The BIOEAST Community Gathers in Bucharest: A Step Forward in Shaping Future Bioeconomy Priorities
From April 7 to 9, 2025, the Annual BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference and the BOOST4BIOEAST (B4B) Project Meeting took place at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest, Romania. The event brought together over 180 stakeholders from across Central and Eastern Europe to initiate a strategic dialogue on updating research and innovation priorities tailored to the BIOEAST macro-region.
The goal of this high-level gathering was to open discussions on aligning scientific and innovation agendas with the pressing challenges of climate change, circular economy goals, and the growing need to strengthen regional bioeconomy competencies.
During the BOOST4BIOEAST project meeting held on April 8–9, all 30 consortium partners reviewed the progress made over the past year, exchanged insights, and planned upcoming activities. One of the project’s key milestones was the launch of a multidimensional mapping exercise in all participating centers, focusing on:
- macro-regional bioeconomy competencies,
- biomass availability assessment,
- education and capacity-building needs,
- innovation systems analysis.
This mapping initiative is expected to become a valuable tool for shaping strategic recommendations at both national and regional levels.
The BIOEAST Annual Conference also featured a poster session, where 26 posters showcased best practices and project results in the field of bioeconomy across BIOEAST countries. Lithuania was represented by Junior Researcher of Bioeconomy research center (BioTEC) Dr. Jovita Balandaitė from Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), who presented the activities of BioTEC, highlighting the center’s mission, cutting-edge research infrastructure, and ongoing scientific initiatives.
The networking opportunities with researchers from various countries laid the groundwork for meaningful collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of joint scientific initiatives. It is expected that these new connections will contribute to the growth of the scientific potential in the BIOEAST region and the advancement of an innovative, sustainable bioeconomy.
