VTT is a Finnish, state-owned limited liability company. Our strategy is to lead a path of exponential hope with science-based innovation. VTT’s purpose is to bring together people, business, science and technology, to solve the world’s biggest challenges, creating sustainable growth, jobs and well-being. We create systemic and technological breakthroughs that bring fundamental transformation and renewal to industries and societies. We always aim for impact together with our customers. Our ambition is to bring exponential hope to a world that needs to deal with the climate crisis, achieve resource sufficiency, drive industrial renewal, provide safety and security, and enable good life for all. The special duty of VTT as an independent and impartial research centre is to promote the wide-ranging utilisation and commercialisation of research and technology in commerce and society. VTT is a non-profit company. Our business areas are carbon neutral solutions, sustainable products and materials, and digital technologies.

Alchemia-nova is an organisation group based in Vienna, Austria and Thessaloniki, Greece, dedicated to circular economy principles for more than 20 years. The organisation integrates nature-based solutions, biobased industry, circular buildings, and circular business models. They are ultimately seeking to contribute to a transformation of linear production-consumption patterns into closed-loop processes within industries, communities or regions. Thereby, alchemia-nova draws on grassroots and policy-level expertise and experience involving the innovation and implementation of circular solutions within more than 100 projects.

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a mission-driven Research and Technology Organization (RTO) that develops competitive and market-oriented product/service prototypes for public and private stakeholders. With its 600 employees, 75% of whom are researchers or innovation experts from all around the world, LIST is active in the fields of informatics, materials and environment and works across the entire innovation chain: fundamental/applied research, incubation and transfer of technologies. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST is about empowerment:

• We empower European citizens in their choices
• We empower public authorities in their decisions
• We empower businesses in their strategies

VITO’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. We de-risk innovation for businesses and we strengthen the economic and societal fabric of Flanders, with interdisciplinary research and large-scale pilot installations.

Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA) is a regional public-private partnership (PPP) that was created in 2005 as a joint effort of Andalusia regional government and a group of key companies to trigger innovation activities performed by the Andalusian private sector and to connect these activities with academia and society, supporting public bodies’ innovation policy implementation and promoting world-class R&I in a transition region. Currently, CTA is owned by more than 170 companies, 70% of them SMEs, in 7 main European industrial priority sectors: ICT, Aerospace and productive processes, Agrifood, Biotechnology, Building and civil engineering, Energy and Environment, and Leisure and Tourism. CTA’s main activity during these years has been advising, mentoring and funding innovation projects led by companies and with a clear and measurable market application being therefore deeply embedded in the productive system. For the past 13 years, more than 700 projects have been supported with a total investment of some €160 million, having a leverage effect to mobilise additional private investment of ca. 540 M€.

The Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia (CluBE) is a non-profit company established among local actors and stakeholders of the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece. CluBE emerged from the collaboration of regional players, analysing bioenergy and biomass potentials, the core cluster structures and innovative energy systems. CluBE enhances collaboration and regional knowledge by promoting synergies between stakeholders in the fields of bioeconomy and environment. CluBE is also developing R&D and business activities in order to reinforce circular economy and green hydrogen in the region. The members of CluBE (currently more than 40) have successfully completed several European Projects in the field of research and dissemination of knowledge. CluBE has many affiliations in European networks and currently it implements 31 projects amongst its initiatives. CluBE’s areas of expertise regarding proposal writing and implementation are stakeholder engagement, regional replication of local demo sites, communication and dissemination and mobilisation of entrepreneurship

CLIB (Cluster Industrial Biotechnology) is an international open innovation cluster of large companies, SME, investors, academic institutes, and universities, as well as other stakeholders active in bioeconomy. The cluster comprises over 100 members with a share of about 25 % international members. The overall goal of CLIB is to network stakeholders in Germany and beyond and to identify new opportunities for innovation, projects, and business. Through this, the cluster develops cross-sectoral biotechnological solutions for sustainable processes and products. CLIB is a non-profit association, with its members shaping the cluster’s interests and activities. The cluster is involved in several associated programs which cover different aspects of bioeconomy and invites members to become involved. To this end, CLIB organises several events throughout the year: the annual CLIB International Conference (CIC), the CLIB Networking Day (CND), forum events, topic-specific workshops, and dedicated small partnering meetings

The BIOEAST HUB CZ is the first national BIOEAST HUB in the BIOEAST region established in line with the BIOEAST Governance and Roadmap and with the support of BIOEAST NCP and the Ministry of Agriculture CZ to gather stakeholders and support their engagement in bioeconomy. The BIOEAST HUB CZ is the coordinator of two BIOEAST Thematic Working Groups - Fresh Water Based Bioeconomy and Bioeconomy Education established at the macro-regional level. The BIOEAST HUB CZ initiated the establishment of t Network of Bioeconomy Universities in the BIOEAST macro region BIOEAST UniNet. The BIOEAST HUB CZ membership is free of charge. An organization or a single entity can become a member by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation.

ACR+ (the Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource Management) is an international network of cities and regions sharing the aim of promoting a sustainable resource management, through prevention at source, reuse and recycling, and accelerating the transition towards a circular economy on their territories and beyond. Circular economy calling for cooperation between all actors, ACR+ is open to other key players in the field of material resource management such as NGOS, academic institutions, consultancy, or private organisations. The network currently has about 100 members, mainly local and regional authorities as well as national networks of local authorities representing around 1100 municipalities.

Q-PLAN is an innovation and management consulting company based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It focuses on: design, management and implementation of Research and Innovation projects as well as studies; support of private or public organisations of different types and sizes to (re)design, implement, audit and accredit/ certify their management systems and processes; and support services for businesses to make the most out of available funding and financing opportunities. Q-PLAN has been involved in over 55 EU-funded projects and policy studies.