BOKU Magazin 4/2023

The former European Union‘s Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Franz Fischler, and the Austrian Minister for Climate
Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, Leonore Gewessler
dimension of bioeconomy transformation,
the session stressed the role of social
networks and their potential for fostering
behaviour change as diversifying
social interactions can lead to new ideas.
The forum concluded with the final session
entitled “Achieving the Transformation”,
examining the current state of the
bioeconomy on a European level, gaining
global insights, and contemplating the
ecological implications of the transformation.
It was fitting that this dynamic
event, marked by a young and enthusiastic
audience, was brought to a close by a
representative of a youth delegation that
attended the EBSF2023. This symbolic
ending not only reflected the energy of
the forum but also underscored EBU’s
unwavering commitment to the future
and the generations to come, emphasising
the role of inter-generational
cooperation in shaping a sustainable
tomorrow.
TOWARDS A BIGGER ALLIANCE
The EBSF2023 marked a defining moment
in the journey toward a sustainable
bioeconomy and for the future of
the EBU Alliance. Indeed, in addition to
the successful forum sessions, the networking
opportunities offered and the
cooperations forged during the forum,
the European Bioeconomy University
network has grown larger. Founded in
2019 with six leading universities from
six European countries, two more institutions
joined EBU as core members
– the Warsaw University of Life Sciences
(SGGW) and the Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences (SLU) – strengthening
the alliance expertise and broadening
its geographical reach.
NETWORKING AND
COLLABORATIONS
Beyond all expectations, the forum’s
networking opportunities were one of
the highlights of the EBSF2023. The
event turned out to be incredibly lively
and dynamic, emphasising the collaborative
spirit that defines the EBU alliance:
professionals, researchers and youth
came together to share experiences
and expertise, paving the way for future
projects and partnerships.
Additionally, to maximise the opportunities
presented by an in-person event and
reduce the environmental impact, participants
were encouraged to or ganise
private sessions or internal meetings as
side events alongside the forum. Be it a
project partners’ meeting, a board meeting
or a workshop, the EBSF2023 hosted
14 side events. Notably among these,
Youth Workshops led by IFSA and IAAS,
the Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors’
Summer Camp, BIObec‘s project partner
meeting, as well as meetings of the EBU
President Board and EBU Coordination
Group, were held as part of the forum,
increasing the impact of the event.
One objective of the EBSF2023 was to
bring junior and senior researchers from
all EBU partners together to exchange
project and research experiences and
establish connections for future European
research collaborations. Therefore,
on the afternoon of the second day, the
Austrian Research Promotion Agency
(FFG) held a seminar to provide insights
on European-funded programme opportunities
for the upcoming years. Furthermore,
EBU members with strong expertise
in proposal development contributed
to the session by sharing “dos and don‘ts”
for successful project proposals. To foster
research endeavours within the EBU
network, research groups from EBU universities
came together during project
development workshops to collaborate
32 BOKU Magazin 4 | 2023