What is the Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge?
Bioregions Open innovation Challenges provide a framework to identify and support the development and scaling-up of innovative solutions (technologies, business ideas, etc.) to pressing challenges in forests management and the forest bioeconomy. Its final objective is to facilitate sustainable transitions in European regions putting into value the full range of ecosystem services provided by forests. The Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge 2022 focuses on following challenges:
• Carbon Farming & Climate-Smart Forestry
• Forest Monitoring, Early Warning and Response
• Unleash the potential of Non-Wood Forest Products
Submit a solution to our forest bioeconomy challenges and make chance to win a grant for developing your idea!
The three best solutions will receive a grant. The grant allows the winner to travel to one or more Bioregions and pitch their idea to key bioeconomy actors, participate in a fair or event, take part in an incubator programme, or other initiatives.
Participate now and make chance to pitch your solution in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Basque Country, North Karelia or Catalonia.
The funding under the grant is provided by EFI Bioregions Facility's member regions: North Karelia, Basque Country, North-Rhine-Westphalia and Catalonia. They are leading forest regions in Boreal, Atlantic, Central European and Mediterranean contexts and thus provide testing grounds for solutions targeting Europe as a whole.
Open Innovation
What is Open Innovation (Challenge)?
Open Innovation aims to create a mindset towards innovation in contrast with the silo mentality of traditional approaches by allowing outsiders to bring new ideas and solutions to internal challenges. Open Innovation allows the creativity for ideas to come from outside the organisation, network or region. Open Innovation Challenges (OICs) gamify the process, turning challenges into inspiring competitions.
Why does EFI Bioregions Facility organise an Open Innovation Challenge?
The European Forest Institute (EFI) Bioregions Facility aims to catalyse innovation and entrepreneurship in forest bioeconomy in European regions. Therefore we open regionally-relevant challenges and aim to bring solid solutions to our member regions. By promoting forest bioeconomy business, we pursue green transitions for a sustainable future. Simultaneously, it is a great opportunity to discover talented people and increase awareness on forest bioeconomy.
Discover our challenges!
The Challenges are organised with Bioregions member regions and a diverse set of partners. It connects innovators willing to deploy and scale their solutions, with key networks and stakeholders in the Bioregions member regions demanding those solution.
Find here a preview of the Challenges:
For more complete information on the challenges, have a look at the Grant Submission Guidelines:
Why participate in the Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge 2022?
If you have a good forest bioeconomy solution that can be related to one or more of our member regions, then we truely want to help you succeed!
By participating in the Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge 2022, you can benefit from:
Guidelines
The applicant must be legally established or resident in one of the Member States of the European Union, or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), or any of the other countries mentioned in the Grant submission guidelines.
All official documents, including the Call for grants, Grant submission guidelines and Application submission form, are available on the EFI Grants webpage:
The Grant submission guidelines give a detailed overview about the challenges and the application submission procedure.
Deadline for application: 12 February 2023
The Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge 2022 is supported by:
