How can regions help bio-based innovations reach the market?
To move from successful demonstration to commercial deployment, innovative bio-based solutions need the right partners, significant investment but also regional support. European funding programmes play an important role in supporting research and innovation and in scaling up the bioeconomy sector and bio-based innovations. But many promising projects need follow-up investment, regional support and links to other funding sources to reach deployment.
In this interview, Virginia Puzzolo, Head of Programme at the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), explains why stronger collaboration between European programmes and regional authorities can help innovative companies take the next step. Watch the full interview below or explore the key questions and answers.
By clicking “Play”, content from YouTube will be loaded. This means that your personal data (such as your IP address) may be transmitted to YouTube and that YouTube may set cookies on your device. You can find more information in YouTube’s Privacy Policy.
Why are regions important for scaling up bio-based innovations?
Each year, CBE JU receives more proposals than it can fund within the available budget. So high-quality proposals submitted but not funded by the CBE could benefit from other funding mechanism.
In particular, for projects aiming at developing first-of-their-kind industrial biorefineries, regional funding can be vital to ensure that promising projects are not lost, while allowing regions to retain investment and strengthen their local bioeconomy.
“Regions can be the next step to ensure that these excellent projects are not lost.”
What happens after a project successfully demonstrates its technology?
Over the past decade, CBE JU has supported numerous projects that have successfully demonstrated new bio-based technologies and production processes.
However, demonstration is only one step of the journey. Many projects still need support to deploy industrial-scale production, particularly in areas such as bio-based chemicals, materials and feed ingredients.
Many of these innovations are led by small and medium-sized enterprises that often lack the investment capacity needed to commercialise their technologies.
Why are partnerships between Europe and regions important?
Creating the first industrial production facility often requires investments far beyond the capacity of a single company, especially if this is an SME.
Virginia Puzzolo notes that these first-of-its-kind biorefinery projects can require investments worth hundreds of millions of euros. Industry typically contributes part of the financing, while additional public and private funding is needed to complete the “financing puzzle.”
Regional authorities can play an important role in bringing together these different funding mechanisms and supporting companies through the scale-up process.
How can regions support projects and companies?
Regions can provide direct financial support for industrial innovation or offer indirect support by:
- facilitating permitting procedures;
- creating favourable fiscal conditions;
- attracting innovators to the region; and
- helping deploy demonstrated industrial-scale innovations.
These actions complement European funding programmes and help embed innovations in regional economies.
What are the benefits for the regions supporting bio-based innovations?
Supporting industrial bio-based innovations benefit more than individual companies. Stronger regional support can:
- keep innovative companies in Europe;
- create economic opportunities in rural regions;
- strengthen regional bioeconomy; and
- help younger generations remain and prosper in rural areas.
Ultimately, better cooperation between European programmes and regional authorities can help create a competitive and viable European bioeconomy.
Major collaboration agreement between regional bioeconomy networks
In July 2026, CBE JU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with European Forest Institute (EFI), European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN), the Vanguard Initiative, and the European Regions Network for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Eriaff). The agreement aims at strengthening cooperation with European regions active in the bioeconomy and supports closer links between European, national and regional funding opportunities.
From EFI Bioregions’ prospect, this agreement strengthens also our role in accelerating the forest bioeconomy, bio-based innovations and uniting key stakeholders.
Featured images: Pgiam & Mutlu Kurtbas, Getty Images Signature