BIOEAST 2026 in Zadar: Conference, Partner Meeting and Capacity Building
Circular Change will take part in the BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference 2026, taking place on 22–23 April 2026 at the University of Zadar, Croatia. The conference is organised by the BIOEAST Initiative and the BOOST4BIOEAST consortium, continuing a strong series of annual BIOEAST conferences following Budapest (2024) and Bucharest (2025).
The 2026 edition brings the BIOEAST community to the Adriatic coast to address a timely and critical question: will the national bioeconomy action plans make a difference?
As the BOOST4BIOEAST project enters its final year, the conference will explore how national bioeconomy action plans can bridge the gap between high-level policy frameworks and local stakeholders, and how they can support a more inclusive, place-based transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy.
What to expect from the conference
The BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference 2026 will serve as a platform for exchange and strategic reflection for actors across the BIOEAST region and beyond. Participants can expect:
Policy insights into the status of national bioeconomy action plans and their alignment with the renewed EU Bioeconomy Strategy
Thematic Working Groups discussions focused on research gaps, cross-border cooperation and innovation opportunities
Networking opportunities with ministerial representatives, researchers, practitioners and grassroots innovators from BIOEAST countries and other EU bioeconomy projects
A shared space to reflect on progress made so far and explore new horizons for the BIOEAST Initiative
BOOST4BIOEAST Partner Meeting alongside the conference
In parallel with the conference, a BOOST4BIOEAST Partner Meeting will bringing project partners together ahead of and during the conference days.
The partner meeting will focus on coordination and knowledge exchange in the final year of the project, including:
review and preparation of national bioeconomy action plans,
cross-fertilisation workshops supporting mutual learning across BIOEAST countries,
updates on capacity building and pitching activities,
alignment on next steps and legacy beyond the project lifetime.
The role of Circular Change
Circular Change will contribute to both the partner meeting and the conference as a systemic facilitator and capacity builder, supporting the connection between policy ambitions and on-the-ground realities.
Within BOOST4BIOEAST, Circular Change brings extensive experience in:
translating complex policy frameworks into actionable, inclusive processes,
facilitating cross-sector and cross-country collaboration,
strengthening the role of local and regional actors in bioeconomy transitions.
At the BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference 2026, Circular Change will engage with partners and the wider community to reflect on how national action plans can become effective levers for systemic change — not only as policy documents, but as living frameworks shaped together with those who implement them.