Events

Event:Conference
 
The Ecologic Institute-led SCALE-UP project played a central role in the European Rural Circular Bioeconomy Conference (EuRCBC), held on 13 and 14 May 2025, at Comet Louise in Brussels. As a member of the Rural Bioeconomy Alliance, SCALE-UP – together with five other EU-funded projects – brought together stakeholders from local communities, policymaking, industry, and rural regions to explore concrete pathways for accelerating Europe's rural bioeconomy. Representatives from Ecologic Institute – Holger Gerdes, Zoritza Kiresiewa and Gerardo Anzaldúa – delivered insightful presentations and contributed to dynamic panel discussions.

European Rural Circular Bioeconomy Conference

SCALE-UP Final Conference

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online and Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Digital Event
 
On 25 March 2025, Ecologic Institute hosted an online workshop as part of the EU-funded 3-CO project, bringing together 21 participants from across Europe to discuss how policy can better support social innovation. The discussion centered on key barriers and policy recommendations, grouped into two areas: financial & regulatory and collaboration & networking challenges.

Strengthening Support for Social Innovation

Key Takeaways from the Workshop


online

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Event:Conference
 
The SCALE-UP consortium organised a thematic conference in the frame of Bio360, which took place on 5 and 6 February 2025 in Nantes, France. The international trade fair, dedicated to advancing the bioeconomy, drew more than 450 exhibitors and 40+ conferences featuring pioneering solutions in bio-based materials, circular agriculture, and renewable energy. As the coordinator of the SCALE-UP project, Ecologic Institute played a key role in bringing together innovators, investors, farmers, and researchers to discuss sustainable bio-based solutions.

Scaling Up Innovations in the Bioeconomy

A Lever for Europe's Green Transition and Rural Development

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Nantes, France

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Event:Digital Event
 
On 12 December 2024, Work Stream 7 of the SCALE-UP training programme convened its final session. Seventy-two bioeconomy stakeholders from SCALE-UP's focal regions and beyond gathered to review key outcomes and identify priorities for the EU Bioeconomy Strategy update. Zoritza Kiresiewa (Ecologic Institute) opened the session by emphasizing two objectives: first, to examine critical topics – such as regulatory alignment, producer integration, and resource competition – that will shape the future EU Bioeconomy Strategy; and second, to reflect on the cumulative insights generated by SCALE-UP over the past months and their relevance for policy design.

How Should the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and its Upcoming Review Address Challenges Arising from Bioeconomy-related Trade-offs?


online

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Event:Digital Event
 
On 31 October 2024, Work Stream 7 “Balancing socio-economic and environmental objectives: Indicators, tools and practical insights” of the SCALE-UP training programme convened its first session. The aim was to present and discuss monitoring frameworks, indicator sets and participatory tools that enable regional stakeholders to reconcile potentially competing social, economic and ecological goals within the bioeconomy. Holger Gerdes and Zoritza Kiresiewa (Ecologic Institute) welcomed 43 bioeconomy stakeholders – from SCALE-UP's focal regions and beyond – and outlined how a functional framework is needed to navigate trade-offs and embed bio-based solutions in a sustainable, regenerative and just regional bioeconomy.

Balancing Socio-economic and Environmental Objectives

Indicators, tools and practical insights


online

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Event:Workshop
 
Within the field day "Alfalfa Cultivation and Climate Adaptation," Holger Gerdes and Zoritza Kiresiewa (Ecologic Institute) presented a draft policy paper on sustainable subsoil management in Germany. The objective was to collaboratively develop core recommendations – together with farmers, soil experts, and policy stakeholders – on how to more effectively promote deep-rooting crops, particularly alfalfa. Discussions centered on strategies for securing yields during drought years and on adapting political frameworks to make alfalfa cultivation more attractive.

How Can the Cultivation of Deep-rooted Crops be Promoted?


Hessische Staatsdomäne Frankenhausen, Germany

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Event:Discussion
 
Ecologic Institute hosts Rwandan Delegation
Ecologic Institute recently hosted a delegation of Rwandan stakeholders consisting of government officials, scientists, and members of civil society. The event, organized by the Development, Climate, and Events teams and supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), aimed to expand Ecologic Institute's international networks and increase the reach of their research results.

International Networks and Collaboration on Climate Research


Berlin, Germany

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Event:Conference
 
After 40 months of collaboration, the BE-Rural project concluded with its Final Conference, held in Frombork, Poland, from 11 to 14 July 2022. Approximately 40 project members and regional bioeconomy stakeholders – representing research organisations, universities, cluster associations, local action groups and regional authorities from eight EU Member States and candidate countries – gathered to reflect on BE-Rural's achievements.

Inspiring Regional Agendas for Inclusive Bioeconomies

BE-RURAL Final Conference

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Frombork, Poland

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Event:Workshop
 
Within the framework of the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020, Holger Gerdes and Zoritza Kiresiewa, together with the POWER4BIO project, organized a breakout session on "Local-Level Bioeconomy" on 18 November 2020. This session formed part of the workshop "Rebooting the economy – sustainability, growth, and climate action delivered by the bioeconomy," which the European Commission's DG RTD hosted in collaboration with BE-Rural, POWER4BIO, and other partners. Holger and Zoritza took charge of the program design: they introduced BE-Rural, implemented participatory methods, and coordinated the flow via digital platforms so that more than 30 participants engaged interactively.

Benefits of Participatory Development of Regional Bioeconomy Strategies


online

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Event:Workshop
 
In June 2019, the stakeholder workshop "Optimal soil management to ensure yield capacity & acceptance analysis of measures to upgrade the subsoil" of the BMBF-funded BonaRes project "Soil³ – Sustainable Subsoil Management" took place in Moltzow (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). This workshop is part of a series of workshops with the aim to discuss and gather the prevailing opinions on subsoil management measures with the help of an acceptance analysis. Ecologic Institute researchers discussed with farmers and other ecological actors under which conditions they would implement or support these measures.

Optimal Soil Management to Ensure Yield Capacity


Moltzow, Germany

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Event:Workshop
 
On 17 June 2019, the NaWiKo workshop "Sustainable management in companies based on the example of bioplastics" took place at the facilities of Bio-Molkerei Söbbeke GmbH, a sustainable creamery, in Gronau near Münster. The aim of the workshop was for company representatives from the packaging and food industry to discuss findings from research projects that dealt with sustainability effects of bioplastics and bio-based materials.

The Challenges and the Significance of Bioplastics as Packaging Materials in the Food Industry


Gronau, Germany

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Event:Workshop
 
What kind of solutions are required to increase the market share of sustainable bio-based and circular products in Germany and Europe? Which products and product properties do consumers demand? What are the innovations that can be developed and what are suitable research and communication strategies? What role do local value chains and markets play? And how does a supportive regulatory environment look like?

Challenges and Opportunities in the Bioeconomy


Bonn, Germany

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Event:Workshop
 
On the 13 May 2019, Ecologic Institute organised the workshop "Beyond sectors – chances and challenges of multi-stakeholder collaboration in the bioeconomy" in the context of the 8th International Bioeconomy Conference in Halle (Saale). The aim of the workshop was to discuss the challenges of cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder cooperation in the bioeconomy as well as potential instruments for their facilitation and to present good practice examples. The workshop was held in German.

Beyond Sectors – Chances and Challenges of Multi-stakeholder Collaboration in the Bioeconomy


Halle (Saale), Germany

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