Catania, June 5–6, 2025 — The vibrant city of Catania hosted the 1st BioINSouth Forum and the 2nd General Assembly of BioINSouth, marking a pivotal moment for the circular bioeconomy in Southern Europe. Held at the historic Aula Magna of the University of Catania, the event brought together a diverse community of researchers, policymakers, innovators, and regional leaders under the umbrella of the EU Green Week Partner Events.
🔍 A Forum of Insight and Impact
Over two days, participants engaged in a rich program of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and round tables, all centered on the shared mission of advancing sustainable, bio-based innovation across Southern Europe. The forum was organized with the support of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) and coordinated by SPRING – the Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster.
Key sessions included:
- Strategic keynote addresses from EU and national bioeconomy leaders, including Virginia Puzzolo (CBE JU) and Fabio Fava (CNBBSV).
- A deep dive into the role of regional HUBs in shaping bioeconomy policies, with contributions from Greece, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, and France.
- A forward-looking discussion on how the BioINSouth initiative builds bridges across borders and sectors to foster innovation and sustainability.
- A powerful closing round table on reconciling economy, society, and the environment through circular bioeconomy practices.
🤝 Collaboration at the Core
The forum also served as a platform to connect with linked projects such as BBioNets and Terrificproject, offering attendees a glimpse into complementary efforts driving regional transformation. Informal networking moments, including poster sessions and a closing cocktail, enriched the collaborative spirit of the event.
🌍 A Southern Perspective on a European Vision
Speakers and participants emphasized the strategic role of Southern European regions in the EU bioeconomy landscape. The forum highlighted the need for:
- Cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange
- Empowerment of local bio-based industries
- Capacity building through education and community engagement
- Greater visibility and exploitation of results to accelerate uptake
📢 Looking Ahead
The 1st BioINSouth Forum was more than an event—it was a launchpad for a movement. As we look to the future, the BioINSouth community remains committed to shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and innovative bioeconomy for the European South. Meet us next year in Seville!
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BioINSouth project is shaping, with the engagement of the Region of Sicily, the Mayor of Catania, representatives of CBE JU, and delegates from 10 Southern European countries, attending the 1st BioINSouth Forum!
The session “The role of HUBs in the implementation of new regional policies for the bioeconomy”, chaired by Pierluigi Argoneto from SPRING – Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster included insights from:
🔸 Dr. Antonios Gypakis – Deputy Head of the Planning and Programming for Research and Innovation Directorate, Greece
🔸Ana Elena Fernández Monzón – Agencia Sekuens, Spain
🔸Maria Giovanna Parisi – Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy
🔸Lucija Marovt – Circular Change
🔸Eva Mametz – Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation, France
All speakers agreed that the role of regions in the EU Bioeconomy is strategic and needs to be coordinated at National and European level, and the BioINSouth initiative is welcomed as a regional game changer in the South.
Keynote speeches included important insights from Virginia Puzzolo, Head of the Programme Unit in charge of the CBE JU programming. 🌿An alumni of the Università di Catania herself, with a PhD on Plant Ecology in Mediterranean environment, Dr. Puzzolo is the most relevant person to present the Southern view on the CBEJU vision on bioeconomy. 🥬The needs of increasing visibility and exploitation of results was highlighted as a pillar in enhancing bioeconomy practices uptake in the European South.
Stay tuned!
😃Our General Assembly kick off is full of smiles and rejoicing, among this excellent team! 🥳
The 2nd General Assembly of BioINSouth has brought together the consortium, to asses the progress of BioINSouth in this last (exciting) year, discuss on the results generated so far, and contemplate on the impact of the BioINSouth initiative in the future!
Challenges encountered were of course on the menu 😁, and under an exemplary spirit of collaboration we managed to transform them into opportunities!
Efforts so far include:
🔹Creation of the 8 BioINSouth MARGs, representing the think-tank of the HUBs to be established
🔹Extensive stakeholder mapping and analysis, in EU grant level, national and regional level
🔹Development of stakeholder engagement strategy by involving multiple actors of the QH into online communities (BioINSouth Stakeholder Engagement Platform)
🔹Assessment of environmental impacts and circularity of bio-based systems, concerning estimations on the market growth of bio-based chemicals, ingredients, and materials, biomass availability requirements for chemicals, polymers and materials, aspects of food security, land use, land use change, forestry, biodiversity and ecosystems integrity.
Can’t wait to see what the future will bring!
🚀 The Peloponnese MARG is ready: a new step for bioeconomy in Southern Greece! 🌍✨
On the 21st of March, as part of the European BioINSouth project, the Kick-off Meeting of the Peloponnese (Greece) MARG was held, a key moment for the development of the regional bioeconomy. This strategic group brings together experts and sector actors to guide the development of high-impact initiatives, contributing to the sustainable growth of the territory. 🌱💡
💡 The Peloponnese faces several challenges, including low SDG rankings, limited EU funding, and public awareness. Despite these, the region’s extensive coastal line and virgin mountains offer great potential for aquaculture and biodiversity. Mapping best practices and integrating archaeological sites into the bioeconomy strategy are essential steps forward. 🌿📚
A special thanks to the MARG members for their valuable contribution! 🙌
🚀 The Campania MARG is underway: a new step for bioeconomy in Southern Italy and Southern Europe! 🌍✨
On the 18th of March, and as part of the European BioINSouth project, the Kick-off Meeting of the Campania MARG (Multi-Actor Regional Group) was held, a key moment for the development of the regional bioeconomy. This strategic group brings together experts and sector actors to guide the development of high-impact initiatives, contributing to the sustainable growth of the territory. 🌱💡
💡 During the meeting, the MARG laid the foundations for the creation of the BioINSouth HUB Campania through the co-creation of an activity program that meets the needs of the territory and the strategic objectives of the region. 📊🔄
SPRING – Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster is the coordinator of the MARG and the Campania HUB, part of the network of 8 HUBs that will be established in Southern Europe thanks to the BioINSouth project. 🌿🌟
A special thanks to the MARG members for their valuable contribution and to the University of Naples Federico II for hosting this important meeting! 🙌🏛️
🌟 Exciting News! 🌟
On Friday, 14th March 2025, the team at Sustainable Energy Research Group, along with the Nature Conservation Unit, hosted the Kick-Off meeting of the Multi Actor Regional Group (MARGs) for the project BioINSouth. 🌱
8 individuals from diverse backgrounds involved in bio-economy activities on the island came together to discuss bio-economy as a whole and address the challenges that arise through these activities. 🌍💬
A fruitful 2-hour discussion was held, which will act as the guideline for the creation of the regional HUB. 📊✨
Special thanks to everyone for attending:
- 🌿 Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
- 🌿 Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- 🌿 Terra Cypria Foundation / Terra Cypria
- 🌿 Filargo Group 🌿 Department of Environment
- 🌿 Agricultural Research Institute 🌿 Cyprus University of Technology
- 🌿 Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB) – Ομοσπονδία Εργοδοτών & Βιομηχάνων (ΟΕΒ)
- 🌿 Frederick University
Special thank you to the venue for supporting in hosting a sustainable event. Digital screens were used in place of banners and tablets were used in place of printouts. 🌿📱
🎢 We’re on a roll! 🔼
💫 Continuing our series of the BioINSouth MARGs Kick-off Meetings, the Andalusian BioINSouth MARG (Spain) has also kicked off! 🥳
🌿♻ Andalusia takes another step in circular bioeconomy! CTA has driven the launch of the Multi Actor Regional Group (MARG) of the European BioINSouth project at the Transfiere forum, bringing together key actors from the Andalusian ecosystem.
🔹 The goal? To build a collaborative space to integrate ecological boundaries into regional strategies and foster innovation with digital tools.
🔹 Participating entities included the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía, IFAPA, Andaltec Technology Center, and UCAUCE.
💡 With BioINSouth, we continue to advance towards a just and green transition in the EU.
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💫 Continuing our series of the BioINSouth MARGs Kick-off Meetings, the Centro BioINSouth MARG (Portugal) has also kicked off! 🥳 Learn more about the regional efforts in Centro for the promotion of environmental assessment tools to bioeconomy VCs, and the work of BioINSouth!
🌟 P-BIO organized the first meeting of the MARG (Multi-Actor Regional Group) of the Centro Region of Portugal on March 11 at Biocant Park, as part of the European BioINSouth project. The meeting was attended by 11 national public and private entities.
The MARG’s main mission is to serve as a foundation for the creation of the Regional HUB, bringing together experts to drive sustainable growth in the bioeconomy through collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange. P-BIO is the coordinator of the Centro Region MARG, which will play a crucial role in the region’s innovation and collaboration strategy, joining 7 other regional HUBs in various Southern European countries.
🏛️ Participating entities:
- AD ELO – Associação de Desenvolvimento Local da Bairrada e Mondego
- Biocant Park
- BLUEBIO ALLIANCE
- Catalisador Regional de Inovação da Região Centro (Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro, I. P.)
- Câmara Municipal de Cantanhede
- Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet (Universidade de Coimbra)
- Cooperativa Agricola de Coimbra
- Food4Sustainability CoLAB
- P-BIO – Associação Portuguesa de Bioindústria
- Stex Biorefinery Technologies
- Universidade de Aveiro
👉 Learn more about the meeting here: P-BIO dinamiza reunião de arranque do MARG (Multi-Actor Regio – P-BIO
💫 With a very dynamic event, the Slovenian BioINSouth MARG has kicked off! 🥳
On the 6th March, Alenka Dovč coordinated the MARG meeting of the Slovenian bioeconomy HUB, where the members of the steering committee of the hub were introduced, their tasks were aligned, and an action plan was drafted for the bioeconomy of Slovenia. All stakeholders, policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and research institutions participated, aiming to discover potential circular solutions in the field of bioeconomy – from sustainable resource management to advanced biotechnologies.
🔎 Key conclusions:
- ✅ Collaboration is crucial for overcoming uncertainties.
- ✅ Sustainable use of biomass and adaptation to climate change are essential.
- ✅ Circular bioeconomy is a key driver of resilience.
- ✅ Innovations are already happening, but we need the right incentives, policies, and infrastructure for faster adoption.
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🌟 Exciting News! Kick-off Meetings for Regional BioINSouth MARGs 🌟
🎉 One down, seven to go! Starting from Slovenia we are thrilled to announce the launch of the regional BioINSouth Multi-Actor Regional Groups (MARGs) meetings! These groups play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to foster innovation and collaboration in the bioeconomy sector across the southern regions of Europe and beyond!
The BioINSouth MARGs promote:
🤝 Collaboration: Bringing together experts to promote sustainable economic growth through bioeconomy innovations.
💡 Innovation: Focusing on the promotion of circularity in bioeconomy VCs and the incorporation of environmental assessment.
🔗 Networking: Serving as the basis for the formation of corresponding BioINSouth HUBs, driving focused research and development.
📜 Policy Advocacy: Working with policymakers to shape a conducive environment for bioeconomy growth.
Stay tuned for updates and insights from our upcoming meetings by subscribing to our newsletter!
Together, we are shaping the future of bioeconomy in the south!
