{"id":3797,"date":"2021-05-05T09:47:21","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T06:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogit.lab.fi\/labfocus\/?p=3797"},"modified":"2023-09-28T09:31:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T06:31:46","slug":"macroregional-perspective-on-circular-bioeconomy-in-baltic-sea-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogit.lab.fi\/labfocus\/en\/macroregional-perspective-on-circular-bioeconomy-in-baltic-sea-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Macroregional Perspective on Circular Bioeconomy in Baltic Sea Region"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The concept of Smart Specialisation (S3) is designed to boost regional growth and prosperity by focusing on regional strengths and investment in research and innovation (European Commission 2014). Baltic Sea Region Smart Specialisation Ecosystem<\/a> (BSR S3 Ecosystem), a flagship Interreg BSR project, aims to improve the capacity of BSR innovation actors for S3 related interregional collaboration.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 16 March 2021, an online workshop was organized by BSR S3 Ecosystem to provide a first stage evidence base relating to the BSR’s Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) value chain opportunities based on the study results. The workshop brought together CBE experts from across the BSR to share findings on CBE value chain opportunities and offered grounds for an upgraded approach to S3 for sustainable growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Photo 1. The circular bioeconomy shall be glocal. (Singkham 2018)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BIOREGIO Showcased at the BSR Smart Specialisation Ecosystem Workshop <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me region and LAB University of Applied Sciences participate in the BSR Platform through BIOREGIO \u2013 Regional circular economy models and best available technologies for biological streams<\/a>. BIOREGIO is an Interreg Europe funded project, which focuses on developing bio-based circular economy in six partner regions in Finland, Spain, Slovakia, Greece, Romania, and France. Based on the Smart Specialisation in the Baltic Sea Region report, Interreg funded projects proved to be a good way to strengthen smart specialisation capacities through international or interregional cooperation and knowledge exchange (Leino & Hunter 2020). That is why BIOREGIO was asked to present the S3 P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me model and the BIOREGIO contribution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Picture 2. The link between the P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me regional strategy, the roadmap towards a circular economy and the BIOREGIO action plan. (Rouhiainen 2018)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

P\u00e4ij\u00e4t H\u00e4me and BIOREGIO Story <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bio-based circular economy or circular bioeconomy represents an intersection of bioeconomy and circular economy. Circular economy is one of the three smart specialization priorities mentioned in the P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me Regional Development Strategy and Plan for 2018\u20132021, which acts as the region\u2019s S3 strategy as well. Besides circular economy, the other priorities are design and sports and experiences (Figure 2). The related roadmaps are available (in Finnish) at the website<\/a> of the Regional Council of P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me Roadmap Towards Circular Economy<\/a> (launched in 2017), in other words, the regional circular economy strategy, defines objectives and actions for circular economy promotion and includes the vision: \u201cP\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me – the successful resource efficient region in Finland\u201d by 2030. One of the five thematic fields of the roadmap is bio circular economy (Figure 2). Thanks to BIOREGIO, (1) the bio-based circular economy was emphasized in the 2018 roadmap update and (2) concretized in the P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me Bio-based Circular Economy Action Plan<\/a>, approved in May 2019. In 2021, a second update of the P\u00e4ij\u00e4t-H\u00e4me Roadmap Towards Circular Economy has been done and is available at the Council\u2019s website<\/a> (in English). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n