The Institute of Forestry, Belgrade, Serbia (IOF) organised the second gathering of the National Bioeconomy Hub and the second CEE2ACT Workshop: “Building Knowledge and Capacity of Stakeholders for the Development of Bioeconomy Strategies.”
The event took place on May 24, 2024, at the Privredna komora Srbije Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia in Belgrade. This workshop brought together 43 diverse stakeholders, including decision-makers, public administrators, primary sector actors, waste sector professionals, bio-based industry representatives, SMEs, public enterprises, scientific research and educational institutions, and NGOs.
Participants include Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Agriculture including Forest Directorate, Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, UNDP Serbia , Privredna komora Srbije – Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, City of Belgrade – Belgrade City Administration – Secretariat for Environmental Protection, Public Enterprise “National Park Fruška Gora”, Public Enterprise “National Park Kopaonik”, Public Enterprise “National Park Tara”, Public Enterprise “Srbijašume”, Public Enterprise “Vojvodinašume”, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Forestry, Poljoprivredni fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu / University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture – University of Novi Sad, University Educons, Regional Agency for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises Alma Mons, Guarantee Fund of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Association “Cluster Bioeconomy”, WWF-Adria, The Nature Conservancy, Beogradska otvorena škola / Belgrade Open School, Bio Idea Soaps, and Novitas Consult.
Workshop Highlights:
– Ljiljana Brasanac-Bosanac kicked off with an overview of theCEE2ACT project.
– Nevena Čule introduced 4 e-solutions for the green transition developed by CEE2ACT project.
– Mateja Novak provided insights into the B2B tool developed by ANTEJA ECG.
– Sofija Babic shared experiences from Croatia in the development of the Bioeconomy Strategy until 2035.
– Ana Mitic-Radulovic showcased examples of circular bioeconomy practices in Serbia and discussed UNDP’s public calls for funding innovative green transition solutions.
– Sanida Klarić highlighted social entrepreneurship as a sustainable business model for women in the bioeconomy, presenting the inspiring Bio Idea Soaps.
During the interactive session, participants tackled challenges, such as regulations and capacity building, and discussed key research areas for Serbia’s circular bioeconomy development. They also identified potential added values of top research areas: Green energy solutions and innovations, Carbon sequestration and GHG emission reduction, Energy independence and resilience, Rural development and diversified rural incomes.