Project Scope
Bioeconomy can catalyse sustainable systematic change and transition along with tackling key economic, societal and environmental challenges; however, for such transitions to occur there is a need for appropriate policies to support activities/interactions among multiple actors regionally. The BioMDJT project is a 2-year feasibility study that will address these evolutionary processes using a bottom-up approach cantered on the development of a new Bioeconomy Demonstration (BD)-blueprint for the midlands and connected Just Transition regions. With a strong focus on change of land use balanced with protecting biodiversity and natural capital, BioMDJT will conduct extensive scoping, survey, feasibility & market analysis for this BD blueprint. That will inform key policies (CAP, Food Vision 2030, Just Transition) and gaps that strengthens public-private-partnership framework for a transition to a sustainable, climate-neutral and circular bioeconomy. The developed BD blueprint for these regions will address core activities/policies unlocking new products, business plans/models informed by appropriate multi-actor engagement; particularly, at the interface between user and policy-marker that will de-risk investment in new green-products and protect our environment.
The TUS led-team has assembled complementary mix of industry and key stakeholders to deliver on BioMDJT objectives. As part of this BD blueprint, a novel 5.4-hectare midlands-peatland site at Mount Lucas will address policies informing change of land-use away from reliance on fossil fuels with view to producing new renewable feedstock, alternative-biomass production and high-value biorefinery products for local/regional employment opportunities across connected food/feed, cosmetics and healthcare industries, balanced with protecting biodiversity and natural capital. This BioMDJT project will address PPP framework enabled by deploying a Quadruple-helix hub (academia-industry-government-society) combinational approach that will support key circular bioeconomy policies from rewetted lands to new green businesses and social enterprises. Indicative impactful long-term outcomes include enhanced local biodiversity, protecting natural capital, reduced carbon-emissions, increased awareness in circularity/bioeconomy, enhanced local-employment and economic gains.
Grant Number: 2022PSS125
Duration: June 2023 – May 2025
Funding €249,595
Project Objectives
1. To scope, profile, survey and analyse bioeconomy/circularity sectors and networks, value-chains and value-webs in the midland and connected just transition region for long-term development of state-of-the-art “bioeconomy demonstration” (BD) blueprint initiative; thus, informing solutions aligned with overarching policy and regulatory needs.
2. To profile, survey, engage and define multi-actors (including key stakeholders and policy-makers across Midlands and connected Just Transition region that will embrace and inform implementation (and gaps) on core policies so as to address change of land use for climate and ecosystem benefits balanced with protecting natural capital.
3. To profile and define key technology, social and political readiness levels for this BD-informed regional ecosystem that will enable renewable feedstocks, biomass yield/production and bio-refining of new products for peatlands, agriculture and forestry to reduce reliance on fossil resources; thus, reducing pressure on vital land use for meeting climate action and biodiversity ambitions/obligations linked to strategy/policies.
4. To survey and analyse the economic, social and environmental strengths, limitations, opportunities, feasibility and market analysis for bioeconomy sector (including cross-sectoral approaches) to undertake new bioeconomy value chains and business models in line with nature-based, agri-food and renewable energy needs.
5. To identify key drivers supporting and enabling NACE activities in the Midland and connected Just Transition Regions with particular focus on cross-cutting potential of novel peatland-based bioeconomy site (situated in Mount Lucas Wind Farm) by progressing polices underpinning public-private-partnership (PPP) with combined use of quadruple helix hub (academia-industry-government-society) concept such as to inform efficacy of key policies and relevant regional Spatial and Economic Strategies from a bottom-up perspective.
6. To unlock emerging opportunities for new green-deal innovations (including de-risking initiatives to promote greater awareness, confidence and investment) balanced with protecting fragile natural capital through effective, open-access use of this BD initiative including networks with key national and international bioeconomy/circularity initiatives.
Project Outputs
Download BioMDJT Project Blueprint Poster HERE
Download BioMDJT Profiling and Analysis Poster HERE
Project Partners
