The overarching aim of the Energy Union by 2030 and 2050 is a secure, affordable, competitive, efficient and decarbonised European energy system. Bioenergy is flexible and storable has a key role in providing all forms of energy in such a system. This project aims to support the contributions of biofuel and bioenergy stakeholders to the Energy Union and, more specifically, the Strategic Energy Technology (SET)-Plan. The project will assist the European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP), which, following decisions taken in the frame of the new SET-Plan governance in 2015, is currently preparing for the transition to a European Technology and Innovation Platform Bioenergy (ETIP Bioenergy), in providing these contributions. Key elements are to facilitate • contributions to the SET-Plan activities and strategy, e.g. on renewable energy integration, technology cost reduction and upscaling • defining priorities, strategies, R&I investment decisions and programmes; • collaboration between stakeholders in addressing energy system integration challenges; • identification of technical and non-technical barriers to the delivery of innovation to the energy market; • assistance to the European Commission and Member States in defining the research programmes, financial instruments, and addressing the mentioned barriers for the areas of advanced biofuels and bioenergy. Building on a 10 year track of support to EBTP, the ETIP Bioenergy-SABS project will aim at an increased cohesion of bioenergy stakeholders by motivating discussion and interaction on hot topics related to advanced and innovative bioenergy. Key instruments to achieve this aim will be the ETIP Bioenergy website, factsheets, reports, newsletters and networking events at different scales. The project will compile scientifically sound, fact based information on technical and non-technical bioenergy issues.

ETIP-B-SABS 2 will support and empower renewable fuel and bioenergy stakeholders’ contributions to the Energy Union and, more specifically, the Strategic Energy Technology (SET)-Plan. The European Technology and Innovation Platform Bioenergy aims to actively engage with these stakeholders and link their needs to policy making of the European Commission, and the project´s objective is to support ETIP-Bioenergy in this task. Specific objectives are to facilitate the following activities of ETIP-Bioenergy: • contributions to the SET-Plan activities and to the Strategic R&I Implementation Plans; • collaboration and interaction with other relevant initiatives addressing renewable fuels, decarbonisation of transport, bioenergy and biomass valorisation/ bio-based value chains; • constant provision of scientifically sound, unbiased, up to date information on the status of the renewable fuels and bioenergy sector • engagement with stakeholders as to better understand the actor perspective and the socio-technical aspects of technology development and implementation; with a special focus on support for outreach and engagement of actors in the civil society • assistance to the European Commission and Member States in defining research programmes, financial instruments, while addressing lower TRL research needs as well as advancing close to market technologies.

The level of activities of the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) is not balanced throughout Europe. This is particularly the case in 'moderate/modest innovator' countries according to the European Innovation Scoreboard. This may be the result of insufficient knowledge of the potential for the bio-based industry in these countries, by actors in bio-based activities in these countries as well as by BIC. Additionally, actors in these countries may not be fully aware of the opportunities offered by BIC and the Bio-based Industries Initiative. The Central Europe LEaders in Bioeconomy (CELEBio) project will contribute with fact-based information and networking, which will represent a starting point for further expansion of the Bioeconomy in the relevant geographical area. The main objective of CELEBio is therefore to contribute to strengthening Bioeconomy-related activities in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Slovenia through the elaboration of evidence-based Action Plans for each of the targeted countries, as well as through the dissemination of information on the opportunities offered by BBI. To this end, the CELEBio project team will support the setting-up of a network of BBI info points (BBI Ambassadors). In order to set the grounds for further action in support of the uptake of bio-based technologies and facilitate matchmaking between stakeholders in research and industry, the CELEBio project team will map Bioeconomy stakeholders.