Nine European Technology Platforms (ETPs) active in the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) sector are joining forces in this support action funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the creation of a strong KBBE in Europe. For information on the project and contact details of the Coordinator and the participating ETPs and partners, see below.

Table of content:

Work Package 1
Work Package 2
- Workshops
Work Package 3
BECOTEPS White Paper
Coordinator
Partners and ETPs involved

The main objectives and the respective activities of this project are:

Work Pachage 1: Achieve closer and more coordinated collaboration between the KBBE ETPs ( WP1 leader: Plant ETP, contact: Silvia Travella).

This will involve:

• Acting as a KBBE forum: brainstorm and, where possible, initiate joint KBBE ETP actions. This could for instance be on joint KBBE representation to bodies like EFSA, joint information provision to member states on KBBE issues like the place of KBBE in society, the role of KBBE industry, opportunities and gaps in research, education, training;
• Functioning as a one stop shop for international or national bodies interested in KBBE;
• Leading possible inter-ETP working groups on identified future issues of importance;
• Communicating between all groups and partners and with the society via a webpage.

Work Package 2: Develop recommendations for better interaction between the KBBE ETP stakeholders along the product chains and the sustainability issue regarding multidisciplinary research, application and policy and cross-cutting issues to enhance implementation of the ETPs’ Strategic Research Agendas (SRAs) (WP2 leader: Food ETP, contact: Kirsten Brandt).

BECOTEPS will help to link science and application by addressing synergies and gaps:

• Between the SRAs of the ETPs;
• With respect to the research preparedness of the scientific community by organizing three topical workshops on cross-cutting KBBE issues. These workshops will involve:
  • Bringing together experts of interested stakeholders (academia, industry including SMEs, and other stakeholders) for a constructive dialogue to develop Europe’s enterprises into strong players in the global arena of the KBBE;
  • Addressing synergies and gaps between the ETPs and developing a plan to improve mutual interaction between industry and academia;
  • The workshop recommendations on research and policy will be summarized in a White Paper.

WORKSHOPS

Workshop 1: ‘Trust and Collaboration in the Food and Feed Chain’ including the whole food-feed production chain.

Venue: Brussels
When: 26-37 October 2009
Participants: 40
Organiser: Food ETP, Kirsten Brandt

• It will handle the issues of trust (authenticity, food safety, corporate ethics and consumer perceptions) and collaboration from the food production and supply chain management perspective, with particular focus on efficient implementation of research findings, including issues relating to SMEs;
• It will identify gaps between the activities foreseen in the SRAs;
• It will identify the actions needed to ensure that enterprises at every step of the food production and supply chains will experience improved competitiveness from new innovations;
• It will identify policy issues at stake to achieve the goals.

Workshop 2: ‘Opportunities for new business concepts with the combined non-food biomass chains under the KBBE umbrella’.

Venue: Brussels
When: 7-8 October 2009
Participants: 40
Organiser: Forest-Based Sector TP, Andreas Kleinschmit

• It will identify potential fields for collaboration and cooperation between stakeholders in the forest-based and agricultural biomass users. The most efficient combined use of sustainable managed biomass in new applications could promote the KBBE concept and lead to the production of a new generation of added value products;
• It will achieve a better understanding of the differences in the primary production processes and logistics of the two important biomass value chains, forest-based and agricultural, and needs and opportunities along the chains are the basis for elaborating ideas for new business concepts and models including action towards lead markets.

Workshop 3: ‘Sustainable Knowledge Bio-Based Economy – Opportunities for Europe and beyond’

Venue: Brussels
When: 24-25 November 2009
Participants: 80
Organiser: FABRE TP, Anne-Marie Neeteson

• It will address the definition of sustainability (ecological, economic, environmental and social dimension) among the sectors that create the KBBE;
• It will define business and research opportunities for a sustainable European bio-economy;
• Practical policy recommendations on the major issues where the Bio-Based Economy can make a difference for sustainable European food and non-food chains in a changing environment;
• Two topical sustainable issues will be specifically addressed: the impact on and by climate change and land use to the establishment of KBBE.
• The workshop will also take into consideration the global perspective on KBBE action in Europe as a crucial part of sustainable development in Europe and globally.

• By enhancing Member States coordination and raise awareness of the KBBE among Member States (Task 1, contact: Antoine Peeters);
• Raise awareness of the KBBE among Member States representatives;
• Interaction with Member States representatives, mainly through meetings with the KBBE-Net, SCAR, COMP-BIO-NET;
• Interaction with the ERA-NETs and National Technology Platforms;
• Discuss and develop strategies for implementation of the SRAs at national level;
• Disseminate the results of the workshops, collect feedbacks on the draft White Paper;
• Improve coordination between actions at European and national level.
• By contributing to the preparation of the European Commission KBBE Conference in 2010 (Task 2, contact: Silvia Travella);
  • Discuss how to address the topics foreseen by the EC on the conference agenda;
  • Suggest participants to the conference with the opportunity to discuss questions of their interest with the KBBE ETP stakeholders;
  • Introduce the KBBE idea, the ETPs and together define future research challenges based on the recommendations from the workshops;
  • Develop ideas on future interaction for mutual benefits;
  • Provide input from the ongoing workshops and the draft White Paper;
    
    
• By organizing meetings with several Directorate General of the European Commission in 2010 (Task 3, contact: Anne-Marie Neeteson).
  • Foster the implementation (and follow-up) of the KBBE ETP’s SRAs and Action Plans at EU level;
  • Support the development of a coherent policy framework for the KBBE;
  • Define future research challenges;
  • Identify, discuss and contribute towards laying the ground for prioritisation of action in later calls;
  • Take stock of major issues at stake concerning the KBBE area among and between the various EC DGs, EFSA and JRC;
  • Identify possible synergies and specific awareness issues for the future;
  • Discuss results from the workshops and future research challenges.

The BECOTEPS White Paper - a major result of the project
It will be drafted based on the recommendations from the workshops for coherent European policies in the KBBE area. It will be used in discussions with policy makers, funding organisations and decision makers at national, multinational and EU level, and at the KBBE Conference held by the Commission in 2010. It will be fine-tuned according to the feedbacks. The final BECOTEPS White Paper will be disseminated to the ETPs, national TPs, national research funding organisations (ERA-NET, KBBE-Net), European Commission, European Parliament and the press.
The BECOTEPS White Paper, which will be endorsed by the nine KBBE ETPs, will be a strategic document and will contribute to the creation of a strong KBBE in Europe.

The Coordinator
EPSO is the coordinator of the project. Contact person for scientific issues is Silvia Travella. Contact person for financial and legal issues is Annakarin Hedin.

The Partners and ETPs involved in the BECOTEPS project:

Associated ETPs
Global Animal Health (GAH), Declan O'Brien