New insights into opportunities and challenges of regional governance across ten European regions
The EU-funded RIBES project has published Deliverable D4.1 – Appraisal of governance practices in the circular bioeconomy (CBE) and social innovation in RIBES regions, offering a comprehensive assessment of how regional governance systems currently support the circular bioeconomy.
The deliverable constitutes a key knowledge base for Work Package 4 and directly supports the development of innovative governance toolkits and targeted policy recommendations for participating regions. WP4 focuses on strengthening regional CBE ecosystems, promoting social enterprises, and enhancing participatory decision-making processes.
To this end, Deliverable D4.1 analyses existing governance models, institutional arrangements, and political control mechanisms across the RIBES regions, with particular attention to the links between bioeconomy development and social innovation as drivers of rural transformation.
Mixed-methods approach and SWOT analysis
The study applies a mixed-methods approach, combining a self-assessment of governance quality by RIBES stakeholders with quantitative socio-economic data from EUROSTAT. The findings are synthesised through SWOT matrices, systematically identifying strengths, weaknesses, risks, and development potential for each region.
Key governance dimensions examined include transparency, accountability, participation, and inclusiveness, alongside the strategic orientation of regional bioeconomy policies.
Diverse structures, shared patterns
The results reveal that governance structures across the RIBES regions are highly heterogeneous, while also displaying converging patterns in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Levels of governance maturity vary considerably; however, all regions demonstrate clear potential for further development.
Identified good governance practices include strong institutional cooperation at regional level and access to external support for bioeconomy initiatives. Several regions effectively utilise EU Structural Funds and other support programmes to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Universities and research institutions play a central role in knowledge transfer and in building regional bio-based innovation ecosystems. In addition, some regions have already taken initial steps towards defining a strategic orientation for their regional bioeconomy.
Key governance challenges
At the same time, the analysis highlights significant challenges. Many regions experience fragmented institutional coordination, limited policy coherence, and the absence of integrated bioeconomy strategies with cross-sectoral alignment. Limited citizen participation and weak accountability mechanisms further constrain effective governance.
Additional barriers include regulatory uncertainty, administrative inconsistency, and bureaucratic hurdles, which complicate long-term planning for bioeconomy initiatives by both citizens and businesses. Moreover, systematic risk management related to the bioeconomy transition is often insufficient, with environmental and social risks not adequately addressed.
Future fields of action
Based on these findings, Deliverable D4.1 identifies several priority areas for policy action. These include the development of integrated bioeconomy approaches that connect relevant policy domains, the establishment of targets, indicators, and monitoring systems aligned with the EU Green Deal, and the strengthening of transparency, participation, and accountability in governance processes.
Expanding institutional capacities and strengthening risk governance are also identified as essential conditions for supporting a sustainable and inclusive transition towards the circular bioeconomy.
With Deliverable D4.1, the RIBES project provides a robust evidence base to guide governance improvements and support regional transformation towards circular bioeconomy models across Europe.