BLOOM

BLOOM was an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project that aimed to raise public awareness and interest in the bioeconomy. Through dialogue and co-creation activities, the project developed and strengthened regional networks in order to foster greater understanding about the potential of the bioeconomy. VA (Public & Science) was one of 12 European partners in this three-year project, which ended in December 2020.

The aim of the project was to boost European citizens’ knowledge and awareness of Bio-economy research and innovation. How can we be more environmentally friendly, reduce our use of fossil fuels and reduce waste through the use of innovative bio-based raw materials?

What is bioeconomy? Read more.

The project aimed to stimulate activities and dialogue about the bioeconomy at both a regional and EU level.

The five regional hubs focused on three bioeconomy topics:

VA worked together with JAMK, the University of Applied Sciences, in Jyväskylä in Finland in the Nordic Hub.

The Nordic Hub’s objectives:

Through dialogue with different stakeholders and public engagement activities:

  • Raise awareness and enhance knowledge of the bioeconomy and forest-based materials and products among Finnish and Swedish citizens.
  • Strengthen the Finnish & Swedish bioeconomy community by engaging NGOs, policy makers, business, research and innovation sector, the education sector and civil society organisations.

Project partners:

Zentrum für Soziale Innovation, Austria (Project Coordinator)
Wissenschaftsladen Bonn, Germany
Stichting Wagening Research, the Netherlands
European Schoolnet, Belgium
Medienwerkstatt, Austria
Global Ecovillage Network, Germany
Campus de Excelencia Internacionalen Agroalimentacion, Spain
Copernicus Science Centre, Poland
University of Agriculture Krakow, Poland
University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Ökosoziales Forum Europa, Austria

Further information

If you are interested in learning more about the BLOOM Nordic Hub network, or VA’s work on the bioeconomy, please contact Communications Strategist Lotta Tomasson.

Twitter: @bloom_EU, Facebook: @bloomEU. Or visit the project website.

You can read more about the project in the articles below:

| Av Vetenskap & Allmänhet

Boosting bioeconomy in the Nordics – Bloom Nordic Hub

The goal of the Nordic Hub in the European BLOOM bioeconomy project was to communicate the opportunities and challenges with the bioeconomy, as well as to increase knowledge and demand for forest-based products and materials amongst the public. Several initial meetings were held with research institutes, universities and companies in Finland and Sweden to understand their role in the bioeconomy, the products and services they provide and the challenges they are facing in communicating with society. From this knowledge gain, we set out on an exciting journey into the innovative sector of the forest bioeconomy.

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| Av Vetenskap & Allmänhet

BLOOM brings the Swedish forest to the suburbs of Stockholm

Did you know that the forest can be found in every aspect of your everyday life, from food packaging to the latest fashion? On 12-13 June, VA took the opportunity to bring the forest into the suburbs of Stockholm and to talk about the bioeconomy with visitors at Järvaveckan, a political festival that this year attracted more than 50,000 people.

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| Av Vetenskap & Allmänhet

Getting to grips with the bioeconomy with Swedish stakeholders

What is the bioeconomy? Is it always climate-friendly? Does it mean the sustainable use of natural resources? What are renewable resources and bio-based production? Does the bioeconomy include the circular economy and ecosystem services, or anything else? Two workshops held in December and January in Stockholm brought together a range of people with an interest in this field to discuss ways to increase public interest and knowledge about the bioeconomy.

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| Av Vetenskap & Allmänhet

Does the forest hold the key to the future?

Environmentally friendly and recyclable products made from residues from industrial production processes such as helmets, packaging materials, fabric and translucent wood, may sound like science fiction. But these are some of the new forest-based products that are currently being developed in Sweden and Finland and which, in the future, may replace many of the fossil-based materials we use today. Maybe cellulose is the new plastic?

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| Av Vetenskap & Allmänhet

VA to help the bioeconomy to bloom across Europe

VA is a partner in BLOOM, a new EU-funded project, aimed at raising public awareness and interest in the bioeconomy. Through dialogue and co-creation activities, the project will develop and strengthen regional networks in order to foster greater understanding about the potential of the bioeconomy.

Läs vidare