On 27 May, BRILIAN took part in a high-level hybrid event in Brussels that brought together seven EU-funded initiatives around a shared goal: closing the gap between local innovation and European policymaking.
The event united the seven projects of the Standing Liaison Round Table (SLRT), BBioNets, Soil-X-Change, AQUAGRI-KNOW, BRILIAN, C4B, Rural BioReFarmeries, and SOUL, in a joint effort to turn regional insights into a unified strategic vision for the bioeconomy vision.
A Policy Lab for Rural Innovation
The event was designed as a hands-on Policy Lab: a collaborative workspace where technical data and on-the-ground experience could be shared and translated into concrete, actionable recommendations for EU and regional decision-makers.
This work takes on particular relevance in the context of the new European Bioeconomy Strategy. Drawing on the combined expertise of seven consortia, sessions were structured around four key objectives:
- Synthesising multi-project evidence: Consolidating cross-border findings on sustainable resource management and bio-based value chains into strategic insights aligned with the new European framework.
- Identifying systemic barriers: Assessing the challenges faced by EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and the regulatory implications that affect the scaling of bio-based initiatives.
- Co-designing actionable policy: Using the Policy Lab format to convert technical implementation data into practical proposals for institutional stakeholders.
- Bridging the research-policy gap: Creating direct dialogue between practitioners, value chain actors, and policymakers to ensure local realities are reflected in a shared Policy Roadmap.
How the Day Unfolded
The opening plenary aligned the strategic objectives of all seven consortia. The SLRT Lead opened proceedings by stressing the importance of cross-project collaboration for maximising impact, followed by a keynote from the EU CAP Network Support Facility and strategic presentations from each participating project.
The programme then split into two parallel working groups:
- Sustainable Resource Management: exploring how EIP-AGRI Operational Groups act as catalysts for soil, water, and biomass valorisation.
- Regulatory Frameworks and Value Chains: examining the legislative shifts needed to support fair rural business models and a cooperative green biorefinery sector.
The day closed with a Multi-Actor Roundtable, where representatives from EIP-AGRI, REA, COPA-COGECA, and ERIAFF debated and validated the Policy Lab findings, ensuring the consolidated evidence is grounded in EU realities.
Explore the Event Resources
All materials from the event are available as a permanent digital resource