James Gaffey and Tracey O’Connor from the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group participated in the COOPID Bioeconomy Conference on the 31st of May at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, in Brussels, Belgium. As an official #EUGreenWeek 2023 Partner Event, the conference brought together industry experts, policymakers, primary producers, and stakeholders. Other Irish speakers at the event included John Brosnan, Bioeconomy Executive of the Irish Cooperative Organization Society (ICOS) and Dragica Grozdanic, COOPID ambassador for Ireland, and agronomist at Beotanics.

COOPID is an H2020 EU-funded project, coordinated by Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, involving 11 partners from 10 different countries, including the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group at Munster Technological University as the Irish partner. COOPID is dedicated to advancing the bioeconomy in the agri-food sector. This has been pursued through an international, peer-led knowledge exchange strategy involving ambassadors from the primary production sector, to inspire primary producers and stimulate the uptake of inclusive and sustainable bio-based business models in the European primary production sector.

The COOPID Bioeconomy Conference showcased insightful sessions and engaging discussions, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the bioeconomy. “Thanks to COOPID, many primary producers have been successfully engaged in good practices within the bioeconomy through great success stories across Europe.” noted Colombe Warin, COOPID Project Officer.

The conference attracted primary producers, policymakers, agri-food cooperatives, organisations in the sector, EU projects, and industry-academia professionals from organisations such as: COPA-COGECA, DG Agri, CEJA, ENRD, CBE JU, FAO, or European Parliament, among others. Attendees gained exclusive insights, engaged in fruitful debates, established valuable connections, and had access to the project exhibition, providing a comprehensive overview of the COOPID project’s outcomes. “If I had to define what cooperation is to our organisation, it is about joining forces between the private and public sector. Cooperation means co-creating knowledge together.” said Ana Ruiz Sierra, Programme Officer at the CBE-JU.

The COOPID Bioeconomy Conference was organised by Innovarum and coincided with the 2023 EU AgriResearch Conference in Brussels, an event organised by DG Agri (Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission) focused on the engagement with scientists, farmers, rural communities, industry, advisors, policymakers, citizens and NGO representatives.

For more information about the COOPID project and the Bioeconomy Conference:

• Follow COOPID on social media & subscribe to the YouTube channel
• Visit the COOPID webpage and Interactive Platform