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Sectors: Bioeconomy Forestry Fisheries Industry Food (chain/systems)

ROBIN - Deploying circular BIOecoNomies at Regional level with a territorial approach

Updated on 08.02.2024

Europe’s regional authorities have a crucial role to play as agents of just, inclusive and resilient economic development for their territories. ROBIN sets out to empower them to fulfil this role with support to co-shape their governance structures and models in ways that accelerate the deployment of their circular bioeconomy targets, while also promoting social innovation and accounting for different territorial contexts. To this end, we establish and demonstrate the potential of innovative circular bioeconomy governance structures and models in five European Regions within Ireland, Germany, Spain, Slovakia and Greece.

Our journey begins by setting-up Multi-Actor Regional Constellations, engaging key quadruple helix stakeholders to co-create and work alongside novel governance structures, well-embedded within existing organisational structures of our regions and mandated to coordinate and execute circular bioeconomy strategies with and for the entire actor ecosystem and to coordinate effectively with the CCRI-CSO. Along the way, we provide them with tailored support for enhanced and more inclusive stakeholder engagement, as well as a practical toolbox to improve the design, operation and monitoring of their governance models. In parallel, a monitoring and evaluation framework will gauge the performance and impact of our support actions and tools, providing quantifiable evidence of their economic, social and environmental impact. We will use this evidence to engage over 10 additional European regional authorities to test our tools and make a concrete case for their transferability, while also offering mutual learning and capacity building opportunities. In the process we coordinate our actions with the CCRI-CSO and complementary European initiatives to facilitate the dissemination of our results, ensuring their long-term sustainability as viable solutions for supporting EU regions in adopting governance models that facilitate the transition to a Circular Bioeconomy.

Topic ID: HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-07: Regional governance models in the bioeconomy
Grant agreement ID: 101060504
Countries: Ireland, Germany, Spain, Slovakia, Greece
Project email address: info@robin-project.eu
Start and end date: 01.09.2022 - 31.08.2025
Budget: 2 499 951 EUR
Type of action: Coordination and support action (CSA)

Leading organisation/partner

Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS PC 

Regions involved

Southern Region (IE05), Andalusia (ES61), Central Macedonia (EL52) 

Scope and objectives

ScopeROBIN is set to empower Europe’s Regions to adapt their governance models and structures in ways that accelerate the achievement of their circular bioeconomy targets, while promoting social innovation and accounting for different territorial contexts.

Objectives:

  • understand the state of play and animate Multi-Actor Regional Constellations (MARCs) to advance circular bioeconomy governance in European Regions;
  • co-create a needs driven and user validated digital Toolbox to drive the circular bioeconomy transition in a variety of regional settings;
  • deploy the ROBIN Toolbox to guide the development and operation of appropriate governance models and structures in five European regions.
  • evaluate results, and use evidence to communicate the project results,
  • inform policy, promote mutual learning and facilitate widespread uptake and sustainable exploitation.

Key deliverables

  • D1.1 Typology of Circular Bioeconomy Governance Models;
  • D1.2 Good Governance Practices;
  • D1.3 Circular Bioeconomy Governance Profiles of ROBIN Regions;
  • D2.1 ROBIN Regional Governance Models;
  • 2.2 ROBIN Regions Action Plans;
  • 2.3 ROBIN Toolbox;
  • 3.1 ROBIN Toolbox Validation Plans;
  • 3.2 Report on ROBIN Toolbox validation and update;
  • 4.1 Outcomes, Impacts and Perceptions Change;
  • 4.2 Cross-regional Exchange of Best Practices and Lessons Learned;
  • 4.3 Replication Guide and Toolkit.

Description of future collaboration with CCRI-CSO

  • Share information and knowledge of the project with CCRI-CSO;
  • take an active part in CCRI support activities of Pilot and Fellow cities and regions;
  • participate in CCRI events;
  • provide a knowledge platform about regional bioeconomy governance models and practices;
  • provide tools for the development and evaluation of support actions for bioeconomy governance strategies

CCRI relevant material

ROBIN toolbox including:

  • Knowledge platform (including regional bioeconomy governance models and practices);
  • ROBIN tools (Circular Bioeconomy Governance Model Canvas, Policy Monitoring System tool and Environmental Protection Planning tool);
  • ROBIN support actions portfolio.

Participants

  • FUNDACION CORPORACION TECNOLOGICA DE ANDALUCIA, Spain 
  • WHITE RESEARCH SRL, Belgium 
  • PEDAL CONSULTING SRO, Slovakia 
  • STEINBEIS 2I GMBH, Germany 
  • ROZVOJOVA AGENTURA ZILINSKEHO SAMOSPRAVNEHO KRAJA NO, Slovakia 
  • MUNSTER TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, Ireland 
  • ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS, Greece 
  • REGION OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA, Greece 
  • CONSEJERIA DE AGRICULTURA , GANADERÍA, PESCA Y DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE, Spain 
  • INSTITUTO ANDALUZ DE INVESTIGACIONY FORMACION AGRARIA PESQUERA, Soain ALIMENTARIA Y DE LA PRODUCCION ECOLOGICA, Spain 
  • BIOPRO BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG GMBH, Germany 
  • SOUTHERN REGIONAL ASSEMBLY, Ireland