Accelerating “Bio-Based Practices on Farms and Forests”

Written by: Iakovos Delioglanis, FOCUS STC

What are Cross-Fertilisation Meetings?

Scaling up regional bio-based innovation! BBioNets’ Cross-Fertilisation Meetings were essential events designed to connect the project’s regional Forest and Agriculture Networks (FANs).

While each FAN addresses unique regional realities and specific challenges, there is significant common ground regarding biomass availability, exploitation potential, and shared needs. By networking across borders, the project aimed to collectively increase the impact of local work significantly.

These meetings were designed to help participants:

• Share Difficulties: Exchange common challenges and concerns regarding the application and scaling of Bio-Based Technologies (BBTs).
• Discover Opportunities: Outline new breakthroughs, emerging technologies, and potential market opportunities across regions.
• Promote Knowledge: Capture, validate, and widely promote practical knowledge created by national EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (OGs).
• Forge Collaborations: Facilitate bilateral and multilateral collaboration opportunities among FANs and OGs.

The Six-Part Series: Topics and Schedule

Following an in-depth analysis of regional dynamics—including OG activity, the maturity of BBTs, and specific regional potential—the project had curated a focused, high-impact series, consisting of the following sessions:

1. Innovations in Nutrient Recovery: 11 December 2025
2. Innovative Hemp Practices: 15 January 2026
3. Sustainable Sheep Wool Processing: 29 January 2026
4. Efficient Woody Biomass Utilisation: 12 February 2026
5. Circular Approaches in Olive Groves: 26 February 2026
6. Opportunities in Green Biorefineries: 23 April 2026

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Target Audiences

This series was designed for all stakeholders involved in developing and implementing bio-based solutions:

• Practitioners: Farmers, foresters, Operational Group members, and their advisors.
• Policy Makers: Representatives of regional authorities and EU-CAP National Contact Points.
• Innovators: Representatives from relevant Horizon Europe or regional projects.

Building on Success

This second round of cross-fertilisation meetings moved from analysis to actionable collaboration, building directly upon the project’s foundational work. The project had recently completed and finetuned core outputs, including the High-level Study of Regional Dynamics, the BBTs Inventory, and the BBTs Assessment Tool. All these fundamental resources are accessible via the BBioNets Online Knowledge Platform.

Discover our latest project achievements and revisit last year’s ETR events through the articles below.