The University of Ljubljana

Ljubljana, Slovenia
www.uni-lj.si

The University of Ljubljana (UL), established in 1919, is Slovenia's oldest and most prestigious university, consistently ranked among the top 500 globally by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). It comprises 23 faculties, 3 art academies, and 3 associated members, serving over 35,000 students with a staff of approximately 6,000. The University actively engages in international research and education, having participated in numerous European projects such as FP7, HORIZON2020, and ERASMUS+. It is also a member of several international associations, including EUTOPIA and the European University Association.

UL Biotechnical Faculty, Bioeconomy, is an active member of the ICA (Association for European Life Science Universities) and the CASEE Network, which focuses on Central and South-Eastern Europe. It promotes international student mobility, with over 140 Erasmus+ bilateral agreements and participation in 9 CEEPUS networks. In the 2022/2023 academic year, 86 students participated as incoming exchange students, while 124 went abroad. In 2022, the university conducted 283 research projects across various disciplines, with a growing emphasis on applied research and interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in industry-relevant research and innovation.

Good practice

The University of Ljubljana’s Biotechnical Faculty plays a pivotal role in the BIOEAST community, acting as Slovenia's lead partner in the BIOEASTsUP CSA project. It led the development of the SRIA concept and conducted institutional analysis, which culminated in the creation of the National Concept Paper for Slovenia’s bioeconomy strategy. Faculty members have also contributed to the National Bioeconomy Strategy and serve as Slovenia's representatives in BIOEAST's Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) for Food and Education. Building on the success of BIOEASTsUP, the faculty is now advancing the BIOEcoUP project, focused on delivering a comprehensive Action Plan for further bioeconomy development.

Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

Nitra, Slovakia
www.uniag.sk

Creative Centre/Innovation Platform for Bioeconomy
https://www.kcspu.sk/en/about-3/ | https://www.kcspu.sk/en/innovation-platform-for-the-bioeconomy/
Assoc. Prof. Danka Moravčíková, Director of Office of Project and Transfer Activities, Partnership coordinator/Creative Centre

Involvement in the bioeconomy education

The Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA) is a public university that has been preparing specialists across the agrarian and food sector since 1952. Students gain knowledge at its six faculties with a broad range of study programmes ranging from biological sciences to economics and garden architecture. Sustainable development, environmental protection, preservation of natural wealth and biodiversity, circular bioeconomy, as well as human health through high-quality nutrition and safe food production, landscape creation, ecology, efficient agriculture and rural areas are timeless values that underpin educational and scientific research activities of the SUA in Nitra.

Success story

The Innovation Platform for the Bioeconomy is a cross-cutting activity for all three areas that the SPU Creative Centre is dedicated to (design-architecture-advertising). Its task is to cover design activities (mainly industrial design, graphic activities and interior decoration), architectural consultancy and the creation of advertisements for target groups interested in creative entrepreneurship with bioeconomy elements. Main objective is to mobilize and support creative potential in the Nitra region, building a favourable environment for the development of innovative business solutions for green and sustainable entrepreneurship and job creation in the creative industry sectors. Main activities: Development of Creative Talent and Skills, Business Support, Networking Support.

Agricultural University Plovdiv

Plovdiv, Bulgaria
www.au-plovdiv.bg

✔ The Agricultural University Plovdiv was established in 1945. Even today it is the only specialized state-funded university in Bulgaria in the field of agricultural and life sciences, a university with high national, European and international prestige.

✔ The Agricultural University provides training in the three educational degrees – Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD. The major structural units are – Faculty of Agronomy, Faculty of Horticulture with Viticulture, Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Faculty of Economics.The Agricultural University – Plovdiv is a partner in the university alliance UNIgreen. The alliance is the first “green” European university in agronomic, biotechnological and natural sciences which includes 8 partner universities.

✔ The main goals of the Agricultural University- Plovdiv are in line with the national and European priorities in the field of agriculture, food, bioeconomy, ecology, sustainable development and tourism.

✔ Agricultural University- Plovdiv started working on bioeconomy in 2018 year. The first initiative was the project CAPBIO4BG under the Ministry of Education and Science . The project strengthens the research & innovation capacity of AUP in the area of bioeconomy to develop and implement research & innovation projects in bioeconomy value chains at regional, national, cross-border and international level. The CAPBIO4BG project increases the university's capacity for multidisciplinary cooperation in the field of scientific research and innovation as a key prerequisite for the implementation of regional bioeconomy strategies and education in Bulgaria and the region. Agricultural University - Plovdiv strengthens its position as an academic participant in the development of bioeconomy initiatives, including the development of a center for knowledge and innovation in the field of bioeconomy in the Plovdiv region. The project promotes systematic and integrated approaches to acquiring scientific knowledge and innovations in the field of bioeconomy and will build the capacity of the Agricultural University - Plovdiv as a regional center of bioeconomy knowledge. The Agricultural University - Plovdiv is twinning with three European universities with excellent track record on the bioeconomy: University of Bologna, Wageningen University and Research and University College of Dublin. Developing living labs and regional hubs on bioeconomy will allow Agricultural University - Plovdiv to boost the research potential of its staff by engaging them in real showcases on bioeconomy to link science-policy-stakeholders interactions.

✔ The research policy of the Agricultural university- Plovdiv involves support in the implementation of research projects for achieving scientific solutions in favour of agricultural business. Priority areas of research include: food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, study of ground waters and bioeconomy; responses to climate change, environment and resource efficiency. The Agricultural University of Plovdiv is a coordinator of the National Scientific programme of the Ministry of Education and Science"Healthy Foods for a Strong Bioeconomy and Quality of Life". The programme will stimulate targeted research and policies in the fields of agriculture, food and bioeconomy, which will help addressing the three major challenges facing these sectors today: ensuring viable food production in response to growing global demand;ensuring sustainable management of natural resources and climate action and the balanced development of the bio-economy of rural areas and their communities.

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Success story / project / good practice

✔ AUP is a partner in Horizon Europe projects, some of which work on bioeconomy- e.g COOPID, MainstreamBIO, BIOLOC.

✔ AUP is the Bulgarian Hub of EIT Food

✔ A Bioeconomy bachelor and master course was established as a result of the AUP work for the last few years

✔ On 9 Oct 2023 offically the Plovdiv Bioeconomy Hub was established

https://capbio4.bg/en/?go=news&p=detail&newsId=515
https://capbio4.bg/en/?go=news&p=detail&newsId=523
https://capbio4.bg/en/?go=news&p=detail&newsId=531
https://www.au-plovdiv.bg/en/news/regional-innovation-valleys-event

International Hellenic University

Thessaloniki, Greece
www.ihu.gr/en

The International Hellenic University (IHU) was initially established by Law (No 3391/2005), was based in Thessaloniki, Greece and was Greece’s first public university where programmes were taught exclusively in English comprised two Schools which offered twenty-four (24) master programmes. The IHU provides expertise in the field of Bioeconomy, as Postgraduate Programmes as the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Business, and the MSc in Bioeconomy: Biotechnology and Law and PhD Programmes in the same fields are being offered and taught exclusively in English by the School of HSSE of the University Centre of International Programmes of Studies (UCIPS) of the IHU for seven years. Especially the MSc programme in Bioeconomy is designed to provide knowledge and develop skills for those occupied in public or private services dealing with the consultation, management, studies of Biotechnological products and processes and willing to be involved in Bioeconomy. The Programme aims are the provision of knowledge and skills based on the most modern and innovative developments in Biotechnology, directly linked to the field of Bioeconomy, the understanding and implementation of the basic regulatory rules and laws governing the production and promotion of biotechnological products and the education in the field of Bioeconomy, which at the same time allows the development of all the skills required in the modern labour market at the international level.

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Success story / project / good practice

The International Hellenic University (IHU) programme MSc in Bioeconomy: Biotechnology and Law is interdisciplinary, and it has primarily a practical purpose. It provides legal and management expertise, directly usable in all groups of scholars, those with legal education, business, and economical background and those trained in relevant scientific and technological disciplines. The programme is directed to students and executives who desire to expand their specialization in the relevant fields. The courses are taught exclusively in English in distance learning mode. Students of the programme benefit from practical training, on hands activities, case study analyses and guidance from word leading experts. Education is developing these international second and third cycle programmes in categories such as distance learning programme, international summer schools, student and faculty exchange mobility programs. Furthermore, the academic staff of MSc programme organizes training programs, webinars-seminars, workshops, educational excursions, consulting projects and conferences for the Bioeconomy for students and other professionals from the public and private sectors. A lot of academic master dissertations and PHD research focused on real-life issues of bioeconomy, expanding and enhancing the international research programme in area of bioeconomy, producing high quality scientific work which is subsequently published in high-ranking international academic journals and creating the necessary and appropriate conditions and know-how to attract external funding and international research collaborations. The International Hellenic University has already established partnerships with educational institutions in countries. Especially the IHU established Partnership for the MSc in Bioeconomy: Biotechnology and Law with the University of Leiden, Netherlands and Perseus Company, Belgium within the framework of the Erasmus + 2018 Strategic Partnership for the Higher Education Sector. Furthermore, the IHU has also already signed bilateral agreement with universities for student and staff exchange through Erasmus International Mobility. Besides IHU is the only one partner of BIOEAST UNINET from Greece.

Vytautas Magnus University

Agriculture Academy

Kaunas, Lithuania
www.vdu.lt/en

The Mission of the Academy is the cultivation of the community spirit, partnership, and long-standing traditions in line with the global, scientific, and political trends for the development and dissemination of knowledge in the agricultural biotechnology, ecosystems, engineering, and social sciences to support the sustainable development of bioeconomy and rural areas, and for creation of conditions for the leaders of these sectors to grow, develop, and contribute to the provision of quality food and fully-fledged living environment for every human, in harmony with the nature. We are able to do more „step by step“ with global changes and innovations by sharing innovative ideas, experiences, and results of our research and education.

Success story / project / good practice

We are proud to implement a unique international joint master's study programme “Agri-Food Business Management”, which we have designed together with Latvian and Estonian partners: Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies & Estonian University of Life Sciences. This program is designed to prepare professionals capable to work in fields related to the food supply chain, to manage agricultural and food industry organizations. Graduates of study programme Agri-Food Business Management are welcomed by the bioeconomy business entities and farms, public institutions forming and governing policies in agricultural and food sectors, and continue their studies on the Doctoral level.

Scientists of Vytautas Magnus University have contributed to the creation of the “LITHUANIAN BIOECONOMY STRATEGIC PROVISIONS”.

University of Zagreb

 Faculty of Agriculture (FAZ)

Zagreb, Croatia
www.unizg.hr

Education

Ms study program Renewable Energy Sources in Agriculture, started in 2019, website: https://www.agr.unizg.hr/en/1283/Renewable+Energy+Sources+in+Agriculture

The Study programme involves a vast list of courses/modules related to the bioeconomy sector (e.g. Biomass and biofuels, Sustainable biomass storage systems, Energy crops, Biobased products from lignocellulosic biomass, Circular economy in sustainable resource management, Bioeconomy basics etc.)