Boosting Rural Bioeconomy Networks following multiactor approaches

BRANCHES aims to increase implementation of cost-efficient new technologies, mobilize more biomass and create new business opportunities in rural areas by improving and strengthening the connection between practice and science of bio-based economy, offering a channel for two-way flow of information, new ideas and technologies within European agriculture and forestry practitioners, especially in rural areas. Research produces a vast amount of knowledge and part of that valuable information is in danger to stay untapped. BRANCHES project will summarize, share and present the existing best practices and research results from earlier and running EU and national projects to promote bioeconomy and rural development through new bio-based initiatives. The demands and needs of the practitioners will be gathered by a series of workshops and meetings and active co-operation within national networks. In BRANCHES project the selected knowledge on forest and agricultural biomass supply chains will be integrated with available and future technologies and best-practice cases for bioeconomy solutions with bioenergy conversion systems in wider bioeconomy context. Across the EU countries, existing policies and matchmaking the best available technologies will be summarized and shared in easily understandable formats (Practice abstracts and factsheets) through Thematic Networks launched by BRANCHES. Cooperation within Thematic Networks is expected to lead to outcomes which will have a lasting and widespread impact on practitioners across Europe in the rural environment. Project consortium has 12 partners from Finland, Spain, Germany, Poland and Italy. In addition, 32 different organizations (including companies, associations, Ministries, Councils and Federations) has express their support to project.