Search Results (27)

Marine biomass, particularly from waste streams, by-products, underutilized, invasive, or potential cultivable marine species, offers a sustainable source of high-value biopolymers such as collagen and chitin. These macromolecules have gained significant attention due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, functional versatility, and broad applicability across health, food, wellness, and environmental fields. This review highlights recent advances in the uses of marine-derived collagen and chitin/chitosan. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we analyze how these applications contribute to sustainability, particularly in SDGs related to responsible consumption and production, good health and well-being, and life below water. Furthermore, we contextualize the advancement of product development using marine collagen and chitin/chitosan within the European Union’s Blue bioeconomy strategies, highlighting trends in scientific research and technological innovation through bibliometric and patent data. Finally, the review addresses challenges facing the development of robust value chains for these marine biopolymers, including collaboration, regulatory hurdles, supply-chain constraints, policy and financial support, education and training, and the need for integrated marine resource management. The paper concludes with recommendations for fostering innovation and sustainability in the valorization of these marine resources. Full article

Plant by-products have gained significant attention due to their rich content in bioactive compounds, which exhibit promising antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties. In European countries, vegetable waste generation ranged from 35 to 78 kg per capita in 2022, highlighting both the scale of the challenge and the potential for valorization. This review provides an overview of key studies investigating the potential of plant residues in biomedicine, highlighting their possible contents of antioxidant compounds, their antimicrobial and antitumor properties, as well as their applications in dermocosmetics and nutraceuticals. However, despite their potential, several challenges must be addressed, such as the standardization of extraction protocols, as bioactive compound profiles can vary with plant source, processing conditions, and storage methods. Effective segregation and storage protocols for household organic waste also require optimization to ensure the quality and usability of plant by-products in biomedicine. Emerging 4.0 technologies could help to identify suitable plant by-products for biomedicine, streamlining their selection process for high-value applications. Additionally, the transition from in vitro studies to clinical trials is hindered by gaps in the understanding of Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) properties, as well as interaction and toxicity profiles. Nonetheless, environmental education and societal participation are crucial to enabling circular bioeconomy strategies and sustainable biomedical innovation. Full article

The bioeconomy represents a new way of life for people, but also a responsibility towards the future of the planet. Generating a significant socio-economic impact, it could be viewed as a key element of sustainable development, as the current and future solution for economic processes, based on new development models compelled by climate changes and the economy’s resilience to potential crises. In this context, the paper presents in its first part the Circular Economy description and the Circular Bioeconomy discussion from an interdisciplinary perspective. The second part of the paper aims to explore education as a tool for facilitating systemic changes supporting a real transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. The key aspects discussed refer to the following: (1) European policies, strategies, and action plans for bioeconomy; (2) Circular Economy as a solution for sustainable food systems; (3) main requirements and challenges for developing a (Circular) Bioeconomy, including indicators of sustainability; (4) the links between Circular Bioeconomy and the Sustainable Development Goals; (5) possibilities for integrating the agri-food industry’s needs into bioeconomy education; and (6) pathways for teach bioeconomy concepts effectively. Full article

South Africa’s bioeconomy strategy identifies bio-innovation as a key driver of economic growth and social development, with plant breeding playing a central role in improving food security through the development of high-yielding, resilient, and high-quality crops. However, consumer perceptions of recent advances, particularly new breeding techniques (NBTs), remain underexplored. This study examines South African consumer attitudes towards plant breeding innovations, using a mixed-methods approach. The initial focus group interviews informed the development of a structured quantitative survey examining familiarity, perceptions, and acceptance of plant breeding technologies. Consumer awareness of plant breeding principles was found to be limited, with 67–68% of respondents unfamiliar with both conventional and modern plant breeding procedures. Despite this information gap, consumers expressed conditional support for modern breeding techniques, especially when associated with actual benefits like increased nutritional value, environmental sustainability, and crop resilience. When favourable effects were outlined, support for general investment in modern breeding practices climbed from 45% to 74%. Consumer purchase decisions emphasised price, product quality, and convenience over manufacturing techniques, with sustainability ranked last among the assessed factors. Trust in the sources of food safety information varied greatly, with medical experts and scientists being ranked highly, while government sources were viewed more sceptically. The results further suggest that targeted education could improve customer confidence, as there is a significant positive association (R² = 0.938) between familiarity and acceptance. These findings emphasise the significance of open communication strategies and focused consumer education in increasing the adoption of plant breeding breakthroughs. The study offers useful insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders working on engagement strategies to facilitate the ethical growth and application of agricultural biotechnology in support of food security and quality in South Africa. This study contributes to a better understanding of South African consumers’ perceptions of plant breeding innovations and food safety. The research findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders in developing effective engagement and communication strategies that address consumer concerns and promote the adoption of products derived from diverse plant breeding technologies. Full article

As the European Union advances its bioeconomy strategy, the agricultural sector emerges as a key domain requiring targeted upskilling in digital and entrepreneurial competencies. This study examines how agricultural professionals perceive the importance of these competencies and identifies related training needs, drawing on the European Commission’s Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) and Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp). Using a quantitative survey methodology, data were collected from 140 respondents, including farmers, agronomists, consultants, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, in four European countries: Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden. Descriptive and non-parametric analyses (Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests) revealed strong recognition of digital competencies across all groups, with significant variation by country, while perceptions of entrepreneurial competencies differed mainly by professional role. Moreover, a significant lack of formal bioeconomy-related education was identified. The findings underscore the need for targeted, competence-based education and policy interventions to equip professionals with the skills required for a sustainable and innovation-driven agricultural sector. Full article

This paper explores the concept of “bioharmonism” as a model for addressing sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by integrating the principles of biological balance and life harmony at various levels of nature and society. The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrative paradigm that rationally organizes the component concepts of different approaches and nuances developed over time in an attempt to find a path forward regarding contemporary societal changes. Thus, along the lines of transdisciplinary and holistic approaches, a connection is made between natural sciences, specifically life sciences, and social sciences, to understand in this way the evolution of human society. Specifically, the objective of this conceptual viewpoint is related to sustainability, resilience, and planetary health, indicating the need to analyze planetary bioharmony and transfer the model to the structure and functionality of human society. This is achieved by describing the pillars of this complex endeavor in a unified and coherent approach to highlight the bioharmonization process. This paper analyzes the definition and role of societal bioharmonism, then the methodological argumentation based on specific notions, principles, and laws, and finally, describes the application lines of the pillars of bioharmonism, using as a case study the provision of food for the human population. Solutions are highlighted that can conceptually contribute to the evolution of contemporary society, considering the convergence of anthroposystems with ecosystems, based on the interconnection of the current Biological Revolution with the performances offered by the Information Era. These solutions aim at societal bioharmonization, supported complementarily by its specific conceptual pillars, which, through integration and emergence, lead to a dynamic systemic balance. This, in turn, lays the foundation for reintegrating the environment and biodiversity into the economic equation, the citizen into the social equation, and science into the political equation. Full article

The development of the bioeconomy in the European Union is promoted through various policies. In Greece, however, there is a paucity of research on bioeconomy issues and policies at both the national and regional levels. This study systematically examines the feasibility of developing a bioeconomy blueprint within the context of a geographically isolated and mountainous region. By employing an integrated strategic framework combining sustainable resource management, innovation and participatory governance, the proposed framework emphasizes the transition from conventional, unsustainable economic practices to a contemporary development paradigm underpinned by the tenets of the circular economy and the utilization of local resources. A central tenet of the proposed framework is the enhancement of collaborative endeavors among local stakeholders, academic institutions, and business entities, with the overarching objective being the promotion of cutting-edge technologies and the economic diversification of the region. Concurrently, emphasis is placed on the necessity to establish conducive policies, regulatory frameworks, and financial mechanisms that will facilitate the development of sustainable industries and mitigate the environmental impact. The text emphasizes the importance of human resources development through educational and training programs, ensuring adaptability to the demands of the emerging bioeconomy. The study concludes that, despite the inherent difficulties arising from geographical isolation and limited access to resources, the region has the potential for sustainable development. The region’s capacity for sustainable development is contingent upon the implementation of suitable strategies and the mobilization of investment, which will be instrumental in the establishment of a robust and environmentally sustainable economic model. Full article

The swift adoption of digitalization and transformation within enterprises and their operations had commenced prior to the onset of COVID-19, characterized by the shift towards Industry 4.0 and subsequently progressing towards Industry 5.0. However, mandated restrictions significantly amplified the necessity and drive to utilize digital tools for both businesses and consumers. New opportunities previously not utilized have arisen yet are hand in hand with several risks linked to the use of these new digital tools. The bioeconomy sector is not an exception. The study aims to consider the sector representatives’ opinions on the significance of the risks related to digitalization. The empirical results of this study stem from a survey of enterprises in the bioeconomy sector carried out in 2020 and 2021 in Latvia. The research results prove that there are many factors influencing the development of digitalization. The results notably affirm that both entrepreneurs and employees in SMEs recognize the considerable importance of these risks, particularly emphasizing the significance of security and technology risks. While the Chi-Square Test of Independence indicates a notable association between risk evaluation scores and the education level of respondents before the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, this association diminishes in 2021. Contrary to the hypothesis that individuals with higher education levels are more attentive to risks, the evidence shows inconsistency in their perception, particularly regarding professional challenges of the entrepreneur and employees to use digital tools and other risk categories. However, the relationship between higher education levels and the significance of risks pertaining to security risks, technology risks, and the skills of the clients to use digital tools is partly affirmed. Full article

Providing safely managed sanitation/hygiene requires key competencies for education, training, service delivery, enterprise development and management, product and infrastructure design and development, construction and installation, governance, financing, research, etc. These strategic sanitation capacities will have to be built from higher education’s academic and professional programmes structured and designed to produce skilled and knowledgeable professionals and practitioners. This study aims to investigate the quality of the sanitation/hygiene management content of Environmental Health programmes; the adequacy of the existing central curricula; and the perception of environmental health sanitation/hygiene-trained professionals to determine the next phase for building knowledge and capacity of sanitation professionals in Nigeria through higher education institutions. A multi-level mixed method concurrent study was used for sampling and data collection with a multi-level perception analysis to examine the perceptions of students, lecturers and graduate alumni, as well as employers/supervisors and clients/service users of sanitation/hygiene-related graduates. The main findings of this paper show a limited understanding of the concepts of contemporary issues of sanitation/hygiene management like sustainable sanitation, citywide inclusive sanitation, regenerative sanitation, circular bioeconomy, etc.; the central/national teaching and curricula were found to be seriously out of date; and clients/service users were dissatisfied with the skills and knowledge levels of the graduates. The study concludes by recommending a national sanitation management higher education pathway to guide the provision of integrated sanitation/hygiene management education at higher education institutions (HEIs), to build an effective, efficient, competent and sufficient workforce for the country. Full article

Biogas is a promising and robust renewable energy that holds potential as clean energy in the context of the current climatic emergency. Biogas has the immense advantage of coupling waste management and clean energy production. In other words, it is not only a renewable energy source, but also a central tool in recycling a vast range of waste products from the agroindustry. Despite its potential, the process is microbiologically complex and is usually carried out in both industrial and pilot laboratories, utilizing a variety of reactors and systems. In this work, we present a very simple, Do It Yourself (DIY) biogas fermenter that we have designed, operated, and characterized. We propose this technology as both an inexpensive proxy for biogas reactors in academic and private laboratories and as an effective dissemination tool to foster the knowledge and potential of biogas as a key technology to contribute to the development of a global bioeconomy. Full article

In serious game design, there is a growing trend towards involving players more substantially in the development process. However, several scholars and practitioners agree that still more research and empirical data are needed to guide such participatory prototyping processes. So far, less focus has been put on the influence of co-creation and co-design on participants in the process. This article explores the co-creation and co-design process in creating a serious game called “Mission BioHero”, with a focus on sustainability and the bioeconomy. The game aims to engage citizens in the bioeconomy, help them learn in a fun and interactive way, and aggregate their ideas to shape bioeconomy policies. This serious game was fully co-created and co-designed with citizens and stakeholders from eight regions in five European countries. This research investigates the nature and impact of co-creation and co-design on game development and its driving success factors, explores educational capacities of this participatory process on participants, and evaluates its impact on the co-designed serious game. The findings draw upon empirical data gathered from the co-creation and co-design phases, participants’ feedback, and external game players’ input. The study confirms the value of the participatory design process in serious games design and offers methodologies, tools and lessons learned for similar future processes. Full article

While researchers of the area try hard to conceptualize the bioeconomy, it appears that it is harder for the variety of stakeholders to agree on the critical elements that form sustainable bioeconomy models. The aim of the present paper is to gain insight into major players’ understanding of the bioeconomy concept to form policies and strategies or direct education and research. Using data collected from academia and state stakeholders in Greece, this paper articulates perceptions regarding the concept of bioeconomy from an academic, technological, and economic point of view. According to the results, the bioeconomy concept seems to be related to applied life and economic sciences, and engineering and technology sciences. Its technological interpretation regards innovation, new product development, and technologies. Empirical findings indicate an almost catholic acceptance of bioeconomy as an economic activity, no matter the science field or the state position of the stakeholders. They also highlight a clear need for synergies and a coherent cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach to produce novel knowledge, skills, technology, and innovation. The research contributes to the existing debate on the buzzing concept of the bioeconomy and fills a scientific gap at the regional level of a typical Mediterranean economy, enriching the related literature. Full article

This study was aimed at assessing the indicators of a sustainable forest bioeconomy in Ghana for three decades (1990–2020). Sustainable development in a forest bioeconomy is a system geared towards improving people’s socioeconomic and environmental situation through forestry, yet in Ghana, it is neither heard about nor well understood by many people. A good knowledge about the forest bioeconomic system will enhance people to become custodians of the forest ecosystems instead of being destroyers. Field and secondary data were collected and analyzed using IBM SPSS 29.0, CANOCO 5.0, and ArcGIS 10.5. The study showed that larger areas of forest were found in decade 1 (1990–1999) relative to decade 2 (2000–2009) and decade 3 (2010–2020). Forests’ contributions to GDP vary between the forest–vegetation belts and regions, decreasing rapidly from 1990 to 2020. Population growth, agricultural activities, and commodity-driven deforestation ranked highest in the list of the drivers of deforestation. A reduction in deforestation might bring about a reduction in carbon emissions; however, the economic repercussions are negative as the contribution of forest to GDP, income, and employment will fall as trade-offs. Findings from the study will significantly help to bring lasting solutions to deforestation and enhance the sustainable forest bioeconomy. The study has unveiled remote drivers of forest loss that have been long overlooked by previous studies. A sustainable enlightenment campaign and routine informal education of the rural people are highly necessary. This is because some of the peoples’ reasons for deforestation and preference for forest products compared with modern resources seem convincing and logical. Full article

Action 2 of the European Union’s Updated Bioeconomy Strategy, i.e., “Deploy local bioeconomies rapidly across Europe”, promotes education and training in all member states. It is a fact that Greece has not yet adopted a national bioeconomy strategy, so stakeholders and farmers cannot benefit from its potential. The adoption of bioeconomy practices is now a prerequisite for receiving funding under the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027. Farmers unknowingly use some bioeconomy practices on their farms, and in this study, an attempt was made to investigate how farmers in the region of Western Macedonia would like to be trained in respect of the bioeconomy, knowing the opportunities it offers. The research was conducted through a structured questionnaire answered by 412 farmers from the region. The findings from the subsequent k-means cluster analysis show that farmers can be classified into three clusters: engaged, restricted, and partially engaged. The perceptions that predominate in each cluster are influenced by age, income, and the regional unit in which the farmers reside. In addition, the decarbonization of the Western Macedonia region influences their views and how they would like to be informed about opportunities arising from the bioeconomy. Limitations in this study include the fact that the sample consists only of farmers living and operating in a particular region. In addition, there is an urgent need for political will to establish a national strategy for the bioeconomy. The importance of the present study lies in the fact that few studies have addressed the training of farmers on bioeconomy issues either in Greece or internationally. Full article

This article focuses on the potential role of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) which are so far largely neglected within forest-related bioeconomy research and policy. From an innovation system perspective, we look at the barriers for NWFPs development and propose how they can be supported. We analyse 20 innovation cases in Europe, based on the analysis of documents and semi-structured interviews with experts involved in the cases. Results show that there is no “one” innovation system supporting NWFPs, but support is given rather erratically through certain programmes from various sectoral or regional innovation systems (forestry, agriculture, nature conservation or rural or regional development). There is a pronounced neglection of the institutional system towards NWFPs, resulting in a lack of statistics, research, education and training programmes and focused support structures. However, our results show rich potential of NWFPs in the forest bioeconomy for private forest owners and producers. These activities can range from a collection of NWFPs for subsistence to collectively organized production relevant to rural areas. Most of these are product innovations, some are service or social innovations, while some combine different innovation types. From some successful examples we derive suggestions for how to improve innovation support structures. Full article