BIObec
Preparing the creation of Bio-Based Education Centres to meet industry needs and boost the contribution of the bioeconomy to societal challenges
Research programme: H2020
Research areas: Agricultural and food economics
Scientific officer:
Prof. Davide Viaggi
Duration:
01/09/2021 - 29/02/2024
Research groups:
Davide Viaggi, Simone Maccaferri, Diletta Rizzolo, Matteo Zavalloni, Yaprak Kurtsal, Marco Maria Grande, Giacomo Maria Rinaldi.
Project manager: Costanza Caffo
Abstract - On September 1st, the H2020 BBI BIObec project, coordinated by the University of Bologna, kicked off. The aim of BIOBEC is to maximize the opportunities offered by the bioeconomy by promoting collaboration between universities, R&D centers and innovation labs, as well as industrial players and local realities in order to create a bridge between the bio-based industry, and local realities.
The core of the project is the growing importance of the bioeconomy, a sector in full growth that can express great potential for economic development and the creation of new jobs. However, to date, the offer of skilled and qualified human resources is still unsatisfactory in the job market.
The project will gather a consortium of 19 partners from 12 different countries, that will work together for 30 months, seeking to propose a concept that merges the traditional idea of an education centre – such as a university or a vocational education and training centre – with that of a knowledge hub: the Bio-Based Education Centres (BBECs), which will act as multi-level knowledge hubs bridging the gaps between academic institutions, students, innovation entities and policymakers.
The project will see the development of BBECs in six different European regions to answer the needs of the bio-based industry at local, regional, and national levels, addressing a wide range of topics linked to the variety of value chains and the different institutional contexts. Finally, matching the European common characteristics with the peculiarities of the different local contexts, the BIObec project aspires to identify the BBECs’ essential elements for paving the way for replication in all the EU area, allowing to all the European regions to count on qualified human resources in the bioeconomy context.