© Bio-based Industries Consortium
© Bio-based Industries Consortium

Co-operation boosts European bioeconomy

At the European Bioeconomy Congress in Łódź, Poland, efforts to intensify co-operation between regional stakeholders from central and eastern Europe were top of the agenda.

Alongside the publication of the Łódź Declaration of Bioregions, the Bio-Based Industry Consortium (BIC), the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) and eight Polish regions signed a Letter of Intent to develop new bioeconomy partnerships.

Signed by the Łódzkie Region, the Lubelskie Region, the Małopolska Region, the Mazowieckie Region, the Opole Region, the Pomeranian Region, the Wielkopolska Region, the West Pomeranian Region, the BBI JU and BIC, the Łódź Letter of Intent paves the way for regional actors to identify synergies between financial instruments and political frameworks to set up local bioeconomy value chains.

All eight of the Polish signatories have selected the bioeconomy as a Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3).

At the signing of the Letter of Intent, Philippe Mengal, BBI JU executive director said: “The BBI JU wants to be the catalyst for helping regions realise their potential for sustainable regeneration and growth, through concrete bioeconomy strategies and through synergies between national and regional funding and the BBI JU programme.”

Witold Stępień, Marshal of the Łódzkie Region said: “Many of the regions in Central and Eastern Europe have a strong agricultural tradition and have selected the bioeconomy as a smart specialisation strategy. The Letter of Intent shows our joint determination to integrate regional efforts to build local biocommunities by focusing on common priorities and strategies.”

To read the Letter of Intent click here.