The six BBioNets regional Forest and Agriculture Networks (FANs) bring together representatives from multiple types of organisations connected to primary producers, as well as farmers and foresters themselves. Over the past few months, FAN members have convened regionally to identify their areas’ key primary resources and needs in terms of biomass management and processing, while also assessing technology readiness and availability. It was finally time to take the next step by exchanging this knowledge across several European Transnational Regions (ETRs) (Climate ADAPT).

Figure 1: The BBioNets ETRs – FANs’ cross-fertilisation.

In December 2024, the BBioNets consortium hosted its first ETR meetings online. These sessions were open to all interested individuals upon registration. Discover more about the three ETR meetings below.

1^st Atlantic ETR Meeting

When: Wednesday, 4 December 2024 at 10:00 CET | FANs involved: Irish & Spanish

The first meeting of the Irish & Spanish FANs focused on enhancing circularity in the forest sector, covering three key topics:

• acquiring or sharing technology infrastructure for forest biomass collection and valorisation;
• identifying foreign regional funding mechanisms to advance biomass valorisation for the bioeconomy;
• processing forest biomass using Bio-Based Technologies (BBTs) to optimise the valorisation of both low-value and high-value by-products.

Read more here and watch the recording below (also available on YouTube). Take a look at the meeting key takeaways here.

1^st Central Europe ETR Meeting

When: Wednesday, 11 December 2024 at 11:00 CET | FANs involved: Czech & Polish

The first meeting of the Czech and Polish FANs addressed livestock and agricultural waste management, with a focus on improving collection, handling, storage, treatment, and land application methods. Discussions explored challenges that hinder exploitation, such as security, efficiency, transportation, and technological or knowledge constraints, as well as lessons learned and best practices in areas like nutrient recycling. The meeting also examined the development of value chains within the sector.

Read more here and watch the recording below (also available on YouTube). Take a look at the meeting key takeaways here.

1^st Mediterranean ETR Meeting

When: Tuesday, 17 December 2024 at 14:00 CET | FANs involved: Italian & Greek

The first meeting of the Italian and Greek FANs centred on identifying common types of biomass and the technologies used for their processing to produce valuable outputs. Additionally, it explored the social implications of adopting new technologies and the impact on local communities.

Read more here and watch the recording below (also available on YouTube). Take a look at the meeting key takeaways here.