As summer unfolds, the BOOST4BIOEAST project is gaining momentum with significant strides: we are excited to share the steps made in advancing the bioeconomy across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Starting from the highlight of the winter season: all 11 national BIOEAST HUBs were kicked off and now successfully fostering national development and promoting bioeconomy advancement!

In this issue, we want to focus on the success of the Annual BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference, which took place on the 9th and 10th of April 2025, at the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences in Bucharest, Romania. Our yearly flagship event brought together stakeholders from across CEE region to discuss and refine the macro-region's bioeconomy research priorities.

Stay connected as we continue to support sustainable innovation and regional development in the bioeconomy sector!

On the 9th and 10th of April 2025, the BIOEAST Initiative marked a pivotal moment in its strategic development through the successful organisation of the Annual BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference in Bucharest, Romania. Hosted at the prestigious Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, the event brought together over 180 participants representing a wide variety of relevant stakeholders: national and regional governments, academia, research institutions, NGOs, and the industrial sector to initiate discussions on the renewal of BIOEAST-specific research and innovation priorities, the BIOEAST Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).

As part of the Conference, a dedicated poster exhibition showcased 26 projects and national case studies, demonstrating the practical application of bioeconomy principles across the macro-region. Two of the most impactful initiatives were recognized with awards, reflecting excellence in innovation, stakeholder engagement, and environmental impact.
The two first prizes were awarded to the "Boosting the bioeconomy innovation in Baltic Sea Region (BioBoosters project)" poster presented by Katrin Kepp and Lili Veesaar from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and to "Boosting Knowledge Valorization from Bioeconomy Research" poster presented by Marian Butu from the Romanian National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences.

Complementing the conference, participants took part in a field trip to a local food bank with a composting facility, which organises food distribution to sensitive and disadvantaged groups along with food education programs for children within Bucharest belonging to the municipality.

Read our press release about the event and explore the pictures here.

Materials from the conference are available on the Knowledge Platform.

We would like to thank all speakers and participants for offering their insights and ideas on shaping the future of the macro-region's bioeconomy and hope to meet again next year in Croatia!

Just before the Conference, from April 8th to 9th, 2025, the BOOST4BIOEAST annual project meeting was held at the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences in Bucharest, successfully reuniting the project's Consortium.

During the past year, the project marked significant progress with the kick-off of 9 national HUBs (11 in total), the renewal of BIOEAST website and launch of the Knowledge Platform along with 11 mini-HUB pages. After successfull preparations, the multidimensional mapping was launched in all HUBs to assess macro-regional bioeconomy competences, biomass availability, educational needs and innovation systems. Moreover, the methodologies for the development of national Action Plans and update of the SRIA have been established. The main goals for 2025 are to strengthen and animate national HUBs in an engaging manner, starting the Action Plan development process for the 11 BIOEAST countries, shaping the next phase of the BIOEAST SRIA and organizing an impactful Open Innovation Challenge with pitching events across the macro-region.

We are excited to announce that by March 2025 all BIOEAST HUBs have been established!

Great to see the whole macro-region turned green on the map below. 

Learn more about our HUBs on our website 

CENTRAL EUROPE'S ROLE IN WATER & SOIL MANAGEMENT SPOTLIGHTED BY CGIAR

The first CGIAR Global Science Week brought together over 13,600 participants from more than 100 countries in Nairobi, Kenya , uniting global experts to discuss innovative solutions for sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems.

Representing the Central European bioeconomy community, Martin Kováč highlighted the region's leading role in regenerative water and soil management. As part of high-level dialogues, Kováč met with Mark Smith, Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) – a key CGIAR institute – to explore strategic synergies. His participation underlined the strategic value of integrating the WEFE Nexus (Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems) into global bioeconomy strategies, a shared priority for both BIOEAST and the European Alliance on Regenerative Agriculture (EARA).

Read more 

BIOEAST AND BIOSOUTH: BUILDING BRIDGES TO A SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMY

The BIOSouth CBE-JU project convened the first BIOSouth Forum in Catania, 5–6 June 2025, bringing together regional, national, and European stakeholders committed to advancing the bioeconomy in Southern Europe. The event offered a strategic platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and macro-regional cooperation—particularly among widening regions aiming to build capacity and unlock the potential of bio-based innovation.

Read more 

Save the date: BIOEAST Open Innovation Challenge

Calling for innovative solutions to boost the bioeconomy across the BIOEAST macro-region. 

What is the BIOEAST Open Innovation Challenge?  
The BIOEAST Open Innovation Challenge is a collaborative initiative, and a unique platform set up during the fall of 2025 that is designed to accelerate bioeconomy innovation across the BIOEAST macro-region in key bioeconomy sectors.  It brings together talented individuals and networks  -universities, startups, research institutions, and students - to drive meaningful impact.  

 How does it work?  
The BIOEAST HUBs have identified key problems hindering the development of a sustainable bioeconomy in Central and Eastern Europe. These have been grouped into key challenges, each focusing on specific issues needed to be addressed. Innovators from the BIOEAST countries are invited to submit their ideas to help close these innovations gaps.  

BIOEAST HUBs, acting as challenge owners, will evaluate and select the most suitable solutions. Selected solution providers will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas at pitching events organized in Hungary, Slovenia, Latvia, Bulgaria and Czechia and to engage with and receive feedback from potential investors.  

Are you an innovator with a forward-thinking mind working in the field of bioeconomy? 

Would you like to contribute with innovative solutions to boost the bioeconomy in the BIOEAST macro-region and connect with key bioeconomy stakeholders?    

Stay tuned! Applications open in September 2025! 

HAVE YOUR SAY!

As mentioned above, the BIOEAST SRIA is currently being revised to better address the evolving priorities of the BIOEAST macro-region. The revision is a complex process comprised of several steps. After a thematic workshop at the BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference, a survey is launched aimed at collecting input from national stakeholders across all 11 BIOEAST countries, focusing on key research and innovation needs within the SRIA's seven Core Thematic Areas: Agroecology, Bio-based Materials, Bioenergy, Education, Food Systems, Forestry, and Freshwater. Please contribute to the shaping of SRIA priorities, themes and topics and to better articulate the alignment with national bioeconomy strategies, EU policies, and funding frameworks.
You can access the survey through the following link until:

Survey

BIOEAST stands for Central and Eastern European Initiative for Knowledge-based Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture in the Bioeconomy, which is an intergovernmental initiative between 11 CEE countries (Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia) to support the development of knowledge and cooperation based circular bioeconomies.