECONOMY Bootcamp (30 November – 2 December 2026) – our selected participants will gather in Brussels for three days of coaching, networking, pitching, and collaboration.
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The journey continues!
ENCO will be at the EIP Agri 2040! The two-day event, on 24 & 25 September in Brussels, is a chance to exchange ideas on and co-create priorities for the next generation of EU research and innovation for agriculture, forestry and rural areas (AgRI 2040).
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BBEPP will be at the Forest Bioeconomy Investment Accelerator (FBIA) 2026, the focused forum where project developers meet directly with investment experts to discuss investment readiness, financing pathways and ways to make forest bioeconomy projects more bankable.
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Growing together!
To promote collaboration, knowledge exchange, and efficient use of resources, BIOECONOMY GIANTS continues to strengthen synergies with other EU-funded projects. To date, eleven projects have been linked to the initiative:
BOOST4BIOEAST, BBioNets, C4B, BEATLES, BRILIAN, CUBIC, MAINSTREAM BIO, PRIMARY, thERBN, BIO-INSPIRE, GRAPPA, FoodCoP, Shades, thERBN, RIBES project and the European Bioeconomy Network (EuBioNet)!
We are also proud to announce that BIOECONOMY GIANTS is now featured on the thERBN Platform, strengthening knowledge exchange across the European Rural Bioeconomy Network.
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