The Bioeconomy in Transition Research Group (BiT-RG) is involved in research concerning the emergence of a circular and bio-based economy relying on the use of renewable resources for the production of novel products for various applications. Core areas of investigation pursued at BiT-RG include: economic and sustainability assessments, within the sustainability transition and multi-level perspective framework; innovation studies and social network analysis; policy and regulation analysis through agent-based modelling. Most of these areas of enquiry aims at supporting decision makers in developing innovation strategies, as well as specific strategies to maximize the social impact and minimize the environmental footprint of economic activities and boost the transition to a bio-based circular economy(https://www.bioeconomy-in-transition.eu).
The BiT-RG pursues its objectives through the adoption of a multi and transdisciplinary approach, favouring and promoting the cross-exchange of different types of knowledge (scientific, technical, organizational and practical). BiT-RG is coordinated by Piergiuseppe Morone and involves several researchers from UnitelmaSapienza as well as associated researchers from other universities and research centers (https://www.bioeconomy-in-transition.eu/people/)
The BiT-RG has a strong track record of participation in EU funded projects and has coordinated the H2020 project STAR-ProBio (http://star-probio.eu/), a multidisciplinary and multi-actor collaborative project that has addressed environmental, social and economic challenges, paving the way for a much-needed sustainability transition towards a circular bio-based economy. Here below are the ongoing projects in which the BiT-RG is involved:
SUSTRACK (2022-2025) is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) coordinated by UnitelmaSapienza and funded as part of the Horizon Europe program. The project is aimed at supporting policy makers in their efforts to develop sustainable pathways to replace fossil and carbon-intensive systems with sustainable circular and bio-based systems (at the EU and regional scale), contributing to achieving the European Green Deal’s objectives.
STAR4BBS (2022-2025) is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) funded as part of the Horizon Europe program. It is a three-year multidisciplinary collaborative project involving seven partners, three associated partners and a linked third party. The overall objective of STAR4BBS is to maximize the potential of sustainability
certification systems and labels, to support a successful transition to a sustainable bioeconomy.
BIORECER (2022-2025) is an Innovation Action (IA) funded as part of the HorizonEurope program. It is a three-year project aimed at ensuring the environmental performance and traceability of the biological feedstock used by the bio-based industries, deploying guidelines to strengthen the current certification schemes.
Circular Bricks (2022-2024) is an Erasmus+ project aimed at improving agrifood VET institutes’ teachers’ skills and competencies. The consortium, coordinated byUnitelmaSapienza, is composed of 7 partners: 3 technical partners from Italy and Spain and 4 VET institutes (from Italy, Spain, Greece and Romania) operating in the agri-food sector. The project will develop innovative pedagogical material on circular bioeconomy related topics for VET teachers, keeping a train-the-trainer approach.Specifically, involved teachers will be provided with a thorough and practical approach to circular bioeconomy principles and their implementation in the agri-food sector, as well as with efficient tools for holding effective design thinking sessions and preparing learners to become true agents of change. At the end of the project, both teachers and students will have acquired new green skills and competencies, thus adding “circular bricks” to their know-how.
Now Let’s Go (2022-2024) is a project co-funded by the Italian Ministry for Green Transition. The project goal is to carry out industrial research and experimental development activities aimed at the reuse of processing waste in the production of leather accessories for the creation of new materials with high added value in terms of quality, reliability and technical performance, thus reducing the amount of waste from the leather products industry.
LIFE EBP (2020-2024) addresses environmental problems in municipal biowaste(MBW) management, agriculture and chemical industry by proving feasibleproduction and use of new bio-based products (BPs) obtained from MBW.
UnitelmaSapienza has also a strong track record in conducting and organizingcommunication and dissemination activities to promote the circular bio-based economy, is part of the European Bioeconomy Network (a collaborative network of projects and initiatives to support the growth of the European Bioeconomy) and has established the Bioeconomy Village (a joint initiative aiming at raising public awareness, improving knowledge on bio-based products, and promoting the benefits of the bioeconomy) together with other EU funded projects. Over the last few years, UnitelmaSapienza a]ended and organized several educational events aimed at introducing key circular bioeconomy concepts to young students from high schools and VET institutes. During these events, bio-based products were usually showcased in a practical and engaging way and students were involved in entertaining and informative games.