EFI Bioregions

Lines of action Cross-cutting priorities Why become a member Get involved

EFI Bioregions is an inter-regional, knowledge-led platform dedicated to accelerating the development of a sustainable forest bioeconomy in European regions.

About us

EFI Bioregions is governed by a steering committee of member regions on an equal footing, which designs, supervises, adapts and evaluates strategic priorities and annual work programmes, aligned with regional priorities. It is powered by a Multi-Donor Trust Fund, which provides joint funding for the Facility’s activities. The European Forest Institute provides the secretariat to coordinate and support the day-to-day operations of the Facility.

The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an international organisation with 30 member countries and around 130 member organisations. It conducts research and provides policy support on forest-related issues, connecting knowledge and action.

Download Bioregions in a nutshell
North Rhine-Westphalia
Basque Country
Catalonia
The Austrian regions
Castile and León

Lines of action

Policy learning

Policies and strategies

Exchange best practices and initiatives in the public sector, from regional bioeconomy and sectoral strategies to bio-based procurement, innovation support initiatives or funding schemes. Gain insights into their implementation, and foster cooperation and networking through in-person workshops, study tours, webinars, synthesis reports and policy briefs.

Innovation hub

Innovation and investment

Catalyse bioeconomy innovation and business support to accelerate knowledge and market uptake through open innovation challenges, matchmaking events, high-level discussions and strategic partnerships. Collectively build and strengthen an ecosystem of forest-based innovators and regional innovation support initiatives, also leveraging EFI’s research and innovation networks.

Social awareness

Awareness and engagement

Engage key stakeholders to understand perceptions of the bioeconomy from various perspectives and improve awareness through capacity building and strategic information dissemination. Share regional initiatives and success stories with international audiences.

Cross-cutting priorities

Cross-sectoral collaboration

Foster cross-sectoral collaboration and innovation generation – within and across regions – to nurture innovation and facilitate the biologisation of main economic sectors, realising the potential of place-based forest value chains.

Empower regional stakeholders

Connect regional bioeconomy stakeholders with key European actors, networks and decision-making hubs, to empower them and increase the visibility and impacts of regional action.

leaf

Why become a member

Bioregions provides fast-track access to knowledge, networks, and resources to advance the regional forest bioeconomy. It pools resources to multiply the impact of regional bioeconomy initiatives, bringing regional solutions to European audiences and vice versa. It is also a gateway to cross-sectoral and international collaboration among regional clusters, business and innovation support organisations, research centres, academia, public agencies and civil society representatives. In this way, it helps create a robust regional bioeconomy ecosystem, engaging and activating diverse stakeholders to work towards a sustainable forest bioeconomy by aligning their visions and efforts.

What are the benefits?

  • Steer the development of the Facility at strategic and operational levels, on an equal footing with leading bioeconomy regions in Europe.
  • Access key actors and networks, and share and exchange knowledge and best practices, to overcome barriers and identify opportunities in the forest bioeconomy.
  • Host, co-organise and join targeted discussion forums, cross-sectoral start-up pitching events, investment forums, and study tours. Such events, taking place inside the regions, support the green transition of locally important economic sectors.
  • Strengthen bioeconomy innovation and internationalisation through open innovation approaches and partnership brokerage to interconnect bioeconomy ecosystems.
  • Increase the region’s visibility in the bioeconomy landscape and contribute to its centrality in EU policies on forest bioeconomy.
  • Enhance collaboration with the European Forest Institute (EFI), which holds the Bioregions secretariat.

Get involved

For further information on Bioregions and on how to become a member, please get in touch with us at bioregions@efi.int.

Basque Country
North Rhine-Westphalia
Catalonia
Austrian regions
Castile and León
Meet our members

Learn more

Synthesis report 2020–2025

Bioregions in a nutshell flyer

Supported by Bioregions members