Preparing the creation of Bio-Based Education Centres to meet industry needs and boost the contribution of the bioeconomy to societal challenges
The increasing importance of the bioeconomy and the bio-based industry, a sector in full growth, encompasses a great potential for economic development and the creation of new jobs. However, this sector also generates a demand for a qualified workforce with new skills and professional competencies. BIObec aims to maximise the opportunities offered by the bio-based industry and the bioeconomy by interlinking universities, innovation labs, and R&D centres with industrial actors and regions to avoid skills and competencies gaps. BIObec proposes a concept that merges the traditional idea of an education centre with that of a knowledge hub: the Bio-Based Education Centres (BBECs), which will act as multi-level knowledge hubs bridging the gaps between academic institutions, students, innovation entities and policymakers.
BIObec aims to set the basis for the development of BBECs in six different European regions to answer the current and future needs of the industry and surrounding ecosystem at local, regional, and national levels. These BBECs are expected to ensure a wide geographical coverage in Europe and address different topics linked to the variety of value chains and institutional contexts, paving the way for replication in other regions and boosting the contribution of the education sector to the development of the bioeconomy.
