Sustainable Innovations joins BIOSPARK, a new EU project to build the skills for a circular bioeconomy
- Building on the earlier BIObec project, BIOSPARK will establish a network of 27 Bio-Based Education Centres — one in every EU member state — to strengthen bioeconomy skills and specialised training.
- Sustainable Innovations Europe (SIE) will lead the project’s communication, dissemination and exploitation activities throughout its 30-month duration.
Madrid, 6 October 2026. Europe’s transition to an economy built on renewable biological resources will not depend on new technology alone — it will also require professionals trained to design, implement and accelerate that change. This is the goal behind BIOSPARK (Skills Promotion and Awareness for Regenerative Knowledge), a project funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) under the Horizon Europe programme, in which Sustainable Innovations Europe (SIE) will lead the communication, dissemination and exploitation activities.
Coordinated by the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), BIOSPARK brings together 18 organisations from 11 European countries, with a budget of €999,571.25. Over its 30-month duration, the consortium will develop new training programmes, micro-credentials, educational modules and lifelong-learning activities to strengthen the professional skills the circular bioeconomy demands. Its main legacy will be a network of 27 Bio-Based Education Centres (BBECs), one in every EU member state.
These centres will act as spaces for collaboration between universities, research centres, businesses and public authorities, driving specialised training and supporting the transfer of knowledge to the market. BIOSPARK will also help narrow the gap between Europe’s education systems, paying particular attention to countries with less research and innovation capacity, where collaboration between academia and industry remains limited.
In this context, Sustainable Innovations will be responsible for ensuring the project’s results reach those who can turn them into real impact. SIE will design and coordinate the communication, dissemination and exploitation strategy, engaging researchers, education providers, businesses, policymakers and other key players across Europe’s bioeconomy.
TRAINING THE TALENT TO ACCELERATE THE BIOECONOMY
The bioeconomy has become one of the pillars of the European Union’s green transition. Yet growth in the sector remains constrained by a shortage of specialised training programmes and by cooperation between universities, research centres and businesses that is still insufficient. BIOSPARK will tackle this challenge by building a European collaboration network that develops new skills, promotes lifelong learning and brings training closer to industry’s real needs — helping to build a workforce ready to accelerate the transition to a more circular and sustainable economy.
ABOUT BIOSPARK
Coordinated by the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), BIOSPARK brings together 18 organisations from Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, France, Poland, Ireland, Czechia, Belgium and Spain. Building on the legacy of the BIObec project, the consortium will establish a network of 27 Bio-Based Education Centres (BBECs) — one in every EU member state — to promote bioeconomy education, lifelong learning and collaboration.
The project has received €999,571.25 in funding from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), with the support of the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement No. 101291928.
Learn more: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101291928
ABOUT SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS EUROPE (SIE)
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS is a Spanish consultancy providing innovative services to a wide range of sectors across Europe, including bio-based industry, renewable energy and advanced materials.
The capabilities offered by SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS are structured around three main pillars that serve as a bridge between the conception of innovative ideas and the market: Innovation Management, Business Development Services and Training. Our main asset is the highly qualified team of engineers, environmentalists, communicators and business development experts that work with us.
More information at www.sustainableinnovations.eu