Italy - BBioNets Platform

Italy - Piemonte, Valle d’Aosta & Liguria

A high-level study of specific regional economic, environmental and technical parameters of the Represented Regions

Geographic description of the region

The area that encompasses Piemonte, Valle d’Aosta (VDA), and Liguria regions (Italian FAN reference territory) is in north-west of Italy, and it is bordered by France to the west, Switzerland to the north and facing the Ligurian Sea to the south. The three regions cover an area of 34,064 km², accounting for 11% of the Italian territory (ISTAT, s.d.),with 5.9 million inhabitants, which represent 10% of the Italian population and 1.3% of the EU27 (EUROSTAT, s.d.);and an average population density of 162 hab/km², with a minimum of 38 hab/km² in Valle d’Aosta and 279 hab/km² in Liguria.

This regions under study includes 13 provinces (NUTS 3), that is, Aosta, Torino, Cuneo, Novara, Vercelli, Biella, Verbania Cusio Ossola, Asti, Alessandria, Genova, Savona, Imperia and La Spezia.

There are 1,512 municipalities and, according to the Italian typological classification of rural areas, 12 municipalities are classified as areas “A-Urban poles”; 273 as areas “B-Rural areas with intensive and specialized agriculture”; 702 as areas “C. Intermediate rural areas” and; “525 as areas “D. Rural areas with comprehensive development problems” (RRN, 2020).

The climate of the Italian FAN reference area varies significantly due to diverse geographical features of the territory, which includes mountains, coastal areas, and valleys. In the mountainous areas, such as the regions near the Alps, the climate is alpine with cold winters, heavy snowfall, and cool summers; the temperatures can drop significantly in winter. The lower areas, including the plains around the Po River, experience a more continental climate, with humid summers and cold, foggy winters and precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with a slight increase in the spring and autumn. The coastal areas have mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers; the sea has a moderating effect on temperatures, preventing extreme highs and lows.

Figure 1: Location of Italian FAN (Piemonte, Liguria, Valle d’Aosta) in Europe

Agriculture and forestry sectors in the region

Agricultural sector

In the area that encompasses Piemonte, Valle d’Aosta, and Liguria Regions, according to the last Agricultural Census (2020), there are 65,523 agricultural exploitations which carry out their activity in the 1,026,141.97 hectares of useful agricultural area (UAA), representing the 6% of Italian farms and 8% of Italian UAA (ISTAT, s.d.). Within the Italian FAN reference territory farms represent just under 1% of European agricultural enterprises.

The standard total production average by exploitation in the Italian FAN reference area is 174,120.03 € (Valle D’Aosta 63,293.67; Piemonte 244,818.9, Liguria 73,863.29) (RICA, s.d.).

Regarding the businesses in the agricultural sector, is mainly made up of small and medium small companies (nearly 60%): Small (4,000-25,000 €) 16,444; Medium Small (25,000-50,000 €) 8,550; Medium (50,000-100,000 €) 7,209; Medium Large (100,000-500,000 €) 8,657; Large (>500,000 €) 1,047. A positive fact concerns the presence of owners under 40 years of age, which has been growing also thanks to the RDP policies since 2016 and which in 2022 reached 14% of the total (Piemonte, s.d.).

This accounts for an average establishment size of 15.66 ha, which is above the national average agricultural establishment size that is 11 ha (ISTAT, s.d.). The evolution over the years of useful agricultural area is shown in the Figure 25, where some critical points and a general downward trend can be observed.

Figure 2: Useful agricultural area (ha) in Italian FAN over the years (ISTAT, s.d.)

Land use in the Italian FAN reference area is characterised by an important presence of arable land (43%), followed by permanent meadows and pastures (25%) and woodlands, permanent crops (woody) (8%). It is important to highlight that the FAN area is largely localised in the mountains. (ISTAT, 2023).

Figure 3: Land use in the Italian FAN area 2020 (Census) (ISTAT, 2023).

Table 1 reports detailed indications about agricultural production in the Italian FAN reference area, both in terms of UAA and quantitative production. It is worth highlighting, among other information, the importance of cereals, especially corn; wine grapes (90% of production is under quality certification); hazelnut groves, which is growing as markedly and interesting crop; and olives, especially in the Ligurian region where olive oil production is particularly important.

Table 1: Area and agricultural production in the Italian FAN reference area 2022 (Annuario) (CREA, 2023)

	Total Italian FAN reference area		Piemonte		Valle d’Aosta		Liguria
	UAA (ha)	Harvest (t)	UAA (ha)	Harvest (t)	UAA (ha)	Harvest (t)	UAA (ha)	Harvest (t)
CEREALS
Durum wheat	2,146	6,652	2,146	6,652
Common wheat	76,028	351,494	75,885	351,112	8	30	135	353
Corn	130,751	1,253,517	130,645	1,253,042	6	45	100	430
INDUSTRIALS
Rapeseed	1,278	2,544	1,278	2,544
Sunflower	7,017	14,493	7,017	14,493
Soybeans	18,151	48,069	18,151	48,069
OLIVES
Total olives	17,199	27,977	158	113	1	4	17,040	27,860
GRAPES
Table grapes	219	1,807	217	1,792			2	15
Wine grapes	45,887	329,593	43,536	316,097	450	2,599	1,901	10,897
FRUIT
Kiwi	3,356	56,044	3,332	55,938	1	20	23	86
Apricot	650	8,212	593	7,545	3	20	54	647
Cherry	328	2,665	318	2,610			10	55
Apple	7,264	132,007	7,025	126,210	210	5,500	29	296
Nectarine (nectarine peach)	1,924	29,728	1,919	29,713			5	15
Hazelnut	27,542	30,199	27,516	30,180	1	1	25	18
Pear	1,562	18,101	1,540	17,871	5	85	17	145
Peach	1,477	20,606	1,371	19,818			106	788
VEGETABLES (in the open air)
Artichoke	93	972					93	972
Cauliflower and broccoli	50	1,074	40	774			10	300
Endive (curly and escarole)	42	721	21	418			21	303
Radicchio or chicory	48	882	48	882
Common potato	1,707	31,956	888	24,446	80	1,750	739	5,760
Pepper	125	2,350	119	2,254			6	96
Tomato	323	7,188	194	5,780			129	1,408
Industrial tomato	2,728	135,903	2,728	135,903
VEGETABLES AND FRUIT (in greenhouses)
Strawberry	258	45			18	7	240	38
Lettuce	1,004	322			4	2	1,000	320
Eggplant	330	82			30	27	300	55
Pepper	323	104			23	19	300	85
Tomato	865	881			65	146	800	735
Melon	1	1			1	1
Zucchini	820	242			20	20	800	222
AGRUMES
Orange	14	117					14	117
Clementine	–	–
Lemon	24	262					24	262
Tangerine	8	44					8	44

Livestock sector

According to the 2020 Agricultural Census (ISTAT, 2023), the FAN area has 24,089 livestock farms (36% from the total agricultural exploitations) and represent the 10% of the livestock Italian establishments (ISTAT, 2023): the Balassa index value estimated for the Italian FAN reference area is over 1,65, which indicates a relevant specialisation, particularly in the Piemonte region. Most of these livestock farms produce beef and dairy cattle; however, differences are seen in the three regions of the FAN. – In Val d’Aosta, the focus is on extensive dairy cattle breeding in the mountains to produce high-quality local cheese. Breeding in Piemonte is mainly based on meat production, with a local breed of particular value, the Piemontese; milk production is also important, both on the plains and in the mountains, as well as the pig industry and a niche production of autochthonous sheep with threefold aptitude (the Sambucana sheep). In the Liguria region, on the other hand, breeding is not particularly developed.

Table 2: Farms with animals on 1 December 2020 (census).

	Total FAN area	Piemonte	Valle d’Aosta	Liguria
Total Farms	22.092	17.378	1.425	3.289
Cattle	11.720	9.917	993	810
of which dairy cows	3.446	2.348	833	265
Buffaloes	19	17	0	2
Goats	4.345	3.162	273	910
Sheep	3.168	2.119	177	872
Pigs	1.742	1.484	27	231
Poultry	3.793	2.802	95	896
Beehives	3.892	2.878	231	783
Others	4.744	3.478	147	1.119

Figure 4: Piemontese cattle & Sambucana sheep

Forestry sector

According to the third Italian national forest inventory INFC2015 (Carabinieri & CREA, 2021) the wooded territory of the Italian FAN reference area exceeds 1.5Mha (43%). The wooded area is composed by forests that include the so-called “Tall trees forest” and “Temporarily unstocked areas”, “Plantations for timber and wood production” and “Other wooded land” (short trees forests, sparse forests, scrubland and shrubs). 39.1% of the wooded area is covered with forests of different categories.

Table 3: Extension of forest, other wooded land and total wooded area (ha) (Source: Inventario Nazionale delle Foreste e dei serbatoi di Carbonio 2015 – INFC 2015) (Carabinieri & CREA, 2021).

	Forest (ha)	Other wooded land (ha)	Total wooded area (ha)	Total area (ha)
Piemonte	890,433	84,991	975,424	2,539,983
Valle d’Aosta	99,243	8,733	107,976	326,322
Liguria	343,160	44,084	387,244	542,024
Total FAN area	1,332,836	137,808	1,470,644	3,408,329

Forest areas in Italy often recall mountain and hilly landscapes; nevertheless, forests are distributed over a wide range of altitude classes. As for the FAN territory, the 0-500 m.a.s.l class hosts 34% of the total wooded area, followed by the 500-1000 m.a.s.l. class, with 33%. The other three classes (1000-1500, above 1500 m.a.s.l.) include 21% and 12% of total wooded area, respectively. The forest area at the highest altitudes (>2000 m.a.s.l.) is almost totally found in the Alpine regions and in particular in Valle d’Aosta (62%) above 1500 m.a.s.l. prevails (Carabinieri & CREA, 2021).

Figure 5: Distribution of forest at different altitudes. (Source: Inventario Nazionale delle Foreste e dei serbatoi di Carbonio 2015 – INFC 2015) (Carabinieri & CREA, 2021).

Accessibility to and availability of wood supply are important for the economic value of forests and allow their use for other purposes. However, the presence of wooded areas not accessible or not available for wood supply is normal given the geographical features of Italy. INFC2015 has estimated that approximately 1.4 million hectares of the total wooded area of the FAN are accessible, accounting for 91% of its total. The percentage is higher in Forest (94%) and remarkably lower (66%) in Other wooded land. The main reasons of the unavailability concern economic limitations (wood production is not cost-effective), followed by legal restrictions due to land or resources protection.

In the Italian FAN regions, the forest area consists mainly of pure broadleaved forests, except for Valle d’Aosta where pure coniferous forests are predominant. Tree species richness is a key element of forest biodiversity, from the ecosystem level to the regional and national one. It is a prerequisite for having forests in different environmental conditions, diversified for ecology and more suitable for the provision of ecosystem services, relevant for the human well-being.

Figure 6: Pure and mixed forests of conifers and broadleaves.

Table 4: Detailed information in Italy

Location	Forestry area
Piemonte region	890,433 hectares
Valle d´Aosta region	99,243 hectares
Liguria region	343,160 hectares
Species	Pure broadleaved and coniferous forests

Agroindustry

The food, drink and tobacco industry (FDI) play a key role within the national manufacturing sector. The number of FDI employees in 2022 reaches around 48,000 workers, while sold production value is estimated to be of 3,880M € (CREA, 2023). The FDI includes around 6,000 active businesses, with an average size of 8.3 employees per business, below the national average for the manufacturing industry (10.2 employees/business). The most important industries in the Italian FAN regions are: i) wine processing that counts on a huge number of quality schemes well known at the national level, such as Barolo and Barbaresco; ii) olive oil (in Liguria we can find Taggiasca oil); iii) milk and milk products sector (Fontina and Gorgonzola cheese); iv) cattle beef as well as “Piemontese” breed; v) colonial products processing (coffee and chocolate); vi) and a very spread network of local production as pesto in Liguria.

Figure 7: Distribution of business in the food and drink industry, workers by business and food and drink industry specialised by number of workers (Source: CREA (CREA, 2023)).

Economic Indicators

As already described, the Italian FAN reference area is composed of three regions (NUTS 3), which have different socio-economic, morphological, and structural characteristics. For this chapter, it is considered proper to propose a separate view of the three regions.

Piemonte

Piemonte, found in the northwest of Italy, is one of the most industrially developed and economically significant regions of the country. Known for its rich cultural heritage and robust economic landscape, Piemonte contributes significantly to Italy’s overall economic performance.

In recent years, Piemonte has shown resilient economic performance despite facing various economic challenges. Piemonte’s GDP was approximately 156B€ in 2023. This positions Piemonte as one of the top regions in Italy in terms of economic output, contributing about 8% to the national GDP. Piemonte’s GDP per capita stands at around 36,780 €, higher than the national average of Italy. This shows a relatively high standard of living and economic productivity compared to other Italian regions. Agriculture plays a vital role in Piemonte’s economy, although its contribution to the overall GDP has diminished over the years due to industrial growth. In 2023, the agricultural sector contributed approximately 1.6% to the region’s GDP. Piemonte is renowned for its diverse and high-quality agricultural products, including wines (such as Barolo and Barbaresco), rice, truffles, and several types of fruit and vegetables. Despite the small contribution to GDP, agriculture is still a crucial source of employment in Piemonte, employing about 2.4% of the region’s workforce. This reflects the region’s commitment to keep its agricultural heritage and supporting rural communities.

The bioeconomy is gaining traction in Piemonte. The sector employs approximately 140,000 people, which accounts for about 6.5% of the region’s total employment. This includes jobs in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food production, and bio-based industries. The GVA generated by the bioeconomy in Piemonte is significant. In 2021, it contributed roughly 7B€ to the region’s GVA, highlighting the sector’s role in Piemonte’s economic framework.

Liguria

Liguria is also located in the northwest of Italy and is renowned for its stunning coastal landscapes, historical significance, and substantial economic contributions to Italy. With a strong maritime and port tradition, Liguria plays a crucial role in the country’s trade and logistics sectors.

Liguria’s GDP was approximately 57B€ in 2023. This places the region among the significant contributors to the Italian economy, accounting for about 3% of the national GDP. Liguria’s GDP per capita stands at around 38,280 €, which is slightly above the national average.

Agriculture, while not the dominant sector in Liguria, stays important, particularly for certain high-value products like olive oil and wine. In 2023, the agricultural sector contributed approximately 1.3% to the region’s GDP. Liguria is known for its unique agricultural products, including its famed Pesto sauce made from basil, olive oil, and pine nuts. Agriculture provides employment for about 1.4% of the region’s workforce. Although this percentage is relatively low, it underscores the significance of agriculture in supporting rural economies and preserving the cultural heritage of the region.

The bioeconomy sector in Liguria employs approximately 45,000 people, which accounts for about 4% of the regional total employment. The GVA generated by the bioeconomy in Liguria is notable. In 2021, the bioeconomy contributed roughly 2.5B€ into the region’s GVA, indicating its growing importance in the economic structure.

Valle d’Aosta

Valle d’Aosta is a unique and significant region known for its stunning alpine landscapes and rich cultural heritage. As the smallest and least populous region in Italy, it has a distinctive economic profile characterized by a mix of traditional industries and emerging sectors.

Valle d’Aosta’s economic performance is relatively modest but stable. The region’s GDP was approximately 5.79 B€ in 2023. Valle d’Aosta boasts a high GDP per capita, around 47.040 €, which is significantly above the national average. This shows a high standard of living and economic productivity, making it one of the wealthiest regions in Italy on a per capita basis. Agriculture in Valle d’Aosta plays an essential role in the region’s economy and cultural identity. In 2021, the agricultural sector contributed approximately 2.3% to the region’s GDP. The region is known for its dairy products, such as Fontina cheese, as well as its vineyards producing renowned wines. Agriculture stays a crucial source of employment in Valle d’Aosta, engaging about 3.5% of the region’s workforce. This higher percentage compared to other Italian regions highlights the importance of agriculture in sustaining rural communities and keeping the region’s traditional ways of life.

The bioeconomy sector in Valle d’Aosta employs approximately 7,000 people and the GVA it generates contributed around 500M€ to the region’s GVA, underscoring its importance in the regional economic framework.

Table 5: Economic indicators by region/country (European Union, s.f.).

Region/Country	Population (M hab)	GDP (kM€)	GDP per capita (€)	GVA (M€) Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing	Employment rate (%)	Employment by sector (%) Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
Italian FAN area	6	220	37,37	3		2,2%
Piemonte	4,25	156,33	36,78	2,24	72,2	2,4%
Valle d’Aosta	0,123	5,79	47,07	0,063	77,3	3,5%
Liguria	1,51	57,7	38,3	0,54	72,2	1,4%

Bioeconomy regulatory framework

Italy has developed a comprehensive regulatory framework to support the bioeconomy and the valorisation of biomass at both the national and regional levels. This framework includes a range of policies, strategies, plans, and laws aimed at promoting sustainable economic growth through the efficient use of biological resources.

To further exploit the whole Bioeconomy potential, the Italian Government promoted, at national level, the setup of a National Bioeconomy Strategy in 2017 (BIT) (Government, 2017) and, more recently, its update as “A new Bioeconomy strategy for a sustainable Italy”, BIT II, 2019 (Government, 2019). The BIT II aims to interconnect more efficiently the main economic sectors composing the Italian bioeconomy, namely the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into valuable food, feed, bio-based products, wooden products, and bioenergy, along with the transformation and valorisation of bio-waste streams. Moreover, BIT II aims to a better governance model through increased coordination of Ministries, Regions and autonomous Provinces and the alignment of policies, regulations, R&I funding programs and investments in infrastructures. The overall goal is a 15% increase of the current turnover and jobs of the Italian Bioeconomy by 2030 by implementing priority actions and an R&I agenda, which are accompanied by measures creating and guaranteeing the framework conditions.

Due to the strategic geo-political role of Italy in the Mediterranean basin, BIT II also includes actions to improve sustainable productivity, social cohesion, and greater political stability through the implementation of Bioeconomy in the Mediterranean area, in line with the PRIMA partnership, and the BLUEMED and WESTMED initiatives.

Furthermore, the Bioeconomy Strategy aligns closely with various national and EU strategic plans, regulations, and funding measures, enhancing the implementation of specific bioeconomy initiatives.

The National Energy Strategy (Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, s.d.), published in 2017 includes significant provisions for the development of bioenergy. It encourages the use of biomass for energy production, which is seen as a crucial part of Italy’s transition to a more sustainable energy system. This strategy aligns with EU directives on renewable energy and sustainability. The NECP or National Plan for Energy and Climate (MISE, s.d.) for the period 2021-2030 deals with the target that Italy aims to reach in terms of renewable energy, emissions and energy efficiency. The updates of the “National Energy Strategy” and the “National Plan for Climate and Energy” provide the framework within which the diverse sources of energy will develop in order to achieve the targets on GHG emission reduction and renewable energy share. In addition, Italy has adopted a “National Adaptation Strategy” (Ministero dell’ambiente e della sicurezza energetica, s.d.) and is putting into place the “National Adaptation Plan”. The Bioeconomy can play a significant role in both senses, in terms of providing clean energy sources and ensuring a long-term conservation of natural resources and ecological systems, also through nature-based solutions.

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) focuses on new value chains based on the smart and integral use of agro-waste and specialized crops for industrial uses to be grown on marginal lands, creating the necessary interface for agro-energy and bio-based industries. They provide financial support for sustainable agricultural practices, the development of bio-based industries, and the valorisation of agricultural and forestry residues.

Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster (Cluster SPRING (Anon., s.d.)) is a national cluster that brings together stakeholders from industry, academia, and government to promote the development of the bioeconomy in Italy. It eases collaboration on research projects, technological development, and the commercialization of bio-based products.

It is necessary to emphasize how the Italian Bioeconomy Strategy is part of the implementation process of the National Smart Specialization Strategy 2021-2027 (S3) (territoriale, s.d.). The Smart Specialisation Strategy aims to name priorities for investment in research, development and innovation that complement the resources and productive capacity of territories to build comparative advantage and sustainable growth path in the medium and long term. The S3 is implemented a regional level and aims to boost innovation and competitiveness in the regions by using their strengths in agriculture, food processing, and green chemistry. The strategy supports collaborative projects between universities, research centres, and industries to drive advancements in the bioeconomy sector.

Indeed, at regional level different projects are implemented to take advantage of the specific characteristics of territories. For example, The Piemonte Bioeconomy Technology Platform (Dupont-Inglis, et al., 2021) is a good practice of a regional policy model designed to support bio-based value chains. The platform aims to stimulate circular production ecosystems on a regional scale by leveraging supply chains. In this way, it helps sustainable growth with low environmental impact and lays the foundation for the long-term development of the bioeconomy in the region. Another exemplary initiative at regional level is the BIOFAT project in Liguria (sostenibile, s.d.). This project focuses on cultivating microalgae for producing bio-chemical products. The significance of this project lies in its cultivation of a diverse range of species, which offer significantly higher productivity per hectare compared to traditional green plants. Furthermore, it underscores the potential of bio-based technologies in various industrial sectors, including cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. In addition, agro-energy projects involving the use of agricultural residues as a renewable energy source have been implemented in many regions. Agri-energy is a growing bioeconomy sector on national soil because of its potential in generating income for farmers as well as promoting sustainable practice.

Lastly, in recent year, the National Strategy for the Circular Economy (Italiano, s.d.) and the National Waste Management Programme (Ecologica, s.d.), two reforms envisaged by the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) (MEF, s.d.) and approved in June 2022, outline the programmatic framework for Italy’s ecological transition, identifying the actions, objectives and measures to be pursued. Within the National Strategy, considerable space is also given to more efficient use of natural resources, with specific objectives for water (e.g. to encourage the reuse of treated wastewater and possibly widen the application of reclaimed water to industrial or urban use) and soil (e.g. to promote the rehabilitation of contaminated sites, industrial conversion of reclaimed land and initiatives to reduce soil sealing). The strategy will specifically measure and track the progress of the transition to the circular economy through circularity indicators.

Biomass resource availability

In 2019, the added value of the Bioeconomy was approximately 103B€, 6.4% of the national added value (Intesa San Paolo, Giugno 2022). The agri-food chain represents the most significant activity in all geographical areas, with percentages ranging from 46% in the Central regions to 78% in the Southern regions. In the North-West, where the Italian FAN is located, the agri-food chain accounts for 56%, while in the North-East the percentage is 62%. At the regional level there are notable differences in absolute terms for added value generated: Lombardia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Toscana together represent more than 50% of the overall added value; Piemonte contributes with 7.8%, while Liguria only with 1.9% and Valle d’Aosta with 0.1%. In relative terms (weight of the Bioeconomy on the productive fabric of each territory), however, Umbria is in first place, with an incidence of VA of 9% and with a greater relevance of agriculture and the bio-based fashion system, followed by Trentino-Alto Adige (8.9%), where the weight of the agri-food and wood supply chains emerges. Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta show values below the national average.

Figure 8: Bioeconomy value added by region (billion euros, 2019) Weight of Bioeconomy value added to total regional VA (%, 2019) (Intesa San Paolo, Giugno 2022).

Given the lack of data, several studies produced estimates on the availability of biomass in Italy. For example, the EU H2020 ENABLING project shows a potential availability of approximately 25 Mtonnes/year of agricultural and agro-industrial residues at national level.

Table 6: Economic indicators by region/country (ITABIA, 2020)

	Agricultural (tonnes/year)	Agroindustry (tonnes/year)	Total (tonnes/year)	% Total
North	13,132,966	1,228,249	14,361,215	57.5%
Center	3,316,313	317,929	3,634,242	14.6%
South and Island	5,445,309	15,311,198	6,976,507	27.9%
Total	21,894,588	3,077,376	24,971,964	100%

According the 10^th Report on “La bioeconomia in Europa”, in 2023, the activities connected to the bioeconomy in Italy generated an estimated output of 437.5B€, employing approximately two million people, and accounting for 10% of the total output, 7.6%, considering employment of the total Italian economy, up from the previous three-year period (Intesa San Paolo, 2023).

Figure 9: The evolution of the weight of the Bioeconomy in Italy in terms of value of production (% of total economy) and in terms of employment (% of total economy) (Intesa San Paolo, 2023).

After the significant acceleration in 2022, with the bioeconomy production value reaching 428.3B€ —an 18% increase from 2021 (+65.5B€), partly due to a substantial rise in production prices—growth in 2023 continued but at a slower pace of 2.2%. This outcome reflects the varied performance across different bioeconomy sectors. Employment remained stable, with around 2 million people employed throughout the 2021-2023 period.

Table 7: Italian overview of bioeconomy.

	Value of production (M€)				Weight (%)	Occupation 2022
	2019	2020	2021	2022	%	thousands	%
Total Bioeconomy	338,356	319,604	358,245	415,308	100	1.996	100
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	61,202	60,519	64,671	69,940	17.4	895	44.8
Food, beverage and tobacco	141,904	139,814	150,615	176,900	42.1	485	24.3
Bio-based textiles	9,598	7,695	9,292	10,998	2.7	51	2.5
Bio-based clothing	15,290	12,246	14,625	17,962	4.1	95	4.8
Bio-based tanning and leather goods	16,663	12,513	15,276	18,898	4.8	76	3.8
Wood and wood products	13,348	11,667	15,873	19,104	4.6	91	4.5
Paper and paper products	24,226	22,689	26,006	33,569	7.6	86	4.3
Bio-based chemicals	4,911	3,612	4,547	5,540	1.7	9	0.4
Bio-based pharmaceuticals	14,296	14,034	14,288	16,407	4.1	37	1.9
Bio-based rubber and plastics	1,360	1,163	1,417	1,630	0.4	5	0.3
Bio-based furniture	10,780	9,995	12,489	14,011	3.4	63	3.1
Bioenergy	3,525	2,209	2,818	4,150	0.9	2	0.1
Biofuels	340	292	1,843	ND	ND	ND	0
water cycle	12,499	12,417	14,369	15,375	3.7	50	2.5
biofuels management	8,445	8,471	10,116	10,824	2.5	52	2.6

The most significant contribution to the growth of the bioeconomy in 2023 is that of the agri-food supply chain, which represents approximately 60% of the total value, with an output of approximately 276B€ (of which 195 billion generated by the food, beverage and tobacco industry), closed with an increase in production value of 6.8%, strongly influenced by inflationary dynamics, although less intensely than observed in 2022.

The production value of the agri-food supply chain grew by 18.6%, contributing over 7% to the overall growth of the bioeconomy. Also, in terms of employment, the agrifood is the most relevant sector in the bioeconomy: in 2023, there were 872,000 people employed in the agricultural sector and 492,000 in the food, beverage and tobacco industry, amounted to 44% and 24.9% of the total national, respectively. The development in 2023 confirmed the trend already seen in 2022, reporting a decline in employment in the agriculture, but an increase in the downstream processing sector.

Some estimates show that in Italy the main use of biomass of agricultural and agro-industrial origin (about 78%) occurs in the zootechnical sector as food and/or litter and only a minimal part is applied for bioenergy and/or biomaterial purposes (Gurria, et al., 2020). In particular, for straw the percentage that can be sustainably collected for purposes other than current use is approximately 40% of the total, while for pruning this percentage varies between 45-50%, for grape marc it is approximately 33% of the total product and for citrus pulp it is only 10-15% of the total (ENAMA, 2021).

The Atlante Biomasse (ENEA, s.d.) provides data on the main biomass products at provincial level, with reference to different years for the different types of products.

Totally, the agricultural waste contributes with 2,853,631 tonnes of dry matter in 2022 in the Italian FAN reference area (Liguria, Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta), mainly from Piemonte (Table 8). Among agricultural waste 2,454,853 tonnes of dry matter consist of straw. Regarding wood from forest (2005), with a total of over 319,500 tonnes, there is a more balanced distribution in the three regions considered in absolute terms, even if the contribute of Liguria and Valle d’Aosta is important considering the available surface area. The energy crops have a residual impact on the total, with only 795 tonnes, of which 581 are produced in Piemonte.

Table 8: Agricultural waste (tonnes of dry matter per year; 2002) Wood Forests (t/year;2005) and Energy crops (t/hectare; 2005) per Fan area and NUTS 3.

Biomass	FAN	Imperia	Savona	Genova	La Spezia	Cuneo	Asti	Alessandria	Torino	Vercelli	Novara	Biella	Verbano Cusio Ossola	Aosta
Agricultural waste	2,853,631	41,751	6,966	12,357	5,679	613,221	174,208	479,764	678,436	507,954	291,159	38,351	1,059	2,726
Straw	2,454,853	–	976	15	280	531,121	129,107	431,421	668,476	414,642	245,008	32,702	916	189
Pruning	161,349	34,282	4,529	9,349	3,952	55,408	26,571	18,476	3,934	584	1,117	806	104	2,237
Lawn husks	149,812	–	–	–	–	239	–	10,758	233	91,058	43,477	4,047	–	–
Shells	11,900	3	5	38	–	6,951	3,044	1,476	363	7	–	12	1	–
Grape marc	39,086	250	165	38	602	13,393	14,003	8,582	906	106	368	342	31	300
Pomace	12,133	7,200	1,164	2,895	840	7	7	–	11	–	7	1	1	–
Oil	18,065	–	–	–	–	1,955	1,300	7,552	4,263	1,384	1,171	436	4	–
Seeds	5,835	6	114	22	4	4,073	176	1,006	244	172	11	5	2	–
Pastazzo	24	10	13	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tomato Peel	574	–	–	–	–	74	–	493	6	1	–	–	–	–
Wood Forests	319,568	26,109	32,885	11,473	17,901	12,520	10,547	54,964	13,801	29,205	5,266	29,918	66,587	8,391
Hardwoods	290,610	25,747	32,005	10,902	16,953	12,275	9,340	54,478	13,427	27,880	4,916	24,542	52,341	5,804
Conifers	27,234	362	804	448	820	97	1,096	369	190	1,035	177	5,230	14,120	2,486
Arboriculture	134	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	134	–		–	–
Energy crops	795	–	37.8	61.4	64.2	74.2	55.4	58.6	92.0	78.0	86.6	73.1	63.2	50.7
Arundo	225		10.7	17.4	18.2	21.0	15.7	16.6	26.1	22.2	24.5	20.7	17.9	14.4
Miscanthus	180		8.5	13.9	14.5	16.8	12.5	13.2	20.8	17.6	19.6	16.5	14.3	11.5
Panicum	135		6.4	10.4	10.9	12.6	9.4	9.9	15.6	13.2	14.7	12.4	10.7	8.6
Thistle	73		3.5	5.6	5.9	6.8	5.1	5.4	8.4	7.1	7.9	6.7	5.8	4.6
Sorghum	183		8.7	14.1	14.7	17.0	12.7	13.5	21.1	17.9	19.9	16.8	14.5	11.6

Management and logistics of biomass resources

As regards biogas and biomethane plants, in Italy more than 2,000 biogas plants are operating in Italy (of which 1,700 in the agricultural sector), 80% of which are fuelled by agricultural biomass (livestock effluents, agricultural waste, agro-industrial by-products, energy crops) (Anon., 2021). To produce biomethane, the most used technology is the upgrading of biogas to biomethane (separation of methane from carbon dioxide). Potentially, Italy could produce up to 8.5 billion m³ of biomethane by 2030, equal to approximately 12-13% of the current annual need for natural gas.

83.4% of the total national production of electricity from biogas is provided by the regions of Northern Italy; 34.6% of the total is concentrated in Lombardy, followed by Veneto (15.3%), Emilia-Romagna (14.6%) and Piedmont (12.6%) (Agrillo, et al., 2022).

Figure 10: Number and Power of Biogas Plants Nationwide (No., MW)

At the end of 2020, there were 19 active plants to produce biomethane from the agricultural supply chain. In addition to these, there are the biomethane plants from OFMSW active in Italy (27), for a total of 49 connected plants (Agrillo, et al., 2022).

Moreover, the introduction of sustainability certification for bio-based products could lead to an increase in Italian demand for such certified products, stimulating, in turn, the market uptake of bio-based products, as showed by the STAR-ProBio project (Anon., s.d.).

Bio-products target market

Italy boasts the third-largest bioeconomy in Europe, with an annual turnover of 330 B€ and a workforce of 2 million, making it a vital part of the nation’s economy. The Italian bioeconomy is based on the sectors producing and processing biomass, which is agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and food and bio-based industries. The latter includes the wood processing, pulp paper industries, biorefineries, but also the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, textile and energy industry sectors that use biobased products, and other sectors that exploit municipal wastewater and biowaste, as well as some marine and maritime activities.

The country excels in sectors such as food and biobased products and is actively involved in EU-funded research and innovation projects, particularly within the Horizon 2020 programme (Societal Challenges 2) and the European Public Private Partnership “Biobased industry” (BBI-JU).The Italian Bioeconomy strategy (BIT) (Government, 2017) was approved in 2017, after 2 months of public consultation, and updated in 2019 (BIT II) (Government, 2019), following consultation within different Ministries, the governments of the 21 Italian regions and autonomous provinces, and the public and private stakeholders in the national technology clusters active in the agri-food, biobased industry and blue growth domains. The strategy for the Italian bioeconomy is aimed at increasing both turnover and jobs by 15 % from 2017 to 2030 (R. Piamonte, s.d). in addition, it aims to boost the sustainable valorisation and regeneration of terrestrial and marine biodiversity, ecosystem services and marginal/abandoned lands. Italian national legislative initiatives are intended to guarantee standards of sustainability in order to stimulate the marketing of bio-based products.

Indeed, Italy is a European leader in bio-based industry and has developed a number of innovative proprietary technologies in the chemistry and industrial biotechnology sectors. In addition, a variety of new products was generated now marketed both nationally and internationally (Fava, et al., 2021).
The bio-products target market in Italy encompasses a diverse range of sectors, reflecting the country’s strong bioeconomy. Key target markets and their relative turnover are reported in the Figure 34.

Figure 11: Turnover and employment of bioeconomy in Italy in 2017 (Eurostat data).

In 2019, the European Commission conducted a survey on 15 success stories across Europe, including Italy, focusing on specific products aimed at addressing potential investor concerns in the growing bio-based sector. The report highlights that although the target markets for bio-products are highly diversified, the market itself and the pricing set for these types of products pose a risk factor for companies.
The higher price of bio-based products compared to fossil-based alternatives often presents a significant challenge for market success. Various mitigation strategies have been observed, including efforts to reduce production costs through improvements in technologies, processes, and feedstocks, as well as scaling up production.

In terms of market penetration, bio-based products often face a conservative, skeptical, and well-established market. Successful cases highlight the advantage of having owners or management with prior experience in the sector. This includes partnerships with established players in their go-to-market strategies and focusing on co-developing showcase applications with potential customers. Demonstrating the superior performance of bio-based products compared to fossil-based ones can help offset the price difference.

Another mitigation approach involves finding and targeting market segments less sensitive to price, such as specific applications, customer segments, or product types. To achieve positive market reception, the performance-to-price ratio of the product must be well regarded. Success stories illustrate strategies such as raising general awareness, collaborating with influencers (e.g., bloggers), and investing in certifications documenting the product’s sustainability and its feedstock. Additionally, obtaining documentation and approvals to prove performance aspects plays a crucial role in market acceptance (European Commission, 2019).

The gathered experiences confirm that the bio-based industry market is still in the development phase, presenting limitations and areas for improvement. However, it appears to have the potential for these success stories to spread and become fully integrated into current market economies.

Bio-based industry

The bio-based industry (Government, 2019) is the segment of the bioeconomy that uses renewable biological resources in innovative industrial processes for manufacturing biomass-derived goods/products and services. Hence it concerns industrial sectors, which traditionally use biological resources as their main feedstock or catalysts (forest-base sector, biofuels/bioenergy, biotechnology), and others for which biomass is part of the raw material portfolio (e.g. Chemicals, Plastics, Consumer goods). Thanks to the levels of innovation already achieved through a number of proprietary technologies developed in the chemistry and industrial biotechnology sectors, the investments made, the range of products such as green catalysts and microbes, and the value chains available, Italy is playing a leading role in the bio-based industry. Bio-based plastics and rubber account for about 1.7B€ of turnover and involve 7,000 employees. Biomaterials are gaining attention also for applications as building envelopes and in the construction sector in general. Electricity and heating from biomass and bioenergy in a broad sense (2 B€ of turnover corresponding to 0,6% of the bioeconomy and 2,000 employees, namely 0,1%) are consolidated sectors, together with next-generation biofuels (169 M€). Also, biopharmaceutics (turnover: 15B€, corresponding to 4,6% of bioeconomy and 36,000 employees), biocosmetics and bio-based chemicals (turnover 3 B€ with 7,000 employees) are highly specialized sectors taking part in the bioeconomy. Bio-textiles (turnover of 16,4 B€ accounting for 5% of bioeconomy and 76,000 employees) and bio-based apparel (32,8B€ corresponding to 10% of the bioeconomy and employing 200,000 workers) are crucial segments of the bioeconomy, strongly connected to high value manufacturing productions of the made in Italy. The bio-based industry also embraces production activities aimed at the effective valorisation of biological materials for residential buildings (e.g. vertical indoor agriculture, etc.), bio-waste, urban, agricultural and industrial effluents/wastewater, agriculture and livestock residues, the production of bio-methane, bio-fertilizers, bio-lubricants, and essential amino acids for feed production. Bio-based chemistry is one of the few sectors where Italy is a leading player in a high-tech environment, with large private investments, and important projects underway for the reconversion of industrial sites affected by the crisis into bio-refineries for the production of bio-products and bio-chemicals from renewable sources. Over a billion euro has already been invested in the re-industrialisation of decommissioned or no longer competitive sites of national importance and for the construction and launch of four flagship plants – the first of their kind in the World. Notably, the Italian bio-based industrial sector is characterized by a network of large, medium and small size companies which work together, leveraging on the sustainable production and efficient use of biomass, following a cascading approach to increase the added value of agricultural production with complete respect for the biodiversity of local areas, in collaboration with the agricultural world and creating partnerships with local actors.

Figure 12: Bio-based biorefinery plants, research centres, pilot and demo plants available in the country (Government, 2019)

Among the 13 Italian producers of electricity from solid biomass that have grouped together in the Solid Biomass Energy Association (EBS) two operators are located in the Italian FAN reference area. There are 15 Italian plants producing 250 Mt/year of virgin solid biomass and an allied industry of more than 5,000 direct and indirect employees (Anon., s.d.).

Table 9: Italian producers of electricity from solid biomass (Anon., s.d.).

Region	Society	Plants	MWe	Website
Calabria	Ecosesto S.p.A.	1	15	–
	Biomasse Crotone S.p.A.	1	31	–
Emilia Romagna	Sorgenia Bioenergie	1	27	www.sorgenia.it/biomasse
	Tampieri Energie SRL	2	35.5	www.tampieri.com/
Lazio	Bonollo Energia	1	26.6	www.bonolloenergia.it/
Lombardia	Biomasse Olevano SRL	1	21	www.olevanolomellina.it/
Molise	C&T S.p.A.	1	13.5	www.cetspa.it
Piemonte	C&T S.p.A.	1	13.5	www.cetspa.it
	Idroblins SRL	1	7	www.idroblins.it/
Sardegna	Sardinia Bioenergy SRL	1	13.5	www.sardiniabioenergy.it/
Sicilia	SPER S.p.A.	1	18.7	–
Veneto	CEB SRL	1	6	–
	Zignago Power SRL	2	21	www.zignagopower.com

Figure 13: Solid biomass power plants in Piedmont (Anon., s.d.).

R&D system associated with biomass valorization

The Italian R&D system has a national institutional structure. The responsibilities and decision-making roles are assigned to the Ministry of University and Research flanked by other ministries which handle research in specific sectors, such as Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, etc.

The main public research institutions are:

the universities (67 structures) that deal with higher education and research and are rather uniformly distributed in the regional territories.
the public research bodies (22 institutions) that deal with research and, often, support public institutions like ministries and regions, to implement policies and take technical decisions/choices.

The most known public research institute is the National Research Council (CNR), which counts on several departments and laboratories, found across the country and covering all scientific specializations.

The Council for agricultural research and economics (CREA) is dedicated to agricultural topics, including the implementation of agricultural policies; it is organized in 12 Research Centres and its structures are distributed across the country.

There are also many private research structures, some of which recognised by the Ministry of research and others are part of enterprises.

Regions do not have an autonomous competence on research, but they run under national rules. However, some regions have regional research centres, which are usually specialised on topics of local relevance, including those related to agriculture and forestry.

Two Italian research programs promote the bioeconomy and the valorisation of biomass: the National Research Program 2021 -2027, managed by the Ministry of University and Research (MIUR, s.d.) and the Strategic Plan for Innovation and Research in agriculture, forestry and food 2024-2027 (under revision), managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF, s.d.).

The National Research Program includes a specific section for bioeconomy “Bioindustry for bioeconomy” under the thematic area “Food Products, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, environment”. This section is articulated in other subsection: Multifunctional valorisation of forest production, Circular bioindustry, Recovery and valorisation of waste and end-of-life organic products for soil regeneration and environmental protection, Innovative business models for the modern bioeconomy. The Strategic Plan for Innovation and Research in agriculture, forestry and food includes a thematic area dedicated to bioeconomy, namely, “Sustainable utilization of biological resources and utilization of residues/waste and/or by-products for agricultural, craft, energy and industrial purposes” articulated in three subareas: development and rationalization of biomass and biofuel supply chains with adequate environmental and economic sustainability requirements; development of biorefineries for the production of industrial materials and technical means from agricultural residues and wastes and/or by-products with a view to the adequate remuneration of the agricultural sector; valorisation of residues and wastes and/or by-products for agricultural and artisanal purposes. These programs are the framework for all the initiatives (European, national and regional) of research promotion and funding.

The organization described above implies the possibility for the Italian research institutions to work in all national territory and on all topics; this is the most common behaviour. Certainly, on topics like agriculture, closely connected with pedoclimatic context, the universities and other research bodies tend to specialize on regional or local issues.

Valle D’Aosta, Piemonte and Liguria can count on the following research institutions:

University of Torino,
University of Eastern Piedmont,
University of Gastronomic Sciences,
Polytechnic of Torino,
University of Genova,
Council for agricultural research and economics (CREA) with local structures of its research Centres,
National Research Centre (CNR) with his local institute and department of research,
Experimental Zoo prophylactic Institute.

The University of Torino is organized in Departments focused on different topics; the Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences has a research line named Engineering, ICT and bioenergy with two working groups on biomass valorisation: Green chemistry and valorisation of biomass, wastes and residues and Agri livestock biomass management.

The University of Eastern Piedmont “Amedeo Avogadro” (Italian: Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”; shortened to UNIPMN or UPO) has its structures in Alessandria, Novara and Vercelli, and it is articulated in seven departments: Economics, Law, Letters and Philosophy, Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy and Political Sciences.

The University of Gastronomic Sciences, founded in 2004 by the international non-profit association Slow Food in cooperation with the regions of Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna, is a government-recognized, private non-profit institution. It has more than 150 partner institutions and companies, and it offers training, research and consulting services for its network to find the best circular economy and sustainable solutions.

The Polytechnic University of Turin has been the first Italian Engineering School founded in the wave of the technical and scientific innovation. Recently, it has set up a partnership with the Re-Cord Consortium – research centre specialized in bioeconomy and renewable energy – with the aim to share the best knowledge and expertise in the field of bioeconomy and circular economy. In particular, the collaboration focuses on research, testing and development of thermochemical, chemical, biochemical and biological processes to convert biomass and waste into high-value sustainable products, in line with the goals of the Green Deal and the new Next Generation EU plan. Innovative processes are to be developed and demonstration plants built to multiply the opportunities for large-scale transfer of knowledge and innovations acquired to the industrial world.

The University of Genova, in Liguria, is organized in several departments one of which, the Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences, has a working group on fisheries and aquaculture, with a view to the circular economy.

CREA, being specialised in agricultural topics, has at least four research groups working on biomass valorisation, namely, CREA Cereal and industrial crops, CREA Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, CREA Forestry and wood and CREA Engineering and Agro-Food Processing.

The National Centre of Research (CNR) is composed of several departments and institutes working in different scientific areas of research. Among these, those working on biomass are “Institute of Bioeconomy (Department of Bio Agri-Food Sciences)” and the “Sustainable Economic Growth Research Institute (IRCrES)”.

The Zoo prophylactic Institute is a part a network of similar institutes spread across the national territory. They are coordinated by the Ministry of Health, and they provide epidemiological surveillance, experimental research, staff training, laboratory support and diagnostics in the context of official food control. In recent years, they conducted research on animal-related circular economy issues.

The three regions of the FAN also have some regional research centres:

Institute Agricole Regional,
Foundation for research, innovation and technological development of Piemonte agriculture – AGRION.
Centre for Agricultural Experimentation and Assistance (CeRSAA).
Regional institute for floriculture.
IRES Piemonte.

The Institute Agricole Regional is in Aosta. It is a foundation for education, research and experimentation, but it is committed to study especially local agricultural products. AGRION was set up in 2014 by the Piemonte region and Unioncamere Piemonte. It has four experimental structures in the province of Cuneo and Alessandria and deals with fruit, horticulture, viticulture and coryliculture. With reference to the issue of sustainable production, AGRION has been working on the valorisation of crop residues.

The Centre for Agricultural Experimentation and Assistance (CeRSAA), founded in 1961, is a Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Liguria; its headquarters are in Albenga. of its main mission is to experiment innovative technologies, techniques and products to meet the challenges posed by a constantly evolving and updating agriculture. CeRSAA participates, as a partner or lead partner, in project activities financed at European, national and regional level, some of which deal with the utilisation and treatment of agricultural waste and renewable energy in agriculture.

The Regional institute for floriculture, located in Sanremo, is an instrumental body of the Liguria region whose aim is to favour the economic development and competitiveness of the Ligurian floricultural enterprise system. it does not have specific research and experimentation activities on biomass valorisation.

In Piemonte socio-economic research in support of local government planning took off by initiative of the Provincia di Torino by Ires Piemonte.

Support and financing policies

In terms of bioeconomy-related initiatives and projects, it is worth highlighting the innovation projects supported under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP) (MEF, s.d.) that is part of the Next Generation EU (NGEU) programme, namely the 750B€ package – of which about half is in the form of grants – that the European Union negotiated in response to the pandemic crisis. Mission 2 ‘Green Revolution and Ecological Transition’ allocates a total of 68.6B€ (59.3B€ from the RRF Facility and 9.3B€ from the Fund) with the main goals of improving the sustainability and resilience of the economic system and ensuring a fair and inclusive environmental transition.

Figure 14: Mission 2 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Table 10: Major European R&I projects coordinated by Italy, funded by H2020 (Societal Challenges 2. 3, 5), important for the Bioeconomy (RIAV, s.d.).

PROJECT TITLE	PROJECT ACRONYM	PROJECT SIGNATURE DATE	PARTICIPANT LEGAL NAME	PROJECT INSTRUMENT/ FUNDING SCHEME/TOPIC
Effective Management of Pests and Harmful Alien Species – Integrated Solutions	EMPHASIS	19/02/2015	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO	RIA SFS-03a-2014
Jellyfish Barge – A floating greenhouse	JFB	20/05/2015	PNAT SRL	SME-1
Novel Ozone and Thermal Shock Conservation Process for Vegetables	SCHOCKO3	25/05/2015	FIORDELISI SRL	SME-1
PROVIding smart DElivery of public goods by EU agriculture and forestry	PROVIDE	27/05/2015	ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA	RIA ISIB-01-2014
Flagship demonstration of an integrated biorefinery for dry crops sustainable exploitation towards biobased materials production	FIRST2RUN	10/06/2015	NOVAMONT SPA	BBI-IA-FLAG
Design of an agricultural greenhouse for intensive growing of microalgae in fresh / sea water with a syngas production plant and organic farming of chickens and pigs outdoors	ECO-LOGIC GREEN FARM	22/07/2015	SOCIETÀ AGRICOLA SERENISSIMA S.S.	SME-2
Food treatment process based on high voltage nanopulsed electric discharges in liquid phase	EMILK	20/08/2015	LASERLAM SRL	SME-1
Drone-based integrated monitoring system for early detection of crop pathology and pest control in high tech greenhouse agriculture	GIDROM	26/08/2015	ABO DATA SRL	SME-1
RLTProFood – Remote Lighting Technology for processing and production of food	RLTProFood	02/09/2015	IODA SRL	SME-1
Vegetable ozone therapy for the defence of greenhouse crops	O3MET	15/09/2015	MET s.r.l.	SME-1
COMPostable cap-SULE for instant coffee delivery based on an innovative chemical functionalization of biobased plastics	COMPSULE	28/10/2015	POINT PLASTIC SRL	SME-1
Pest Organisms Threatening Europe	POnTE	29/10/2015	CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE	RIA SFS-03a-2014
Mobile wireless Device microcantilever- based biosensor to identify and measure the aflatoxin B1 in animal food and M1 in the milk-chain	MEDIuM	19/11/2015	INFORMATICA SYSTEM S.R.L.	SME-1
Optimum, sustainable solution for seed drying and conservation	DryCoolerSeeds	25/11/2015	MARCOLD GROUP	SME-1
From plants for plants: enhancing crop potential and resilience through reliable new generation biostimulants	Plants for Plants	04/12/2015	LANDLAB SRL	SME-1
A resource-efficient granulation process for advanced formulation of any compound in food and pharma production	AGS	17/12/2015	POLIBIOTECH SRL	SME-1
Submersible Tension Leg Fish Cage for Mariculture in Unsheltered and Offshore Areas	SubCage	17/12/2015	REFA MED SRL	SME-1
Cost-effective CO2 conversion into chemicals via combination of Capture, Electrochemical and BI-ochemical CONversion technologies	CELBICON	04/02/2016	POLITECNICO DI TORINO	RIA ISIB-06-2015
Linking genetic resources, genomes and phenotypes of Solanaceous crops	G2P-SOL	05/02/2016	ENEA	RIA SFS-07b-2015
Integrated and innovative key actions for mycotoxin management in the food and feed chain	MycoKey	09/02/2016	CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE	RIA SFS-13-2015
A compact, unmanned, renewables- powered and self-sufficient vessel able to pick up marine litter and to treat it on board for volume reduction and energy recovery	Sea Litter Critters	12/02/2016	IRIS SRL	SME-1
Agricolus Decision Support System	Agricolus DSS	15/02/2016	TEAMDEV SRL	SME-1
A sustainable organic solution to the decline of bees	MICRO4BEE	22/02/2016	MICRO4YOU SRL	SME-1
Valorisation of corn processing byproducts into plastic bio-composites	CORNposite	27/02/2016	CORN VALLEY SRL	SME-1
A feasibility study to investigate and verify the commercial and industrial viability of a wastewater processing solution to generate bioplastics from agri-food and municipal wastewater sources	EggPlant	29/02/2016	EGGPLANT SOCIETA A RESPONSABILITA LIMITATA	SME-1
DevelopMent AnD application of integrated technological and management solutions FOR wasteWATER treatment and efficient reuse in agriculture tailored to the needs of Mediterranean African Countries	MADFORWATER	22/04/2016	ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA	RIA SC5 WATER- 5c-2015
de-Fluoridation technologies for imprOving quality of WatEr and agRo-animal products along the East African Rift Valley in the context of aDaptation to climate change	FLOWERED	02/05/2016	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI CAGLIARI	RIA SC5 WATER- 5c-2015
Urban metabolism accounts for building Waste management Innovative Networks and Strategies	URBAN_WINS	03/05/2016	COMUNE DI CREMONA	RIA SC5 WASTE- 6b-2015
Unique radar-drone used for subsurface water detection for precision agricultural irrigation	AGRI-DONE	16/05/2016	ADANT SRL	SME-1
First industrial use of bio and ecocompatible geopolymers produced from metakaolin to manufacture tanks for wine, beer, vinegar and olive oil production and storage via 3D printing technology	GeoFood	21/05/2016	CIBAS DI POLI FABIO & C SAS	SME-1
Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area	4PRIMA	31/05/2016	MINISTERO DELL’ISTRUZIONE, DELL’UNIVERSITÀ E DELLA RICERCA	CSA SC5-12-2016
Scale-up of low-carbon footprint material recovery techniques in existing wastewater treatment plants	SMART-PLANT	01/06/2016	UNIVERSITÀ POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHE	IA WATER 1b-2015
Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas	MERCES	01/06/2016	SZN	RIA SC5-07-2015
Advanced solutions for ensuring the overall authenticity and quality of olive oil	OLEUM	08/07/2016	ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA	RIA SFS-14a-2014
Short supply chain Knowledge and Innovation Network	SKIN	23/09/2016	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI FOGGIA	CSA RUR – 10- 2016
BLUEMED	BLUEMED	27/09/2016	CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE	CSA BG-13-2016
Xylella fastidiosa Active Containment Through a multidisciplinary- Oriented Research Strategy	XF-ACTORS	11/10/2016	CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE	RIA SFS-09-2016
A Revolutionary, Safe and Cost-effective Industrial Process for Gluten Detoxification in Cereals	New Gluten World	16/10/2016	NEW GLUTEN WORLD S.R.L.	SME-2
Application of high power ultrasounds (HPUs) to improve the sustainability in meat TENderize and BRINe processes	TENBRIN	14/11/2016	RI-LAVO SRL	SME-1
A Novel Double Wheel Rake Machine to provide high quality fodder and high operational speed	RA-RAKE	19/11/2016	REPOSSI MACCHINE AGRICOLE SRL	SME-1
Innovative tag system providing affordable time-temperature quality control of individual temperature sensitive products	T-TAG	28/11/2016	SCRIBA NANOTECNOLOGIE SRL	SME-1
RESources from URban BIo waSte	RES URBIS	01/01/2017	UNIVERSITÀ “LA SAPIENZA” DI ROMA	RIA CIRC 05-2016
Antibiotic resistance- free meat and dairy products	ARMeD_free	22/01/2017	SACCO SRL	SME-1
On-field innovative system to detect very low concentrations of aflatoxins in milk	SAFEMILK	31/01/2017	IDP SRL	SME-1
BIOPEN	BIOPEN	27/04/2017	CIAOTECH Srl	JTI-BBI-CSA BBI- 2016-S03
Sustainability Transition Assessment and Research of Bio-based Products	STAR-ProBio	28/04/2017	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA UNITELMA SAPIENZA	RIA BB-01-2016
A novel and integrated approach to increase multiple and combined stress tolerance in plants using tomato as a model	TomRes	28/04/2017	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO	RIA SFS-01-2016
Insect-borne prokaryote-associated diseases in tropical and subtropical perennial crops	TROPICSAFE	28/04/2017	ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA	RIA SFS-11-2016
Detergent free steam cleaning system for modular conveyor belts in the food industry	Steammatic	30/04/2017	REA STEAM CLEANING SRL	SME-1
Automated system for packaging fresh meat with reduced waste/giveaway, processing time, human involvement and contamination	AUTOMEATIC	01/05/2017	GRASSELLI SPA	SME-1
Establishing a Multi- purpose Biorefinery for the Recycling of the organic content of AHP waste in a Circular Economy Domain	EMBRACED	03/05/2017	Fater S.p.A.	JTI-BBI-IA-DEMO
New bio-based food packaging materials with enhanced barrier properties – BioBarrier	BioBarr	05/05/2017	TECNOALIMENTI S.C.P.A.	JTI-BBI-RIA BBI- 2016-R05
Microbial Uptakes for Sustainable management of major bananA pests and diseases	MUSA	10/05/2017	CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE	RIA
Brazil-EU Cooperation for Development of Advanced Lignocellulosic Biofuels	BECOOL	01/06/2017	ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA	RIA SC3 LCE-22- 2016
A Novel Double Wheel Rake Machine to provide high quality fodder and high operational speed	RA-RAKE	28/06/2017	REPOSSI MACCHINE AGRICOLE SRL	SME-2
Solaris energy tobacco for the creation of a European sustainable biojet fuel value chain	SOLARIS	09/08/2017	IDROEDIL SRL	SME-2
Mobilization of a plurality of voices and mutual learning to accelerate the Bio-based sector	BIOVoices	04/10/2017	AGENZIA PER LA PROMOZIONE DELLA RICERCA EUROPEA	CSA BB-05-2017
Enhance New Approaches in BioBased Local Innovation Networks for Growth	ENABLING	05/10/2017	FEDERUNACOMA SRL UNIPERSONALE	CSA RUR-10- 2016-2017
Turning climate-related information into added value for traditional MEDiterranean Grape, Olive and Durum wheat food systems	MED-GOLD	30/10/2017	AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L’ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE	RIA SC5-01-2016- 2017
Engineered microbial factories for CO2 exploitation in an integrated waste treatment platform	ENGICOIN	01/01/2018	IIT FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI technological	RIA NMBP BIOTEC-05-2017
Nite Carbon Nanoclusters, a natural antioxidant for the food industry made from agricultural waste	NCN	05/02/2018	HYDRA SRL	SME-1
Innovative Method for Affordable Generation IN ocean Energy	IMAGINE	01/03/2018	UMBRAGROUP SPA	RIA SC3 LCE-07- 2016-2017
Innovative biomaterials production from wine industry waste	VegeaTextile	03/04/2018	VEGEA SRL	SME-2
Development of Integrated Web-Based Land Decision Support System Aiming Towards the Implementation of Policies for Agriculture and Environment	LANDSUPPORT	13/04/2018	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II	RIA RUR-03-2017
Separation, fractionation and isolation of biologically active natural ubstances from corn oil and other side streams	EXCornsEED	26/04/2018	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA	JTI-BBI-RIA BBI.2017.R4
Breeding for Resilient, Efficient and Sustainable Organic Vegetable production	BRESOV	27/04/2018	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI CATANIA	RIA SFS-07-2016- 2017
Green Aquaculture Intensification in Europe	GAIN	27/04/2018	UNIVERSITÀ CA’ FOSCARI VENEZIA	RIA SFS-32-2017
Virome ngs analysis of pests and pathogens for plant protection	VIROPLANT	27/04/2018	CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE	RIA SFS-17-2017
Advanced sustainable BIOfuels for Aviation	BIO4A	01/05/2018	CONSORZIO PER LA RICERCA E LA DIMOSTRAZIONE SULLE ENERGIE RINNOVABILI	IA SC3 LCE-20- 2016-2017
Development and demonstration of an automated, modular and environmentally friendly multi-functional platform for open sea farm installations of the Blue Growth Industry	The Blue Growth Farm	03/05/2018	RINA CONSULTING SPA	IA BG-04-2017
Novel Products for Construction and Automotive Industries Based on Bio Materials and Natural Fibres	ReInvent	04/05/2018	CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPA	JTI-BBI-IA-DEMO BBI.2017.D5
Project Ô: demonstration of planning and technology tools for a circular, integrated and symbiotic use of water	PROJECT O	08/05/2018	IRIS SRL	IA SC5 – CIRC-02- 2016-2017
Stacking of ecosystem services: mechanisms and interactions for optimal crop protection, pollination enhancement, and productivity	EcoStack	24/07/2018	UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II	RIA SFS-28-2017
Controlling mIcRobiomes CircuLations for bEtter food Systems	CIRCLES	05/10/2018	ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA	IA LCSFS- 03-2018
SaFe and sustaInable soluTions FOR the integRatEd USE of non-conventional water resources in the Mediterranean agricultural sector	FIT4REUSE	2019	Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna (UNIBO)	RIA A PRIMA Project
A novel integrated and sustainable approach to monitor and control Bluetongue in the Mediterranean region	Blue-Med	2019	Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM)	RIA A PRIMA Project
FRUIT CROPS ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN	FREECLIMB	2019	Università degli Studi di Milano – La Statale (UMIL)	RIA A PRIMA Project
Utilization of local genetic diversity to understand and exploit barley adaptation to harsh environments and for pre-breeding	GENDIBAR	2019	Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria – Centro di Genomica e Bioinformatica (CREAGB	RIA A PRIMA Project
IMProving RESilience to Abiotic stresses in durum wheat: enhancing knowledge by genetic, physiological and “omics” approaches and increasing Mediterranean germplasm biodiversity by crop wild relatives-based introgressiomics	IMPRESA	2019	Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali – Università degli Studi della Tuscia (DAFNE)	RIA A PRIMA Project
Developing new strategies to protect strawberry crop in Mediterranean countries	ed-Berry	2019	Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (UNIBO)	RIA A PRIMA Project
Towards a sustainable water use in Mediterranean ricebased agro-ecosystems	MEDWATERICE	2019	Università degli Studi di Milano (UMIL)	RIA A PRIMA Project
Self-sufficient Integrated Multi-Trophic AquaPonic systems for improving food production sustainability and brackish water use and recycling	SIMTAP	2019	University of Pisa (UNIPI)	RIA A PRIMA Project
Strategies for increasing the WATer use efficiency of semi-arid Mediterranean watersheds and agrosilvopastoral systems under climate Change	SWATCH	2019	Dipartimento di Ingegneria civile, ambientale ed architettura, Università di Cagliari (UNICA)	RIA A PRIMA Project
ADAPTING MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE CROPS TO CLIMATE CHANGE-INDUCED MULTIPLE STRESS	EG-ADAPT	2019	Università degli Studi di Torino (UNITO)	RIA A PRIMA Project
Valorisation of thistle- curdled CHEESEs in MEDiterranean marginal areas	VEGGIE-MEDCHEESES	2019	Università Politecnica Delle Marche (UNIVPM)	RIA A PRIMA Project
Increasing grain quality through advanced oxidation treatment during storage	QUALIGRAIN	01/10/2014 (CLOSED)	LA SANFERMESE SpA	SME-1
FREE and open source software tools for WATer resource management	FREEWAT	02/12/2014 (Closed)	SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO S ANNA	CSA WATER- 4a-2014
Automatic Hydraulic Jack with improved capacity, safety and efficiency for agricultural implements	Novel Jack	09/11/2017 (CLOSED)	SIMOL SPA	SME-1
BIOmethane as SUstainable and Renewable Fuel	BIOSURF	1/1/2015 (closed)	ISTITUTO DI STUDI PER L’INTEGRAZIONE DEI SISTEMI (I.S.I.S) – SOCIETÀ COOPERATIVA	CSA SC3 LCE-14- 2014
Increasing Social Awarness and Acceptance of biogas and biomethane	ISAAC	1/1/2016 (closed)	AZZERO CO2 SRL	CSA SC3 LCE-14- 2014
Building Research environments fostering Innovation, Decision making, Governance and Education to support Blue growth	BlueBRIDGE	1/9/2015 (closed)	CNR	RIA Infrastructure di ricerca
Modelling and Imaging Development for precision Agriculture	MIDA	12/05/2017 (CLOSED)	METACORTEX Srl	SME-1
Professional support to the uptake of bioeconomy RD results towards market, further research and policy for a more competitive European bioeconomy	ProBIO	16/02/2015 (CLOSED)	AZIENDA SPECIALE INNOVHUB – STAZIONI SPERIMENTALI PER L’INDUSTRIA	CSA ISIB- 08b-2014
Innovative oxygen- free wine bottling process	RiCaMo	22/06/2016 (CLOSED)	ENTER S.R.L.	SME-2
Smart cuvette and portable Time-Resolved FRET for fast analysis of milk	I-Cuvette	25/11/2017 (CLOSED)	ISS BIOSENSE SRL	SME-1
Managing crOp water Saving with Enterprise Services	MOSES	26/05/2015 (closed)	ESRI ITALIA SPA	IA SC5 WATER- 1a-2014
Fermentation processes for functional foods from RAPeseed, Sunflower and Other EU matrices Devoted to Young animals. Zero-miles model boosting safety and competitiveness of livestock sector	RAPSODY	27/01/2015 (CLOSED)	METHODO CHEMICALS SRL	SME-1
3Bee Hive-Tech	3Bee Hive-Tech	31/01/2018 (CLOSED)	3BEE SRL	SME-1

Regarding the national level, the Italian CAP Strategic Plan aims to turn into value the opportunities that can arise from the ecological and digital transition, enhancing the bioeconomy, circular economy, cascading use of wood products, food waste reduction, and agroecology, including by promoting the digitization of production processes. Specific goals also include initiatives to increase and diversify employment opportunities with a view to sustainability (e.g., sustainable tourism, bioeconomy, green jobs, social agriculture). These initiatives should strengthen agricultural and forestry multifunctionality, enhance rural landscapes of historical interest, and foster the creation of new business and employment opportunities, with specific reference to young people and women.

Moreover, the National Research Plan 2021-2027, plays a key role in the bioeconomy at the national level. In fact, it includes, among the 6 “Major Areas of Research and Innovation,” a specific area related to “Food products, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, environment”.

Finally, in the Regional Smart Specialisation Strategy (territoriale, s.d.) (hereinafter S3), that aimed at identifying R&D&I investment priorities that complement the resources and production capacity of a territory to build comparative advantages and sustainable growth paths in the medium and long term, the following development trajectories are present with reference to:

SR_04 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Green Chemistry S 04_PIEMONTE_01 Biorefineries and non-food biomass conversion plants for the production of chemical products, biofuels, bioplastics.
SR_04 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Green Chemistry S 04_VALLEDAOSTA_01 Bio-processes for biomass pre-treatment and for energy production (biofuel production).
SR_06 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Energy (and environment) S 06_VALLEDAOSTA_01 Applications and systems for distributed generation, cogeneration/trigeneration of energy, especially in the field of biomass and mini- and micro-hydro for the sustainable management of natural resources.
SR_09 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Health S 09_PIEMONTE_08 Pharmaceutical biotechnology.
SR_09 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Health S 09_PIEMONTE_09 Bioinformatics and ICT for health research
SR_09 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Health S 09_PIEMONTE_12 Bioengineering and surgical robotics.
SR_09 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Health S 09_PIEMONTE_13 Advanced biomedical solutions.
SR_11 Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies – Technologies for Living Environments S 11_VALLEDAOSTA_02 Green building, bio-climatic architecture and new materials.

Operational groups characterization

The EU EIP-AGRI project database, published on the website of the EU CAP Network, includes information about 2,892 projects of Operational Groups (OG) funded across Europe by the 2014-2022 Rural Development Programmes (RDP). Data from the CAP National Strategic Plans approved in 2022 shows that over 6,000 OGs should be funded during the current programming period, evidence of the interest that the implementation of these projects raised in the MS.

The analysis of the OGs for Italy is based on data published in the national database for OGs, available in the innovation portal of the Italian rural network (RRN, s.d.), which includes information of all OGs funded during the past programming period (with the exception of the Latium and Molise regions). As to the OGs to be supported in the current programme period, to the 30/06/2024 only the autonomous province of Bolzano has approved one project, while the selection process is ongoing in Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. Data about the new projects will be included, upon communication from regional authorities, in the database available in the innovation portal.

According to the OGs database of Innovarurale, 784 OGs have been funded and implemented during the 2014-2022 programming period (almost 200 more of those initially envisaged), accounting for 258.6 M€. 473 of these projects are closed, while the others will conclude their activities in 2025 at the latest. The OGs are located throughout the national territory (Figure 38), except Valle d’Aosta, which did not implement the OGs measure in the past programming period; this decision is confirmed for the current period. The two regions in red, that is, Latium and Molise, have not communicated the final data in relation to projects approved.

Figure 15: Number of 2014-2022 OGs project per region/autonomous province (RRN, s.d.)

National OGs were not planned in the past programming period, and this decision has been confirmed in the present one. Financial support to OGs was only granted at regional/provincial level, based on the Rural Development Programmes approved in the 19 regions and 2 autonomous provinces. This justifies the differences in terms of number of projects implemented, financial resources distributed to the OG measure and to single projects, as well as the establishment of specific objectives to be achieved or industries to be targeted by OGs. Choices at regional/provincial level also influence implementing procedures, including the composition of partnership (Giarè & Vagnozzi, 2022). Furthermore, Liguria and Piemonte published a call dedicated to the forestry sector.

The proposed innovations regard different issues and sectors (Figure 39). Over 21% of the innovations implemented involve multiple sectors, followed by projects concerning animal husbandry, viticulture, fruit and horticulture.

Figure 16: Percentage of OGs per sector (RRN, s.d.)

Table 11: Budget of 2014-2022 OGs per region/province and average budget per project (RRN, s.d.)

Region	Budget (€)	Average budget per project (€)
Abruzzo	1,811,702	129,407
Basilicata	2,800,000	254,545
Calabria	1,935,285	96,764
Campania	22,278,201	297,043
Emilia-Romagna	48,733,412	208,262
Friuli V. G.	2,265,943	283,243
Lazio	3,400,000	n.a.
Liguria	1,951,116	92,913
Lombardia	19,350,944	450,022
Marche	16,312,516	281,250
Molise	50,000	n.a.
P.A. Bolzano	1,997,116	332,853
P.A. Trento	4,639,252	331,375
Piemonte	14,007,566	451,857
Puglia	22,608,595	471,012
Sardegna	8,944,076	447,204
Sicilia	29,898,408	490,138
Toscana	15,756,869	303,017
Umbria	9,546,622	561,566
Veneto	23,763,598	424,350
Total	252,051,221

As already mentioned above, Valle d’Aosta did not include OGs in its RDP, while Liguria and Piemonte supported, respectively, 21 and 31 OGs. Of these, five OGs projects focus their work on BBTs, two of them are in Piemonte and three in Liguria. These small numbers in these two regions follow the trend identified at national level, where 16 projects working on the development of BBTs have been identified.

Figure 17: Number of 2014-2022 OGs working on BBTs per region/autonomous province (RRN, s.d.)

The analysis of the projects identified, both at national and Italian FAN reference territory level, does not highlight peculiarities of the BBTs-related projects in terms of budget and partnership composition. In Piemonte a substantial difference is identified in the budget of projects selected under the forestry-dedicated calls. The budget of these projects (290,000€) is significantly below the average calculated considering all OGs funded in the region. The same difference has not been found in Liguria, where the budget of forestry projects does not differ from all other OGs.

Analysing materials and document produced by the OGs, it is possible to identify different actors, approaches and strategies to face farming problems using BBT technologies. The work of the project “Powerfood”, funded by the Piemonte RDP, is strongly linked to the renewable energy sector; its scope is to enhance the use of thermal energy from biogas to improve the integrated production of feed and food proteins. Specifically, the objective is to validate protein biomass production technologies (such as algae and insects) by utilizing thermal energy, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and digestate produced by existing anaerobic digestion plants through the establishment of pilot plants in the farms of the region. The project, coordinated by the Monviso Agroenergia Consortium, involves two academic institutions (University of Milan – Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences – Production, Territory, Agroenergy; University of Turin – Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences) and three farms (Azienda Agricola La Gaia s.s.; Azienda Carrera; Società Agricola Maracuja). Powerfood represents a lever to promote circularity in the agricultural sector and enhance the competitiveness of the livestock industry. By removing the barrier of the unsustainable impact of production activities on the territory, this approach paves the way for new investments in the livestock sector. This would facilitate the production of high-quality, sustainable “made in Italy” food and cater to expanding markets.

Bio-based Technologies (BBT) developed by OGs

This section presents in more detail some technological aspects regarding the BBTs developed by OGs in Piemonte and Liguria. All projects considered are concluded.

The biomass used by the identified projects come from the forestry sector (2), the flower production and plant nursery (2) and the breeding sector (1). Biomass residues are used to increase energy efficiency and valorise both farms directly involved in the project and other farms located in the area. One project aims to use biomass residues (bark and ashes) to produce fertilisers with low environmental impact.

In terms of technological maturity, two projects developed technologies corresponding to TRL 9, with an actual system proven in operational environment; one project technology corresponds to TRL7 and the other two to TRL3.

The Italian FAN reference area (Piemonte, Valle d’Aosta, and Liguria Regions) has a particularly interesting context for the development of the bioeconomy: the agribusiness system is complemented by a particularly rich industrial, research and innovation system.

The Italian Bioeconomy Strategy offers a shared vision of the environmental, economic, social and international cooperation opportunities and challenges related to the development of an Italian Bioeconomy rooted in the territory.

In terms of available funding and R&D system associated with biomass valorisation, we have highlighted the different programmes available at different levels (European, national, and regional), both public and private.

Regarding the availability of information, there is an easily and completed accessible database on the OGs in the region, despite the fact that information from OG’s that deal with biobased technologies are limited.

Therefore, considering the geographical, regulatory and technical point of view, and looking at the amount of biomass as well as knowledge available in the region, we can conclude that Italian FAN area that encompasses Piemonte, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta have a green light in terms of BBTs implementation.

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