HEU CEE2ACT (cofin) (KB-34-001-007)

The CEE2ACT project has successfully strengthened the capacity of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries to advance toward a circular and sustainable bioeconomy. Against the backdrop of climate change, energy and food insecurity, and ongoing resource inefficiencies in the linear food system, the project has demonstrated how targeted knowledge transfer and innovative policy arrangements can enable systemic change. Through participatory, non-political, and bottom-up processes, CEE2ACT fostered collaboration among policymakers, industry, SMEs, feed producers, researchers, NGOs, and civil society — creating the foundation for more inclusive and evidence-based bioeconomy strategies.

Throughout 2023–2025, the project’s National Bioeconomy Hubs (NBHs) played a central role in identifying national motivations, needs, and knowledge gaps, and in translating these into Knowledge Agendas and action plans. The activities combined baseline assessments (covering socio-economic and environmental dimensions) with stakeholder engagement, training, and digital tools for sustainable governance and knowledge exchange. These efforts have strengthened local ownership, enhanced strategic coordination, and built long-term capacity for bioeconomy development in the participating countries.

Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) led the design and implementation of the project’s Knowledge Transfer (KT) strategy, which has been widely recognised as a cornerstone of CEE2ACT’s success. The KT approach combined theory and practice through a well-structured international learning programme, including two international webinars, one International Site Visit in Wageningen, ten NBH workshops, and a dedicated training module on KT competences and skills. The series focused on five critical dimensions: fostering collaboration, providing bioeconomy examples, improving the legal and policy framework, enhancing access to funding, and sharing technical know-how on circular and biobased innovations.

The WFBR-developed KT methodology has proven scalable and transferable beyond CEE2ACT. It directly inspired the new Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action BIOINSPIRE (started May 2025). The outcomes of CEE2ACT’s KT work were consolidated in the final deliverable “Knowledge Transfer Impact and Future Pathways,” which captures tested tools, lessons learned, and a roadmap for wider EU uptake.