The ToBeReaL project is a five-year EU-funded initiative that aims to promote and support the development of bioeconomy projects across Europe, with a particular focus on underdeveloped regions. Its goal is to overcome obstacles and create flagship projects that represent innovative and sustainable biological solutions. The project is in line with the objectives of the EU Green Deal, which aims to accelerate the transition from fossil- based to bio- based economy.

The objectives of the project include the support of projects at different stages of maturity, leading to a higher number of major initiatives, the identification and solutions of various technological, business, regulatory and social challenges that hinder bioeconomy projects and, last but not least, the strengthening of bioeconomy ecosystems, in the form of the development of sustainable circular bioeconomy and valorization of local biological resources.

The project brings together 13 partners from 10 countries, which include bioeconomy clusters that support local innovation ecosystems, technology centers that provide technical expertise, service providers that offer business, financial and regulatory services, and small and medium-sized enterprises. focused on process development, scale-up and commercialization.

Key project activities include the analysis of bioeconomy trends, barriers and drivers across Europe, with an emphasis on underdeveloped regions. Another activity is tailor-made assistance in four key areas:

• Technical: New technologies, scalability and environmental impact assessments.
• Business and finance: Market strategies, financing options and business model development.
• Regulatory: Addressing legal and political barriers specific to each region.
• Social innovation: Fostering social acceptance and stakeholder engagement.

The organization of thematic workshops and networking meetings to connect projects with investors, policy makers and technical experts is another key activity of the project.

The final target impact of the project is to strengthen biological value chains and support local biological resources, to support innovation in underdeveloped regions by removing barriers and enabling access to resources and finance, and to create at least 30 supported bioeconomy projects, of which at least 10 are expected to reach flagship status.

Particular attention is paid to regions in Europe where the development of the bioeconomy is lagging behing, including Eastern Europe and rural areas. By addressing disparities, ToBeReaL aims to promote equitable growth and resilience across the EU.