PRESS RELEASE
11 November 2021
The Mobilization and Mutual Learning (MML) Workshop Towards the green transition: boosting regional bioeconomy uptake through education and engagement has been organized by Transition2Bio H2020 project as part of the 19th European Week of Regions and Cities on the 4th of November 2021.
The aim of the Workshop was to discuss, in the form of an interactive dialogue, the main challenges in communicating, awareness raising and educating about bioeconomy at regional level, highlighting good practices and identifying future supportive actions in the field.
The MML Workshop was welcomed by Mr. Georgios Patoulis, President of the Greek Delegation at the European Committee of the Regions and Regional Governor of Attica Region. He provided the audience with some significant insights about the current state of Bioeconomy as a political priority to drive the Green Transition, as well as the role of the European Committee of the Regions in implementing relevant awareness-raising techniques.
Members of the European Committee of the Regions, together with regional Governors from different national backgrounds, policy experts from the European Commission Directorate General for Innovation and Research (RTD), members of the Biobased Industry Consortium (BIC), the BIOEAST initiative, and EU-funded bioeconomy projects reflected upon mainstreaming Bioeconomy.
Impactful regional and local initiatives were, thus, presented in the context of current or future synergies in an interactive digital round-table discussion moderated by Transition2BIO partners.
The invited speakers in the round-table session were Mr. Giuseppe Pellegrino, policy officer at the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG-RTD) Bioeconomy & Food Systems, Mr. Dimitrios Karnavos, Member of the European Committee of the Regions and Mayor of Kallithea Municipality, Mr. Kostas Gioutikas, the Vice Regional Governor of Central Macedonia, Mr. George Sakellaris, Coordinator of BIOEAST Education and Skills Thematic Working Group, and Mrs. Zoritza Kiresiewa ,representative of BE-RURAL H2020 project.
A wide variety of outcomes was released from the Round Table discussion, in which all attendees actively participated. In particular, the participants shared ideas on what is needed to empower regional stakeholder engagement in raising awareness and communication of Bioeconomy. Among some of the highlighted answers, participants mentioned the need for building networks to spread those good practices that can be adapted to the local needs of each geographical area.
Among others, the project partners also presented Transition2BIO toolkit to increase capacity and support Member States and Regions in increasing awareness, communication, and education of the Bioeconomy. Transition2BIO toolkit is based on information gathered over several years from a series of consultative workshops conducted by the European Bioeconomy Network at country and regional level, from existing resources, and research carried out by various University and Educational institutions. The information included in the toolkit will be further developed and updated over time building on experience generated through capacity-building activities at national, regional, and international level.
The consortium of Transition2BIO project would like to offer its gratitude to all the guests and the speakers who joined this MML Workshop. We look forward to welcoming all interested parties to our upcoming activities that are going to take place in all national contexts of the partner countries.
