The objective of thERBN is to put into operation an EU-wide multi-actor (MA) thematic network (TN) for knowledge sharing on innovative solutions for sustainable circular bioeconomy (CB) applicable by small farms and foresters (practitioners) at a local scale in rural areas. Such a framework will contribute to empowering practitioners (PPs) solving the gap between available and viable CB solutions and the problems they face in their everyday. Starting from their most urgent needs on the management and use of biological by-products and residues, thERBN will identify existing solutions from grassroots from PPs, innovations developed by Operational Groups (OGs) and research applied results from national and EU projects, to produce practice-oriented easily understandable materials to be shared in national and EU demo days and training and through channels most consulted by PPs. thERBN TN will assure open access to long-term digital structures like EU-Farmbook, and EU-CAP Network, complemented by the thERBN platform to facilitate multilanguage access and a social environment to interact among and integrate CB-interested OGs, TNs & project communities, thus enhancing the cross-border dimensions and effects of thERBN TN, and reducing the fragmentation in knowledge and innovation. The MA thERBN TN will connect with the key actors (researchers, advisors, innovation brokers) and structures (national and regional AKIS, extension services, advisors networks) necessary to encompass the transition of small rural farms and foresters towards climate neutrality and more sustainable and resilient operation. Bottom-up MA-based dialogue will yield evidence on the current PPs' needs, the remaining gaps for CB solutions that new innovative products and services can cover, and policy briefs proposing policies or instruments to support the adoption of small-scaled CB solutions by small farms.

AGRIFOOD4FUTURE is a world-class ERASMUS+ initiative aimed at building VET skills and educational programs addressing the needs of the “agriculture of the future”. By bringing together European leading actors from VET-academia-research-business across regions with tradition in the agri-food (yet lagging in new practices adoption), we aim at building centers of vocational excellence able to respond to existing and emerging needs in the sector, while targeting the key priorities of the sector: digitalization, decarbonization and sustainability.Scientists, policymakers, and open visioned agrifood players have noted the transformative potential of new and emerging agriculture practices, such as climate-smart agriculture, smart farming, precision agriculture, regenerative and organic practices, NEXUS based approach to agri-food, etc., but found difficulties to implement it at large scales. Barriers such as the insufficient level of awareness, soft and technical skills, and limited entrepreneurial mindset of, usually, more conservative farming professionals have been inhibitors of change.Aligned with the need of writing new narratives for the “agriculture of the future” we aim to implement and develop vocational training and educational system from low-to-higher EQF levels, including lifelong learning tools for farmer advisors, SMEs, and agro-food players. AGRIFOOD4FUTURE will provide them with exemplary best practices and advances in the sector. It will equip them with technical, soft, and entrepreneurial skills towards new ventures and innovative mindset. It will foster perception change and acceptance of agro-food sector as a “bright” vocational career option, while preparing the sector for adoption of smart, advanced, and sustainable practices.

The main objective of BioRural is to create a pan-European Rural Bioeconomy Network under which related stakeholders will cooperate to promote the currently available small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas to increase the share of Bioeconomy, giving increased value in such remote areas. Such framework will contribute in bridging the gap between the available novel high-end bio-based solutions and the everyday European rural life by assessing the existing situation of European rural Bioeconomy, capturing grassroots-level needs and ideas, promoting effective exchange of knowledge and information and investigating the possible opportunities for regional development through the expansion of bio-based solutions integration in rural Europe. This way, BioRural will develop a transition framework towards a sustainable, regenerative, inclusive and just circular Bioeconomy across all Europe at local and regional scale and support innovators to scale-up inclusive and small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas. To do so, the project will: (i) Assess and evaluate the current performance of the European rural Bioeconomy in the EU and identify factors affecting innovation adoption and diffusion of bio-based solutions in rural areas; (ii) Create four regional Rural Bioeconomy Platforms (RBPs) that will form a European Rural Bioeconomy Network (ERBN); (iii) Assess and promote success stories of bio-based solutions in rural areas; (iv) Develop and continuously optimise an online open stakeholders’ tool, named BioRural Toolkit; (v) Facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building for the European rural Bioeconomy through a series of workshops in local, regional and European level; (vi) Create rural development blueprints for regional and business scale-up of resilient and circular bio-based solutions in rural areas and (vii) Disseminate and communicate all activities for maximum visibility and rural Bioeconomy expansion.

Food_scalEUp is a collaborative project involving 10 organisations covering 11 regions (5 emerging & moderate innovator regions and 6 leader and strong innovator regions, according to the Regional Innovation Scoreboard) in 5 countries. The project long-term vision is to foster the capacity of European regional agri-food digital innovation ecosystems, especially in “emerging” and “moderate” innovator regions, to be more: • connected among their regional stakeholders but also with other European regional ecosystems; thus, advancing towards a European acceleration ecosystem; • effective, by fostering the successful scaling-up of technology start-ups and SMEs; • impactful, in terms of fostering the digital and green transition of the food industry; • resilient; thus, still effective under crisis and highly changing conditions; and • internationally recognised by and attractive for companies from other countries. More specifically, the mission of Food_scalEUp project is to: (i) develop higher quality business acceleration services in agri-food digital innovation ecosystems of emerging and moderate innovator regions; (ii) expand the connections, knowledge exchange, collaboration at regional, European and international level, between key people representing the different actors of the agri-food digital innovation ecosystems involved in the project; and (iii) balance the scaling-up of start-ups and SMEs and the creation of local high-value added jobs in the European regions involved in the project, by balancing the capacity of agri-food digital innovation and acceleration ecosystems in those regions.