D5.4 - BBioNets Advisory Board

Deliverable 5.4 1 MUNSTER TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY APRIL 2024 BBioNets Advisory Board DELIVERABLE D5.4 Deliverable 5.4 2 Document information. Document ID D5.4 Title BBioNets Advisory Board Work Package WP5 – Project management – P1 Due Date 30/04/2024 Delivery Date 29/04/2024 Dissemination Level PU-fully open Partner Responsible MTU Main Authors Carmen Girón Domínguez Contributors Dafni Delioglani – FOCUS Ephy Kouzi – FOCUS Ilaria Borri – CREA Patrizia Borsotto – CREA-PB Peer reviewers Project Management Officer Iakovos Delioglanis – FOCUS Coordinator Carmen Girón Domínguez – MTU Document history Version Date Main Modifications Author(s) 0.1 03/04/2024 First revision of document and contribution of Executive Summary and conclusions FOCUS 0.2 12/04/2024 First version of the document for partners to revise All 1.0 29/04/2024 Final version ready for submission MTU Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. © 2024 by BBioNets consortium is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0. 3 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................ 7 2 BBioNets Advisory Board ......................................................................... 9 2.1 Rationale of the Advisory Board ............................................................................... 9 2.2 Organisation and management of the Advisory Board .......................................... 10 2.3 Creation of the Advisory Board ............................................................................... 10 2.3.1 Nomination of experts .............................................................................................. 11 2.3.2 Assessment and selection ......................................................................................... 11 2.3.3 Invitation and engagement ...................................................................................... 12 2.3.4 Acceptance ............................................................................................................... 12 2.4 Advisory Board member’s role ................................................................................ 12 2.5 Advisory Board member’s benefits ......................................................................... 13 3 Terms of membership............................................................................ 14 4 BBioNets AB members ........................................................................... 15 4.1 Advisory Board composition ................................................................................... 15 4.2 Advisory Board member qualifications ................................................................... 17 5 Conclusions ........................................................................................... 21 References .................................................................................................... 22 Appendix I Declaration of Acceptance ........................................................... 23 Appendix II Terms of Reference .................................................................... 24 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 25 BBioNets in a nutshell ..................................................................................................... 25 Project partners .............................................................................................................. 25 Advisory Board members’ expected role and benefits .................................................. 26 Expected role. ................................................................................................................. 26 Expected benefits. .......................................................................................................... 27 Terms of membership and Management ....................................................................... 27 Terms of membership ..................................................................................................... 27 Management ................................................................................................................... 28 Contact point. ................................................................................................................. 28 Appendix III Informed Consent Form ............................................................. 29 Who we are. .................................................................................................................... 29 What do we need from you? .......................................................................................... 29 Why do we need your data & what will we do with them? ........................................... 30 How can you withdraw your consent? ........................................................................... 30 4 List of Figures Figure 1: Minimum number of AB members. ......................................................................................... 9 Figure 2. BBioNets management structure. .......................................................................................... 10 Figure 3. BBioNets Advisory Board creation process. ........................................................................... 11 List of Tables Table 1: Composition of the BBioNets Advisory Board. ........................................................................ 15 5 Table of Abbreviations Abbreviation Description AB Advisory Board BBTs Bio-Based Technologies CZ Czechia D Deliverable EL Greece ES Spain ETRs European Transnational Regions FANs Forest and Agriculture Networks IE Ireland IT Italy MQP Project Management and Quality Plan OGs Operational Groups PC Project Coordinator PGA Project General Assembly PL Poland WP Work Package 6 Executive Summary The BBioNets Advisory Board (AB) will play a key role throughout the duration of the project, complementing the consortium’s efforts by providing strategic guidance on the BBioNets activities, supporting the validation and credibility of the main project outcomes, and increasing their visibility and sustainability. The AB will comprise a diverse pool of professionals from various backgrounds and expertise in the sectors of forestry and agriculture, such as representatives of Operational Groups, cooperative/farmer associations, cooperative/forest associations, and regional authorities. All AB members will function as “project consultants” providing valuable feedback to align project activities and outcomes with the needs of users and stakeholders, as well as “project ambassadors,” helping the promotion and dissemination of the project through their various networks. Drawing upon their extensive networks, they will facilitate collaborations and alliances to ensure BBioNets’ successful implementation. The BBioNets AB is expected to: • Validate the “regional scenarios”, i.e. a list of the most suitable Bio-Based Technologies for each targeted region. • Test the BBTs assessment tool, i.e. an online tool matching the most suitable Bio-Based Technologies to each target region based on technical, environmental, economic, and social aspects. • Suggest relevant Bio-Based Technologies and EIP-AGRI Operational Groups to include in the BBioNets online inventory and knowledge collection. • Recommend the most suitable communication and dissemination channels to enhance the project outreach. • Occasionally participate in BBioNets online meetings. The 4-step process followed for the identification of the experts to be involved in the BBioNets AB is the following: 1. Nominations: each partner identified and proposed experts according to the expertise and profile needed for the project. 2. Assessment and selection: the proposed candidates were assessed, and the most suitable ones were selected. 3. Invitation and engagement: partners formally invited the experts selected by sending them the pertinent administrative documentation from the invitation kit. 4. Acceptance: the experts who accepted the invitation signed the requested documents signed. As a result of the partners’ efforts, the Advisory Board at this early stage of the project is composed of eleven (11) experts who are committed to meet their role as BBioNets AB members. 7 1 Introduction This document is the Advisory Board (AB) report, D5.4, of the BBioNets project, funded through the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe under Grant Agreement No 101133904. BBioNets constitutes a thematic network that relies on, promotes, and further advances the work carried out by EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (OGs) with respect to management and/or processing of agricultural and forest biomass with Bio-Based Technologies (BBTs). Applying the quintuple helix model and a multi-actor approach both within the consortium itself and on the ground activities, BBioNets is currently setting up 6 regional Forest and Agriculture Networks - FANs (IE, ES, IT, EL, PL, CZ) that ensure balanced representation of all AKIS stakeholders. Additionally, BBioNets promotes a second level of multi-actor approach a cross-regional promotion of the interaction amongst FANs, each one acting as a subnetwork of European Transnational Regions (ETRs) 1 , in this case the Atlantic Area (IE, ES), Central Europe (PL, CZ) and the Mediterranean Area (IT, GR, ES). Individual FANs will identify local needs and, through co-creation and joint actions, prioritise specific BBTs, benefit from and validate knowledge material developed by the consortium building on previous EIP-AGRI OGs and EU-funded project results. Moreover, FANs will assist BBioNets in sharing BBT knowledge ready for practice to farmers and foresters, through Educational and Training Material and Knowledge Transfer Activities, boosting the (re)definition of value chains, stimulating crossfertilisation beyond borders, and bringing Europe to the forefront of farming, forestry, and bioeconomy with economically viable and sustainable practices. BBioNets encompasses a multi-disciplinary consortium of 9 partners from 6 different countries, comprising research organisations (MTU, TEAGASC, CREA, IUNG) and intermediaries/ advisors/ multipliers (CTA, TEPRO, FOCUS, AFS, HUB-CR). In this context, BBioNets has set up its Advisory Board (AB), comprising diverse professionals in the forest and agriculture sectors, from different backgrounds, acting as an external group that provides feedback and guidance regarding the applicability and appropriateness of specific BBTs for each region. More specifically, the report on the AB is structured in three sections, as follows: • Section 1: context of the report and its structure. • Section 2: description of the AB, its rationale, organisation, management, how it was created and member’s role and benefits. • Section 3: Terms of membership of the AB. • Section 4: composition of the Advisory Board members. • Section 5: summary of the contents of the deliverable. • Section 6: includes references used in this document and to other AB deliverables applicable to this project consulted for the creation of this deliverable [2-5]. 1 https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/countries-regions/transnational-regions 8 Finally, the Annexes include (i) the Declaration of Acceptance that was completed by the experts who agreed to become a member of the AB, (ii) the Terms of Reference for the AB, as well as (iii) the Consent Form for the handling of the AB personal data. 9 2 BBioNets Advisory Board 2.1 Rationale of the Advisory Board As per the BBioNets main objectives, the creation of an AB was planned to act as a consultation body, which will comprise a number of external to the consortium eminent experts coming from diverse backgrounds (representatives of EIP-AGRI OGs, cooperatives/ associations, regional authorities, research institutions, etc.) to offer a blend of expertise that represents various groups of stakeholders from the fields of bioeconomy, circular economy, agriculture and forestry, business support, green value chains, etc. The type of members within the AB reminds of the triple helix model [1], i.e. representation from three different sectors involved in the development of a socially organised knowledge, in this case multiregional and OG-oriented in the circular bioeconomy and bio-based technologies. In this case, the typology of members agreed at proposal level are as follows: • Operational group representatives. • Cooperative or farmer/forest association. • Regional authority representatives from each European Transnational Region (ETR) covered by the project. The goal, at proposal level, was to gather at least 7 members for the Advisory Board (Figure 1), in other words: • Operational Group representatives (2) • Cooperative/farmer association (1) • Cooperative/forest association (1) • Regional authority representative from each ETR (1) Figure 1: Minimum number of AB members. At the time this report was written, BBioNets was able to recruit 11 members for the Advisory Board: • Operational Group representatives (2) • Cooperative/farmer association (2) • Cooperative/forest association (2) • Regional authority representatives (5: 2 Central Europe ETR, 1 Atlantic ETR, 1 Mediterranean ETR and 1 Atlantic/Mediterranean ETR). In this regard, the next sections present the organisation and management of the Advisory Board, its creation the member’s role and benefits, and the terms of membership. 16 8 Aleksander Bomberski Agricultural Advisory Centre in Brwinów (CDR) Head of the Department of Innovation in Agriculture, National Innovation Broker Poland Gov. Representative (Central Europe ETR) IUNG 9 Paolo Aceto Regione Piemonte Head of Development Services Sector and controls for agriculture Piedmont Region Italy Gov. Representative (Mediterranean ETR) CREA 10 Afroditi Ntomproulou MENIKIO and Dairy up OG Quality Control & Assurance Manager Greece Operational Group AFS 11 James Gaffey Munster Technical University, CircBio research group Co-Director of the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group at Munster Technological University Ireland Operational Group MTU 17 4.2 Advisory Board member qualifications A short profile of each member of the Advisory Board is provided to showcase their expertise and outline their competence in being part of the BBioNets Advisory Board. Robert Borek, Chair at Polish Agroforestry Association Robert Borek is an agronomist and senior researcher at IUNG. For several years he has been involved in interdisciplinary research within the topics of sustainable agriculture, including agroforestry (projects: SustainFARM, AFINET, AGROMIX, REFOREST), bioeconomy development (BioECON, BioEASTsUP), low-carbon farming practices (LCAgri Biostrateg, CARBON FARMING Interreg), organic farming (FOODLEVERS) ecosystem services, provided by agroecosystems (ECOSERV-POL), livestock sustainability (PATHWAYS) and adaptation of agriculture to climate change (a strategic task for Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). He is a member of European and Polish expert groups working on sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, bioeconomy, and agri-environmental assessment of the CAP Rural Development Program. Robert is a founder of the Polish Agroforestry Association and is developing interdisciplinary networks at a national level related to integrated crop, livestock and non-food production. Cynthia Giagnocavo, Cátedra (Chair) of Agriculture, Cooperative Studies and Sustainable Development UAL-Coexphal at University of Almería and Coexphal. Dr Cynthia Giagnocavo, professor in the Faculty of Economics and Business Management at the University of Almería (UAL), Spain and the director of the Cátedra (Chair) of Agriculture, Cooperative Studies, and Sustainable Development UAL-Coexphal. She is President of the Global Board of the International Cooperative Alliance Committee on Cooperative Research, board member of the International Cooperative Alliance European research board, and member of CIRIEC International Scientific Commission Social & Cooperative Economy. Her research focuses on sustainable food and agricultural systems, including transitions to Agri-ecological-technical systems, exploring the intersection of organisational, technical, social, economic, and institutional innovation, with an emphasis on cooperatives, innovative business models and social enterprise. She has led numerous European and international projects on sustainable business models, innovative knowledge systems, entrepreneurship, agri-food supply chains, and the application of innovative technologies and digitalisation processes from a socio-economic perspective. She is also an experienced Barrister, Solicitor and Attorney qualified in Canada (Ontario), England and Wales and New York State. She has worked in both London and Madrid for the global law firm Clifford Chance LLP in structured finance and banking groups, advising leading European and global banks and corporate entities. Before relocating to Europe, she worked in Toronto, Canada at the international law firm of Davies, Ward, Phillips & Vineberg in the areas of corporate, banking and securities law and as legal counsel for the Ontario Clean Water Agency. Sofia Mannelli, CEO at Chimica Verde Bionet Sofia Mannelli has chosen to live on the wild island of Capraia where she is the creator and coordinator of the Capraia Smart Island Project. She has a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Florence. She worked for 10 years at the soil microbiology laboratory of ENEA Casaccia in Rome. For the past 25 years, she has been working on bioenergy and green chemistry. Since 2012, she has been President of Chimica Verde Bionet, the association whose aim is to promote and develop research and industrial application of raw materials of plant origin and the decarbonisation of the economy. She has been Councillor for Green Chemistry and Bioenergy to three Ministers of Agriculture and on one of these occasions she was Coordinator of the working group 'Legislation 18 and Regulatory Simplification' and drafted the internal sector plan for the national bioenergy supply chain table promoted by Ministry of Agriculture. She promotes, organises, and participates in Training Courses and Masters and Conferences on Smart Island, bioenergy, and green chemistry. Alvaro Picardo, Deputy Director for innovation in forest policies at CESEFOR Foundation Álvaro Picardo, forester, born in Madrid (Spain) in 1961, works as Deputy Director for innovation in forest policies at CESEFOR foundation. Previously, Álvaro worked for 38 years as an official of the regional forest administration of Castilla y León. Until December 2023, he was Technical Advisor to the General Direction in Natural Heritage and Forest Policy of the regional government Junta de Castilla y León (Spain). His main activities included participation in the drafting of the Castilla y León Forestry Law and in the main forest policy instruments of the region, such as the Forestry Plan, the Bioenergy Plan, the Forest Resources Mobilization Program, or the Habitat Plan (to promote wood construction and green cities and villages). Álvaro has also developed his activity in the international arena, within the framework of the Standing Forestry Committee of the European Commission, the International Model Forest Network and various forestry cooperation and innovation projects, in collaboration with the CESEFOR foundation, of which he was President between 2015 and 2018. He has taken part in several H2020 projects, like ROSEWOOD and INCREDIBLE, with a large involvement in the promotion of Non Timber Forest Products, like resin, wild mushrooms, pine nuts and others, as well as pastoralism in forests and other wooded land, for the prevention of forest fires. Fighting forest fires and designing prevention activities, through bioeconomy and generation of value, economic activity and employment in rural areas has been a key pillar of my entire professional career, that also included extensive reforestation and the design of forest subsidy lines for reforestation, forest planning and fire prevention. Between 2000 and 2004 he was Head of the Forest Management Service of Junta de Castilla y León and before that date he worked as district forester in charge of public forests management for 12 years, in the provinces of Burgos and León. Álvaro has a Forestry Degree from Polytechnic University of Madrid (1985) and a Master of Sciences degree on Natural Resources from the University of California at Berkeley (1988). María Cristina Cabeza Fernández, Technology advisor and International Projects Manager - Agrofood sector expertise at TRADE (Agencia Pública Empresarial para la Transformación y el Desarrollo Económico de la Junta de Andalucía). María Cristina Cabeza has a degree in Industrial Chemistry, Diploma of Advanced Studies on Chemical Engineering and University Expert in Technology Management and Foresight (University of Seville, Spain). She works as a senior advisor for Agencia Empresarial para la Transformación y el Desarrollo Económico, with her main tasks related to knowledge transfer and promotion, technology internationalisation and financing assessment for R&D projects (regional and national Programmes and European Programmes) as well as innovation support services targeted to Andalusian companies and RTDs in the Agrofood and Bioeconomy areas. As member of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) she has organised and co-organised several International Brokerage events and company missions. At the EEN, she holds the role of Sustainability Work Package co-leader at the Agrofood Sector Group. Furthermore, she has managed the participation of her organisation as partner at Framework Programme projects focused on the bioeconomy and agrifood sector (H2020, FP7, Interreg), such as AGRIFORVALOR, TRAFOON and FoodSME-HOP. Expert evaluator at international calls: Eurostars 3 Programme, IFD Innovation Fund Denmark - "Grand Solutions programme", Cost Action programme and project monitoring at EIC Transition programme. 19 Patrick Barrett, Agricultural Inspector - Bioeconomy, Agriculture Knowledge & Innovation System & Agri-Digitalisation at Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and the Marine (DAFM). Patrick Barret is an Agricultural Inspector with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine with responsibility for bioeconomy as outlined on gov.ie - The Bioeconomy (www.gov.ie). He has responsibility for developing and implementing the national bioeconomy action plan 2023-2025). He is also part of the States Representative Group for the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) (europa.eu), participates in the European Bioeconomy Policy Forum technical group and attends the International Working Group | Sustainable and circular bioeconomy for food systems transformation | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org). He previously was a co-author of the Deploying the bioeconomy in the EU: A framework approach for bioeconomy strategy development: 10 policy recommendations for building national bio economies toward a fair and just climate neutral Europe as part of the Policy Support Facility established by the EU Commission to support the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. Dr. Radek Macháč, Head of Grassland Research Station at Zubří at OSEVA Development and Research Ltd. Dr. Radek Macháč has served as a senior researcher at OSEVA Development and Research Ltd since 2012, leading the Grassland Research Station in Zubří. OSEVA specializes in agricultural, environmental, and renewable energy resource research and consulting. The company undertakes numerous research projects supported by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Education, collaborating with various research institutes, universities, and companies both domestically and internationally. Dr. Radek earned his PhD from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague between 2001 and 2007, following his magister studies at the Agricultural University in Brno from 1989 to 1994. His primary research focuses on grass and grassland, particularly in grass seed crop production. Key areas of interest include herbicide selectivity for grass species, fertilization techniques, plant growth regulator applications, weed, pest, and disease management, as well as adapting grass seed crop establishment methods to climate change conditions. Additionally, his current endeavours involve grass and buckwheat breeding. Aleksander Bomberski, Head of the Department of Innovation in Agriculture, National Innovation Broker at Agricultural Advisory Centre in Brwinów (CDR) Aleksander is a graduate of biotechnology in the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology. He completed postgraduate management studies at the Faculty of Finance and Management of the WSB Merito University in Bydgoszcz. Author of a doctoral thesis in the field of economics and advisory in agribusiness at the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology. A graduate of the Master of Business Administration MBA studies at the Jagiellonian University in Toruń. He is author of national and international research articles and publications in the field of innovation, knowledge transfer, brokerage process and creating multi-actor approach (MAA) project structures in the agri-food industry. Academic lecturer at the Department of Economics at the WSG University in Bydgoszcz. Furthermore, he is head of the Innovation in Agriculture Department at the Agricultural Advisory Centre in Brwinów. Coordinator of several national and international projects implemented under the Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, National Centre for Research and Development and EIP Operational Groups. Acting as the National Innovation Broker, he conducted over 200 training courses, consultations, workshops and conferences for entrepreneurs, scientists, agricultural producers, and advisors throughout the country and abroad. Member of the board of the European Agricultural Advisory Forum (EUFRAS) from 2020. He served as Knowledge and Innovation Officer in the structures of the 20 European Commission as part of the European Innovation Network EIP-AGRI in Brussels. Representative of national advisory entities in expert groups operating at the European Commission. Expert of grant committees at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW. Paolo Aceto, Head of Development Services Sector, and controls for agriculture in Piedmont region at Regione Piemonte Since 2022 Paolo has been the Head of the Agricultural Development and Control Services Office of Regione Piemonte. In the last 15 years he has been involved in regional coordination of services for agricultural development, technical assistance, agricultural demonstration, and dissemination; information and training for farmers and agricultural advisors; agricultural research; innovation transfer; interventions regarding genetically modified organisms. Previously, Paolo also worked at the University of Turin dealing with forage farming and mountain pastoralism. He has a degree in Forestry Science from the University of Turin. He also obtained a PhD from the University of Florence in forage farming and mountain pastoralism with a thesis on the relationships between wildlife, cattle breeding, and pastures. Afroditi Ntomproulou, Quality Control & Assurance Manager at MENIKIO and Dairy up OG Experienced Quality Assurance Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the dairy industry. Strong quality assurance professional graduated from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). MSc Food science and technology. James Gaffey, Co-Director of the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group at Munster Technological University James Gaffey is Co-director and Principal Investigator (PI) of the CircBio Group at Munster Technology University (MTU), formerly Institute of Technology Tralee. James manages a portfolio of research projects spanning biorefineries, sustainability, agriculture, supply chain development and market uptake. These include RIA, DEMO and CSA projects. James co-leads a team of approximately 30 researchers within the CircBio Group and lecture at postgraduate level. He is also an academic collaborator in the SFI BiOrbic Bioeconomy Centre. He has been awarded almost €40 million in total project funding between 2018-2022, including €9 million in funding for MTU. Some of the projects James is involved are: Rural BioReFarmeries (2024-2029) - Coordinator on a forthcoming CBE JU Innovation Action. Green Biorefinery (2023-) - co-PI on a DAFM infrastructure grant to design and develop Ireland’s first integrated green biorefinery and anaerobic digestion demo scale unit in Cork. MainstreamBIO (2022-2025) - PI of the project, an EU-wide initiative working to mainstream small-scale bio-based solutions within primary production sectors. ROBIN (2022-2025) - PI of the project, an EU-wide initiative working with regional assemblies to co-design bioeconomy policy and governance structures. BIO4AFRICA (2021-2025) - co-PI and Work Package Leader, which will implement and test small-scale biorefinery diversification opportunities across 4 African countries. Farm Zero C (2021-2023) - Work Package Leader, working to develop a net zero emissions dairy farm. AgroBridges (2021-2024) - PI and work package leader on the H2020 AgroBridges short food supply chain initiative. COOPID (2021-2023) - PI and work package leader on the H2020 COOPID project supporting bioeconomy knowledge exchange within primary production. Biorefinery Glas (2019-2021) - co-ordinator and PI of the EIP-Agri Operational Group Biorefinery Glas, which is Ireland’s first small-scale biorefinery demonstration project and evaluates a model for farmer diversification into the bioeconomy. 21 5 Conclusions The BBioNets consortium deemed it necessary to create an Advisory Board from the beginning of the project for external experts to provide strategic counsel and support from the early stages of the project activities. The establishment of the AB is crucial for the success of BBioNets. Through their guidance, diverse expertise, and vast networks, advisory board members will be key actors in the implementation of the project and its sustainability after its lifespan. As the project progresses, new members may be added to the AB, bringing fresh perspectives to the project, enriching its networks, and offering new opportunities for collaborations. [2-5] 22 References [1] I. Vaivode, "Triple Helix Model of University–Industry–Government Cooperation in the Context of Uncertainties," Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 213, pp. 1063-1067, 2015/12/01/ 2015, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.526. [2] M. Camprubi, "EHDEN - D7.7 Ethics Advisory Board nomination (Version 1)," Zenodo, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4086084 [3] L. Nathan and K. Dipak, "D2.2 - First Report of the Ethics Advisory Board," Zenodo, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7823082 [4] EU-PolarNet 2 Consortium and J. Jania, "D5.3 Implementation of a PAB incl. terms of reference, mandate and scope of the board," Zenodo, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5113062 [5] M. Morandin, "Industry Advisory Board launch," Zenodo, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5643516 23 Appendix I Declaration of Acceptance Declaration of Acceptance To join the BBioNets Advisory Board (for individuals appointed as members of the BBioNets Advisory Board in their individual capacity) I, the undersigned, ____________________________________ certify that I have read and agree to abide by the BBioNets Advisory Board Terms of Reference. • I pledge that I will participate in the BBioNets Advisory Board in my individual capacity. • I certify that no conflict of interests exists that could be considered as prejudicial to my independence in acting as a member of the BBioNets Advisory Board. • I undertake not to divulge any information given in the context of the work of the Advisory Board, unless the BBioNets consortium agrees to release me from this obligation, and to respect the confidentiality requirements. • I declare to accept entirely and with no reservations my appointment as BBioNets Advisory Board member as described in the Terms of Reference. • I consent that any input or contribution I provide as member of the BBioNets Advisory Board may be used by the BBioNets consortium for reporting purposes or to align the activities to be developed in BBioNets with the needs of final users to ensure that they make the most out of its value propositions. • I consent to the processing of my personal data needed for my participation in the BBioNets Advisory Board. Name and Surname: Place: Date: Signature: 24 Appendix II Terms of Reference Advisory Board Terms of Reference GA number 101133904 25 Introduction You have been invited to the BBioNets Advisory Board following the recommendation of at least one of the BBioNets partners. The current document outlines the Terms of Reference that will help you understand what this involves before you decide to participate. Please take the time to carefully read this document and ask for any clarifications you may require. BBioNets in a nutshell BBioNets is a 3-year Coordination and Support Action running from November 2023 to October 2026, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. In response to the increasing need for grassroots initiatives and knowledge sharing to address major challenges such as climate resilience and increased mitigation of GHG emissions, while supporting zero waste and circular economy with biomass reuse, BBioNets constitutes a thematic network that will rely on, promote, and further advance the work carried out by EIP AGRI Operational Groups (OGs) with respect to management and/or processing of agricultural and forest biomass with Bio-Based Technologies (BBTs), being BBTs those technologies or practices that use either non-food feedstock or circularity principles -or bothfor delivering diverse products. Applying the quintuple helix model and a multi-actor approach both within the consortium itself and on the ground activities, BBioNets will set up 6 regional Forest and Agriculture Networks - FANs (IE, ES, IT, GR, PL, CZ) that will ensure balanced representation of all kinds of stakeholders. Project partners The BBioNets consortium brings together a consortium of 9 partners across 6 different countries: 1. Munster Technological University - MTU (coordinator) (Ireland) is a university based in South-West Ireland, formed in 2021 through the merger of Institute of Technology, Tralee, and Cork Institute of Technology. The main participant on the project is the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group (CircBio) who are a leading national and European research group in the domain of circular bioeconomy, participating on high profile projects and educational initiatives. The multidisciplinary group participate on projects ranging from biorefinery demonstration, supply chain analysis, environmental and economic sustainability analysis, sustainable food systems and many more. They are also involved in education, leading Ireland’s first master’s degree in Bioeconomy, alongside University College Dublin. The research group is also home to the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South-West with a membership of over 50 SME’s working on bioeconomy activity. 2. Teagasc – The Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Ireland) is the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority. It is the national body providing integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry and rural communities in Ireland. 3. Council for Agricultural Research and Economics - CREA (Italy) is the leading Italian research organization dedicated to the agri-food supply chains. It operates as a legal entity under public law, and is supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (Masaf). The Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy Centre develops cognitive and interpretative analysis of economic and social dynamics related to the agrifood, forestry and fish sectors. It carries out surveys on the features and evolution of rural areas and the respective competitive factors. It provides support in the processing of sectorial policies, monitoring their evolution and assessing the effects on the systems. 4. Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – IUNG (Poland) is the largest and oldest research & development centre in Poland, conducting a broad range of research activities comprising crop