Final Regional Platform Meeting in Mazovia: Continuing the Path Toward a Sustainable Bioeconomy

On July 3rd, 2025, the final regional platform meeting of the SCALE-UP project was held in Warsaw, marking the end of a three-year collaborative effort to strengthen regional bioeconomy ecosystems across Europe. The event brought together stakeholders from government, research, business, and civil society to review achievements and plan the future of Mazovia’s bioeconomic development.

Reviewing Progress and Achievements

The meeting began with a summary of key milestones achieved by the Mazovian platform under SCALE-UP, including increased stakeholder engagement, enhanced regional policy coordination, and support for businesses. Participants emphasised how regional collaboration has laid a solid foundation for future progress.

Next Steps and Sustainability Beyond the Project

Discussions then shifted to future activities, including upcoming events, ongoing proposals, and securing funding from future EU programmes. Maintaining the platform's momentum through continued partnership and investment remains a key focus.

Alignment with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy

A presentation on the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy sparked detailed discussions. The strategy emphasises more integrated, circular, and resilient approaches to bioeconomic growth. Its priorities—such as resource efficiency, sustainable food systems, and smart specialisation—are closely aligned with SCALE-UP’s goals and regional ambitions for Mazovia.

Cross-Project Synergies: PRECIOUS and ROSETTA

The event provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge with other significant EU projects, notably:

• PRECIOUS, in which UNIMOS participates, aims to measure and reduce food loss and waste, creating a framework to assess the impacts of interventions across sustainability goals.

• ROSETTA, also involving UNIMOS, focuses on marketing suboptimal food products to reduce waste and enhance supply chain efficiency.

These projects share goals and tools that complement each other, offering great potential for continued collaboration.

Metacluster Development and ECCP Recognition

A major outcome was positioning the Mazovia platform within the SCALE-UP Bioeconomy MetaCluster, a pan-European initiative to unlock the European bioeconomy's potential through collaboration among farmers, researchers, businesses, and policymakers. This ensures the project's lasting legacy by creating a hub for interregional cooperation, connectivity, and shared vision across Europe, supporting the transition to greener and more resilient rural practices. The metacluster’s adaptable framework facilitates cooperation across countries, regions, and sectors, empowering bioeconomy stakeholders to work toward a sustainable future.

Conclusion

Although the regional platform meeting marked the official end of SCALE-UP in Mazovia, it also launched a long-term structure for growth and innovation. Through strategic oversight, new partnership opportunities, and alignment with European priorities, the Mazovia platform—now part of the SCALE-UP metacluster—will continue to be a driving force for sustainable bioeconomic transformation in the region and beyond.