Bioeconomy innovations in regions

Bioeconomy includes economic activities that utilize the biological natural resources and turn them into food, energy, and other products and services. It is founded on the use of clean technologies, renewable natural resources and recycled materials. The rural areas of Baltic Sea Region (BSR) have a great potential for bioeconomy as they have abundant natural resources. However, the rural regions in BSR struggle to reach their full bioeconomy potential due to limited human capital and the lack of specialized clusters and network effects that are typical for urban areas. RDI2CluB unites authorities, research, development and innovation (RDI) institutes and business development bodies from five regions to a joint quest of boosting smart and sustainable bioeconomy development in the rural areas of Baltic Sea Region. The participating regions are: Central Finland (Finland), Hedmark (Norway), Switokryzkie Vaivodeship (Poland), Vidzeme (Latvia) and Estonia.

Objective:

The main objective of the RDI2CluB project is to develop smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of bioeconomy in the rural areas of Baltic Sea Region by uniting all innovation actors – entrepreneurs, policy makers, researchers, as well as local society members, in regional and transnational cooperation.

Activities:

The RDI2CluB project includes the following activities:

1. Identify the most potential bioeconomy and promising interfaces for innovation and new business development;
2. Prepare joint action plans for developing Bioeconomy Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems;
3. Develop a joint Operation Model for Innovation Management applicable for the project areas and other regions;
4. Testing of joint Operation Model for Innovation Management by local pilot cases along with the virtual platform – Open Virtual BSR Biobusiness Hub.

The Institute for Environmental Solutions will participate in all of the previous mentioned activities and will lead the testing of Operation Model for Innovation Management by local pilot cases.

Results: 

• Publication “25 Cases for Bioeconomy”;
• Biobord – international network and online platform connecting bioeconomy developers;
• Video: Bioeconomy and science based organic farming in Latviai;
• Innovative impact report that visualizes the story of the RDI2CluB project;
• Article in magazine “Saimnieks” (in Latvian).

Project duration: September 2017 – September 2020 Leading partner: JAMK University of Applied Sciences (Finland) Partners: Regional Council of Central Finland (Finland), SSYP Kehitys Oy Ltd. (Finland), Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (Norway), Hedmark County Council (Norway), Tretorget Ltd (Norway), Regional Science and Technology Center (Poland), Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Poland), Foundation for Education and Social Dialogue PRO CIVIS (Poland), Institute for Environmental Solutions (Latvia), Vidzeme Planning Region (Latvia), Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Center (Estonia). IES’s project manager: Inese Suija – Markova, Tel. +371 26425688, E-mail: inese.suija@videsinstituts.lv IES’s project administrative manager: Roberts Rotbergs, Tel. +371 26392616, E-mail: roberts.rotbergs@videsinstituts.lv Funding Programme: Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2014-2020 Find project website here Find project Facebook page here