The consortium behind the European BIOSTARS project held an in-person meeting last week in L’Aquila (Italy) to make progress on the development of bioeconomy start-up hubs in rural Mediterranean areas.

The meeting, organised by CUEIM, brought together the project partners for two days of work focused on reviewing the progress made to date and coordinating the initiative’s upcoming activities. Representing CTA were innovation consultant Clara Fernández and communications officer Marta González.

During the sessions, the partners discussed the development and official launch of the BIOSTARS Toolbox, a tool designed to support social innovation and entrepreneurship in rural communities. They also reviewed upcoming training activities aimed at public administrations and entrepreneurs, as well as support initiatives for SMEs, start-ups and social enterprises linked to the bioeconomy.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss strategies aimed at maximising the impact of the project’s results across the Mediterranean region, as well as to address future communication initiatives, stakeholder engagement and the development of the BIOSTARS youth platform, which is designed to encourage young people’s involvement in the smart bioeconomy.

The second day included a field trip to the Subequana Valley, where participants were able to learn about local initiatives and conditions relating to sustainable rural development and innovation in the bioeconomy sector.

The BIOSTARS project is co-funded by the Interreg Euro-MED programme and works to promote entrepreneurship, social innovation and the creation of sustainable opportunities in rural areas of the Mediterranean.