On the 26th of September, BOOST4BIOEAST partners, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy and Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, organised discussion with major national associations and clusters, representing biomass production, its processing, and technology development sectors, to initiate the launch of Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB.
The participants acknowledged the potential of advancing knowledge-based bioeconomy in Lithuania, as well as the need to strengthen cross-sectoral and inter-institutional collaboration to tackle “valleys of death” in the processes of innovation development and deployment and to maximise both socio-economic and environmental benefits. Considering these needs and aspirations of local stakeholders, the expected contributions of Lithuanian Bioeconomy HUB are:
• advocating political harmony between the fields of primary production of biomass, bio-based industry, environment, and innovation;
• strengthening policy-science interface which should support evidence-based decision-making;
• promoting public-private partnerships in the field of bioeconomy development;
• developing holistic strategic vision for Lithuania’s bioeconomy and an action plan that leads towards this vision and meets the specific needs, resources and innovation potential of Lithuania;
• strengthening international cooperation and the representation of Lithuania’s interests in the field of bioeconomy.
It is envisioned that this national HUB should become a central platform for a systematic dialogue between all stakeholders (ministries, science and business representatives, society) and with international partners (HUBs of other BIOEAST countries, EU institutions). Through the coordinated efforts of all its members and the involvement of wider circle of co-creators, the HUB will contribute to comprehensively strengthening the sustainability, innovativeness and competitiveness of the Lithuanian bioeconomy.