The Central European Initiative (CEI) is a regional intergovernmental forum established in 1989, following the fall of the Berlin wall. It gathers 17 Member States in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe to promote regional cooperation for EU integration and sustainable development. It supports a united Europe with shared values embracing all countries, regions, peoples and citizens; and fosters the strengthening of capacities of its Member States towards good governance, rule of law and sustainable economic development for stability, social cohesion, environmental sustainability, security and prosperity.

Maastricht University UNU-MERIT is a research and training institute that mobilises research, education and policy knowledge to unlock the full potential of comprehensive innovation for sustainable development. The institute reinforces academic and policy research agenda by focusing on the economics of innovation, and the governance and public policy of innovation. Innovation for Sustainability, Social Innovation, Circular Economy, System Transitions and Societal Transformations are main research lines of the research team.

BIOCOM is a Berlin-based and Europe-wide communications, consultancy and independent publishing company specialising in the fields of bioeconomy and biotechnology. Founded in 1986, BIOCOM offers a range of services, including information and communication (statistics and analysis, network and secretariat management, political communication), research (global bioeconomy development, governance and capacity building), design (brand identity, digital products and platforms, film production, events and exhibitions) and publishing (corporate publications, journals and books). In the RIBES project, BIOCOM leads work package four (WP4) on the co-development of transformative governance approaches.

White Research is a leading social research enterprise specialising in consumer behaviour within the ICT, health, and related sectors. We excel in uncovering and interpreting complex consumer insights through an innovative blend of modern analytics and advanced marketing research methods. We focus on addressing business, market, and user-related challenges, transforming complex data into actionable recommendations. With extensive experience in European Commission-funded projects and strong connections to European civil society networks, White Research delivers impactful and widely disseminated insights.

With its Bioeconomy profile area, the University of Hohenheim is an international leader in research and teaching. In interdisciplinary cooperation between the three Hohenheim faculties, innovative solutions for a sustainable economy are being researched. Under the direction of Professor Andreas Pyka, the Chair of Innovation Economics analyzes not only the processes of change at all levels of the economy, but also the opportunities and risks resulting from these processes. The focus here is on the changes triggered by innovations and how these can be driven and controlled in a dedicated manner.

CIRCE is a Spanish Technology Center specialized in developing innovative solutions for sustainable development, with expertise in circular bioeconomy/raw materials, residues and waste streams valorisation and significant experience in stakeholder mobilisation and capacity building interventions. In RIBES, CIRCE will develop a Multi-criteria Decision-Making Approach for integrating biomass supply, production activities and circular economy-based value chains. Also, CIRCE will contribute to environmental, social sustainability assessment and provide resulting techno-economic insights for the development of circular innovative business models.

Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS PC is an innovation and management consulting company, established in 2000, that focuses its activities on: (i) the design, management and implementation of European research, innovation and support actions in various sectors such as Bioeconomy, Renewable Energy, Agriculture, Environment, Digitalization, Health, etc. with participation in more than 60 EU-funded projects and studies.; (ii) the provision of business and innovation support services to private and public organisations operating in several industrial and market sectors (agri-food, bio-based industries, etc.) along with their related vertical and horizontal networks and value chains; and (iii) the development, implementation and auditing of Management Systems in compliance with standards and regulations.

The Agricultural University – Plovdiv was established in 1945. It has strengthened its positions as a national center of agricultural science and education in Bulgaria. Occupies leading positions in Crop Science, Animal Breeding and Husbandry and Plant Protection in Bulgaria, according to the Rating System of the Higher Education Institutions. The AU-Plovdiv provides training for three academic degrees – Bachelor, Master and PhD. 

The Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA) is a non-profit organisation, which aims to inspire people to recognise the value and connection between our natural and cultural heritage, and to work towards a just and sustainable future through research, working with communities, the exchange of ideas and knowledge, and networking in the Mediterranean and beyond. 

Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar is a state-owned institution whose main activities include the implementation of scientific research in the energy sector and provision of professional support and advisory services to public authorities and stakeholders in Croatia and internationally. The Institute is committed to fostering change by conducting the most current scientific research and providing the know-how and high-quality services and support to stakeholders in the field of energy transition. The Institute is active in the field of bioeconomy through past and present projects such as BIOEASTUp, CELEBIO, BOOST4BIOEAST and others.

SPRING, the Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster, was created in 2014 and today it has over 160 members, representing all the stakeholders active in the circular bioeconomy value chains. SPRING seeks to encourage sustainable innovation and acts as a springboard for development and systemic growth based on the bioeconomy. SPRING fosters the creation of a strong, cohesive and representative community, represents its interests to regional, national, European and international institutions and promotes visibility and awareness among the general and specialist public.

The Balkan Rural Development Network (BRDN) is a regional network, allying the rural development networks of the Western Balkan countries (North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania) and Croatia. Through providing opportunity for regular exchange of information, experience and knowledge, as well as networking and cooperation, BRDN supports the networks to increase their effectiveness in the work with their constituents on national level, but also to enhance their influence in the rural development at regional and EU level. BRDN through its member-networks represents the needs of more than 250 local rural development CSOs in the WB region.

Rzeszow Regional Development Agency is a public body established in 1993 by the self-government of Podkarpackie Region. Our objective is to support the development of the region, to improve the quality and standard of life of its inhabitants, and to advertise and promote the possibilities offered by the region. We conduct various activities aimed at the comprehensive development of Podkarpackie by concentrating and mobilizing the potential of local communities as well as advisory and service activities in the processes of restructuring, opening and supporting economic ventures, promoting the region and acquiring foreign aid funds.

Achieving a competitive education process for the European Union requirements the LBUS will allow the graduates to gain international academic and professional recognition. Positioned in centre Romania, the University promotes multi-disciplinary and unique specializations from theology (the oldest) to medicine, history, laws, natural sciences and engineering. As part of regional community, it is also interested in further developing the partnerships with authorities, business and non-governmental organization for county and regional development. Based on eight values (entrepreneurship, organizational culture, human resource, sustainable education, innovation, excellence research, quality, openness), LBUS looks for becoming a leader institution at the regional and national level including sustainable economy development at the regional level.

The Faculty of Technical Sciences (FTS) is part of the University of Novi Sad (UNS) and is the largest faculty of Serbia, covering all main technical disciplines. It provides higher education in five areas namely: technical sciences and engineering, mathematics and natural sciences, arts and humanities as well as medical sciences. The faculty is organized as a unique complex institution comprising smaller organizational units such as departments, chairs, research centers, registrar offices, etc. for appropriate scientific fields and laboratories. The faculty’s activities are threefold: education, research and applied research.

Bioeconomy Cluster creates an innovation ecosystem for the knowledge and technology transfer between research and industry including relevant policies through mutual cooperation. It is a network of partners operating mainly in the agri-food sector, with horizontal focus on bioeconomy and bio-based solutions and it is one of the bioeconomy pioneers in Slovakia.

Founded in 2009 in Uzhhorod city at the Western border of Ukraine with the purpose to maintain and develop further the legacy of the Swiss-Ukrainian Forest Development project in Zakarpattya FORZA. Working with the topics of sustainable forest management, close to nature silviculture, participatory forest management planning and community development planning, local economic development, sustainable tourism, NGO FORZA founding team added up topics of climate change adaptation and mitigation at local level, forest pedagogics, sustainable urban mobility, urban forestry, circular economy and innovations and digitalization tools in forestry and forest management. The team of NGO FORZA consists of 7 staff members, jointly working on implementation meeting the goals and tasks of the organization.