Advancing Circularity in Rural Bioeconomy via Regional Symbiosis (Rural Symbiosis)

The project “Advancing Circularity in Rural Bioeconomy via Regional Symbiosis (Rural Symbiosis)” addresses one of the key challenges of the circular bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region – the insufficient utilisation of agricultural and forestry by-products and residual resources.

Although these resources have significant potential for the development of new products and business opportunities, small rural enterprises often lack the necessary scale of operations, logistics solutions, and cooperation partners to fully utilise them. Traditional, centralised models of industrial symbiosis and innovation are not always suitable for rural areas, where resources are geographically dispersed and seasonally available. As a result, valuable biological resources often remain underutilised or are regarded as low-value waste.

The project will strengthen the capacity of regional and local institutions to foster cooperation between businesses, research organisations, and solution providers, promoting more efficient use of local resources and the development of a circular economy in rural areas.