Samenvatting

The BBI JU Stakeholder Forum 2017 brought together the bio-based industries community to facilitate discussion on the strategic direction for the BBI JU programme through constructive and open dialogue with stakeholders by encouraging cross-collaboration between them.The inaugural Stakeholder Forum took place in Brussels on 6 and 7 December dedicated to engaging directly in dialogue with BBI JU’s projects and stakeholders. It brought together all of BBI JU ongoing projects who were given an opportunity to present their consortium and details of their project in a dedicated exhibition and in thematic workshops. More than 600 participants took part in the event and the two-day programme provided ample opportunities for networking, including a joint networking event with the European Investment Bank iin the project exhibition area.THE PROGRAMMEBBI JU presented a comprehensive agenda of inspiring keynote speeches, parallel sessions, networking sessions and project exhibition and engaged with stakeholders to discuss how the BBI JU programme can further contribute to the development of bio-based industries across Europe and how to best mobilise society to speed up the transformation to a bio-based economy.On 6 December the BBI JU welcomed its projects in a day dedicated to facilitating an exchange of ideas and providing opportunities to network and find potential areas of common interest and natural synergies. Projects were grouped together thematically and invited to bring up to three representatives to talk about their work in the project. On 7 December the BBI JU welcomed the public to attend a day full of information, to listen to speakers and expert panellists discuss the strategic importance of the bio-based economy andthe BBI JU's key role in implementing this across Europe. Participants attending were drawn from a range of industries and sectors, SMEs, academic and research organisations, local and national government and included policy makers, thought leaders, the EU community, projects and bio-based industries community as a whole.