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Dear BIOECONOMY GIANTS reader,
Over the past three months, BIOECONOMY GIANTS has made substantial progress. From strategic discussions at the project level to hands-on workshops and training actions across Europe, the project continues to build strong foundations for empowering primary producers within the bioeconomy.
Below, we invite you to explore the latest updates and upcoming activities.
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Project Meeting: Setting the
Roadmap for 2026
The BIOECONOMY GIANTS project successfully held its 2nd Project Meeting online on December 2nd, 2025, setting the workplan for 2026. During this one-day meeting, project partners engaged in in-depth discussions on progress achieved since the project’s launch, identified the key insights to be further leveraged, and outlined the roadmap for upcoming activities.
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Building on outcomes from previous projects, Wageningen University is progressing on analysing innovative forms of cooperation within circular bio-based businesses. Through an extensive review of academic and grey literature, our partners validated an initial typology of cooperation models, paving the way for the development of governance frameworks that support effective implementation across different institutional and regulatory contexts and their adaptation to prioritised bio-based value chains.
In parallel, CIRCE Centro Tecnológico is actively advancing value chain mapping and technology assessment for secondary biomass at the regional level.
At the same time, the project coordinator Association Cluster FOOD+i advanced the mapping and analysis of ecosystems, focusing on primary producers, rural actors, bio-based industries, and their interactions. The analysis sheds light on interaction patterns, collaboration enablers, and participation conditions, generating ecosystem intelligence that supports the shaping of value network formation across European rural territories.
Train the Trainers Webinars & Materials: Building Capacity for Ecosystem Leaders
To strengthen the role of ecosystem leaders, CIRCE Centro Tecnológico is leading a dedicated capacity-building effort through the Train the Trainers webinar series, aiming at enhancing the clusters, associations and innovation networks to support primary producers on bio-based transformations across Europe.
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Train the Trainers #1
Unlocking Hidden Value – Side-Stream Potential and Network Mapping Strategies (December 16th, 2025)
This introductory webinar marks the beginning of the Train the Trainers capacity-building programme, designed to strengthen the role of clusters and ecosystem leaders within the bioeconomy landscape.
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Train the Trainers #2
Innovative Roadmaps (January 21st, 2026)
The second webinar explored how clusters and intermediary organisations can design and implement innovative roadmaps to unlock biomass valorisation opportunities. Participants explored the strategic value of roadmaps, side-stream potential, practical tools to structure, prioritise, and validate valorisation pathways, and real-life examples.
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Train the Trainers #3
Circular Business Models & Market Uptake (February 25th, 2026)
This session addressed the core concepts behind innovative business models, exploitation strategies, and market uptake pathways. Inspirational case studies from different bio-based markets were presented to cover different bio-based markets and regional contexts that play a critical role. In particular, Francesco Menconi introduced the case of Protiberia, highlighting its innovative work with yellow mealworm as a sustainable solution for feed and food production and the case of De Zuivelarij!
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Kick-Start Workshops in Action
In parallel with the training programme, a series of Kick-Start Workshops has been running from November 2025 to March 2026, aiming to raise awareness of the bioeconomy, identify regional challenges, and foster collaboration through co-creation dynamics.
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All these activities are paving the way for the launch of Open Call I.
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Open Call I:
Primary producers at the front seat
in Europe’s bioeconomy transition
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Through this call, BIOECONOMY GIANTS will support primary producers by offering travel vouchers to facilitate participation in the Bioeconomy Bootcamp, the flagship matchmaking and training event organised within “Pitch Perfect and Boost the European Bioeconomy” in November 30th and December 1st 2026 in Brussels!
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Events & Outreach
BIOECONOMY GIANTS has been actively showcased at several events over the past months:
•Transfoodmation’25 - Primary producers, companies, startups, research centres and tech providers from across the FOOD+i - Cluster Alimentario del Valle del Ebro ecosystem came together to explore sustainable value chains and forward-looking business strategies.
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EU Food Safety Forum – APRE - Agenzia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea participated in the session “Updating the SRIA in the Bioeconomy Framework: a Multi-Stakeholder Vision.” They introduced Bioeconomy GIANTS focusing on how the project integrates food safety considerations within bioeconomy-driven innovations, and the strategies to maintain competitiveness while strengthening food system resilience.
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BioCircular Summit 2026 – BIOECONOMY GIANTS made a strong presence at the Summit, showcased by our partner AINIA and FOOD+i - Cluster Alimentario del Valle del Ebro! GIANTS was also presented for the Sustainability and Social Inclusion Award, highlighting its contribution to a more sustainable bioeconomy!
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III Encuentro SENTIATECH – BIOECONOMY GIANTS was showcased in Madrid by our partner AINIA!
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FORTHEM Project Bootcamp – GIANTS was presented among other EU initiatives by our partner AINIA!
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Coming Up
The Ecosystem Training Programme
CIRCE Centro Tecnológico continues implementing its workplan through a series of online workshops addressing key aspects of designing and deploying successful and sustainable Cooperative Circular Bio-Based Business Models (CCBBMs), alongside a major European-level outreach training activity.
Through this training programme, we aim to engage and train
more than 200 participants across Europe.
A total of five online training sessions are scheduled from April to October 2026, covering key topics including:
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Resource efficiency, technology, and logistics
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Environmental and social assessment
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Scaling-up strategies
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Business model development and market uptake
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Cooperation and governance models
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Co-creation workshop
BIOECONOMY GIANTS, BioInspire, C4B, and RootLinks have joined forces to organize a co-creation workshop as a side event of the CBE JU Stakeholders Forum, taking place on March 25th, 2026.
The event will bring together representatives from clusters, associations, cooperatives, and networks that actively support primary producers in transitioning toward more innovative and sustainable bio-based business models.
Through facilitated breakout sessions, participants will exchange experiences, challenges, and practical insights on how to effectively enable primary producers to explore, adopt, and scale sustainable business models within the bioeconomy.
Association Cluster FOOD+i will represent BIOECONOMY GIANTS at two prominent events in Spain & Switzerland
Sector Primario Circular – March 13th, 2026
The Catalan primary sector aims to position itself as a key driver of the circular bioeconomy by transforming agricultural, livestock, and forestry by-products into new sources of value.
Held in Lleida, the event brings bioeconomy solutions closer to local stakeholders by showcasing real cases, practical applications, and available funding opportunities. It also facilitates connections between farmers, producers, science, industry, and public administrations to accelerate circular projects with tangible impact.
BIOKET – March 17th-19th, 2026
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BIOKET focuses on technologies and innovations that enhance biomass valorisation and enable the transformation of biomass into market-ready products for multiple industries.
The event gathers a highly relevant mix of stakeholders, including industrial players, technology providers, startups, researchers, investors, and innovation intermediaries, creating a strong collaborative environment across the bioeconomy value chain.
The first-day sessions will focus on industrial adoption of startup technologies, risk reduction in bio-based innovation, and startup pitching, directly aligning with the challenges addressed by GIANTS in supporting solutions from early validation to scaling.
The second day will focus on key enabling technologies and a fundraising reality check, further highlighting the relevance of the event for identifying scalable solutions and realistic market pathways.
In this context, participation in BIOKET allows GIANTS to enhance project visibility, connect with potential applicants, and strengthen collaboration with key stakeholders.
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Synergies
To promote collaboration, knowledge exchange, and efficient use of resources, BIOECONOMY GIANTS continues to strengthen synergies with other EU-funded projects. To date, nine projects have been linked to the initiative:
BOOST4BIOEAST, BBioNets, C4B, BEATLES, BRILIAN, CUBIC, MAINSTREAM BIO, PRIMARY, and thERBN.
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