What we do

To drive systemic change across rural MED regions, BIOSTARS will establish a transnational cluster uniting policy-makers, businesses, academia, and civil society. This collaborative platform will foster innovation through active stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange. At the heart of the project is a peer-to-peer transfer approach, designed to promote local adaptation by directly connecting experienced partners with those seeking to adopt bio-based solutions.

A series of joint activities—including trainings, stakeholder mobilization, and capacity-building sessions—will equip rural actors with the tools and insights needed to implement sustainable, inclusive bioeconomy practices. Through the sharing of real-world examples and case studies focused on nature-based and bio-based solutions, the project will demonstrate tangible pathways for transformation.

The roll-out of the BIOSTARS toolbox will support this process, offering a structured, adaptable framework for applying circular bioeconomy innovations both at the regional level and across pan-European contexts. To ensure wide adoption and relevance, the project will collaborate with a network of 9 Associated Partners, including rural communities, cooperatives, and startup villages. These partners will act as testbeds, helping validate and scale the BIOSTARS approach in real-world settings.

The BIOSTARS project has been structured into three distinct work packages (WPs), each with its own set of activities and responsibilities:

• Work package 1 (WP1): Delivering the BIOSTARS toolbox to support start up and social innovation in rural communities. This work package aims to assemble regional innovation ecosystems and empower stakeholders to advance rural bioeconomies through the BIOSTARS toolbox. Main activities will be mapping local actors, coordinate stakeholder groups, co-create and validate the toolbox, and deliver tailored training and knowledge-sharing workshops for public authorities.
• Work package 2 (WP2): Application of the toolbox to plan and deploy start up and social innovation in rural communities. The aim is to build capacity and foster collaboration for rural bioeconomy innovation. Activities include training entrepreneurs, supporting local authorities for capitalization, setting up transnational clusters for collaborations, empowering SMEs and youth, and considering cultural and societal readiness.
• Work package 3 (WP3): Scaling out and sustaining project´s results. The objective is to promote the adoption and transfer of the BIOSTARS toolbox and circular bioeconomy solutions and innovations across MED regions. Key activities include supporting the BIOSTARS toolbox, establishing regional stakeholders’ hubs, creating transferability plans, fostering knowledge exchange, organizing events to enhance collaboration and impact, supporting start up villages, and monitoring the carbon footprint.