Month: November 2024

On Wednesday 20 November 2024, GenB project participated in the European Commission’s DG Research & Innovation workshop in Brussels entitled “Bioeconomy education to enable the transition to a competitive, regenerative, and fair (bio)economy. Building the next union of skills in the bioeconomy”.

This event gathered around 100 experts in bioeconomy education to discuss concrete future policy needs on this subject to be addressed in the update of the European Bioeconomy Strategy. Participants included high-level policy makers such as Joanna Drake – Deputy Director-General: Planet, People and Science for Policy – Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, Peter Wehrheim – Head of Unit, Bioeconomy & Food Systems – Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, Giuseppe Pellegrino – Policy Officer, Bioeconomy & Food Systems – Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, Ioana Dewandeler, Policy Officer Higher Education – DG Education and Culture of the European Commission and Norbert Lins, Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

In this occasion, our project coordinator Chiara Pocaterra from APRE presented the project’s interim results, providing an overview of the comprehensive tools developed and initiatives implemented to support educators, youth, and stakeholders in general in fostering bioeconomy education and engagement. These resources are tailored to make bioeconomy concepts accessible, engaging, and actionable for pre-university students and broader audiences, through hands-on labs, gamified experiences, engaging educational videos, quizzes and cards, as well as a MOOC in bioeconomy designed for teachers.

Chiara also introduced the outcomes of the recent GenB workshops involving different Ministries of Education organised on 3 September and 5 November,as well as the results from the EU workshop “What’s Next for Bioeconomy Education?”, held on 28 October, which brought together experts, educators, and policymakers to discuss educational and policy recommendations for future pre-university education and communication strategies.

Additionally, our GenB Ambassador Nicholas Ferrini participated in the session dedicated to “Youth and Bioeconomy Education”, together with representatives from the Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors and the Youth Champion of International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy. Nicholas presented specifically the GenB Ambassadors Program through the different activities implemented, such as TEDx pitches, large-scale events and social media campaigns. A huge relevance was given to the capacity building and mentorship activities that GenB Ambassadors received from the project, to be empowered with knowledge, tools and formats and actively take a role in their communities.

Finally, world café breakout groups were organised among the invited experts, allowing focused group discussions on critical topics. Participants divided in the different tables explored questions such as “What role can bioeconomy education play in upskilling the bioeconomy workforce of our society?” and “What policy actions can support these efforts?”. These intimate, collaborative dialogues allowed for a deeper dive into challenges and opportunities, generating targeted insights and actionable recommendations to bridge education, workforce development, and policy support for the bioeconomy at different educational levels.

On November 21st, the European Commission hosted a hybrid meeting to spotlight the progress of two pivotal projects in bioeconomy education: GenB and BioBeo. This collaborative dissemination event marked a significant milestone for both initiatives as they move closer to their goals of fostering youth engagement in the bioeconomy.

During the event, the outcomes of the first 18 months of both GenB and BioBeo were presented, highlighting the project’s milestones, the innovative approaches to involving youth in bioeconomy education and the policy recommendations tailored for Ministries of Education, emphasizing the integration of bioeconomy concepts into educational frameworks.

The event brought together policy officers from DG RTD,such as Giuseppe Pellegrino – Policy Officer – Bioeconomy Analysis and Bioeconomy Educationand Adrian Leip – Head of Sector – Bioeconomy European Commission – DG Research & Innovation, Bioeconomy and Food Systems Unit (RTD.B2), together with the GenB/BioBeo project officer Gaelle Le Bouler from the European Research Executive Agency and consortium partners, underscoring the collaborative efforts driving these projects.

As both GenB and BioBeo approach their final stages, this meeting reinforced their joint commitment to shaping a bioeconomy that resonates with and empowers future generations.

The GenB project is pleased to announce the launch of a new collection of educational games focused on bioeconomy. This set of four games, BioHeroes: Let’s Save the Planet!, The Bio Race , Green Chat Quartet, and Escape4Future – Chemistry Meets Circular Bioeconomy , is designed for a young people, from 6 to 19 years old. Each game is targeted to different age groups, but can also be enjoyed by teachers, parents and multipliers. Each game tackles different aspects of bioeconomy, offering an engaging way for players to explore and understand concepts related to sustainability, circular bioeconomy, climate change, biodiversity and environmental impact. These games are available in a downloadable digital format, making them easy to use in various educational settings. Whether in classrooms, libraries, or at home, the digital format ensures that educators, parents, and children can explore bioeconomy concepts anywhere, anytime through fun and play.

Educational approach

The GenB game collection is based on a game-based learning (GBL) approach, an active learning technique that enables students to enhance learning about bioeconomy through games and interactive play. This approach combines learning with entertainment, boosting young participants’ motivation and engagement. This game approach promotes a solid understanding of concepts while nurturing essential skills like collaboration, problem-solving, creativity and strategic thinking. Integrating these games into educational settings creates a lively, collaborative environment, preparing players to tackle real-world challenges.

BioHeroes: Let’s Save the Planet!
Card game introducing young players to careers in bioeconomy. For ages 6 and up

In BioHeroes: Let’s Save the Planet!, children aged six and up learn about various professions within the bioeconomy. In this print to play game, designed for two to six players, participants explore the roles and responsibilities of different bioeconomy professions, including biotechnology researchers, bio-based farmers, transporters, sellers, waste managers, and buyers. Set in a world threatened by imbalance, players must help these professionals complete their tasks to protect the planet. Through this experience, children gain a sense of their own role in the bioeconomy and how their actions can impact the environment. They perform activities in settings such as cities, the countryside, factories, labs, markets, and transport hubs, building empathy and understanding for sustainable practices.

Summary Sheet:

• Educational field/topic: bioeconomy professions and their roles
• Recommended age: 6+ years
• Number of players: 2–6
• Game duration: 10–15 minutes
• Available languages: English, Spanish
• Format: print to play

The Bio Race

Educational board game to raise young people’s awareness of the sustainable and circular bioeconomy. For ages 8 and up

In The Bio Race  (print to play board game), players engage in individual and collaborative activities, quizzes, and interactions aimed at creating new bio-based products from specific biomass found in different environments (city, forest, countryside and seaside) and energy units. As they complete assigned recipes to manufacture the bio-based products, players earn Sustainability Points, enhancing their understanding of sustainable production and circular bioeconomy. The board game can be played in two different versions depending on the age of participants: players can choose to complete four bio-formulas to finish the game (simple version), or they can choose to complete bio-formulas in four different types of environments to finish the game (version pro). Designed for four to six players, the board game delivers scientifically valid content in a simple and engaging way, introducing young people, their teachers and families to essential bioeconomy concepts and processes, exploring the processes related to the production of bio-based products.

Summary Sheet:

• Educational field/topic: biomass, biorefinery, bio-based products, circular economy
• Recommended age: 8+ years
• Number of players: 4–6
• Game duration: approx. 45 mins
• Available languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Slovenian, and Spanish
• Format: print to play

Green Chat Quartet

Educational card game introducing players to biomass and bio-based products. For Ages 13 and up

Green Chat Quartet is an engaging card game for players aged thirteen and up, designed to introduce the concepts of biomass and bio-based products. This quartet game presents cards featuring various types of biomass, their practical applications, and fascinating facts, making it easy and enjoyable for players to learn about sustainable resources. Through this interactive format, young people can explore the potential of bio-based products in a fun and memorable way.

Summary Sheet

• Educational field/topic: biomass, bio-based products
• Recommended age: 13+ years
• Number of players: 2–4
• Game duration:  20–30 minutes
• Available languages: Dutch
• Format: print to play

Escape4Future – Chemistry Meets Circular Bioeconomy

Escape room game challenging students to tackle modern sustainability issues. For Ages 13 and up

Escape4Future – Chemistry Meets Circular Bioeconomy is an immersive escape room experience where students confront one of today’s most pressing challenges: moving away from the linear “make, use, dispose” consumption model that drives issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource scarcity. In this game, designed for high school students (ages 13-18) and supported by facilitators, participants must solve six interconnected puzzles related to green chemistry and circular bioeconomy. Through experiments and interactive activities, students discover pathways to a more sustainable, circular lifestyle.  It can be played with a younger audience providing clues, suggestions or raising questions to facilitate the solution of the enigmas.

Summary Sheet

• Educational field/topic: green chemistry, circular bioeconomy
• Recommended age: 13+ years
• Number of players:  max 15-20 players (ideally 5-10 players)
• Game duration:  30–45 minutes, depending on the suggestions provided by the facilitators
• Available languages: Italian, English
• Format: print to play

Where can these games be used?

These games are designed for flexible use across a wide range of educational settings. They are suitable for formal education environments like classrooms, and study groups, as well as non-formal spaces such as libraries, museums, afterschool projects and educational camps. Additionally, they work well in informal education environments, including family gatherings, large-scale science fairs, and open house events, allowing participants to engage with bioeconomy concepts in diverse, enriching contexts.

User-Centered Design

This game collection was developed using a user-centered design approach, where young individuals from the target audience, along with scientific experts in education, bioeconomy, gaming, and/or design, actively participated in co-creation, evaluation and play sessions. This collaborative process allowed for ongoing adjustments and improvements through multiple iterations, ensuring the final product closely aligns with the educational needs and preferences of users. This approach enhances engagement, usability, and overall effectiveness, making the games more relevant and impactful for the target audience.

Part of the GenB Toolkit

The four new games BioHeroes: Let’s Save the Planet!, The Bio Race , Green Chat Quartet, and Escape4Future – Chemistry Meets Circular Bioeconomy  are included in the GenB Toolkit—a curated collection developed within the GenB project to reach diverse groups, including children, youth, teenagers, teachers, educators and other influencers. This toolkit provides educational resources designed to enhance knowledge and awareness about the bioeconomy sector and fields.

About the GenB Project

GenB empowers and educates the Generation Bioeconomy, fostering awareness, sensitivity, and engagement in environmental issues, sustainability, and circularity, encouraging young voices to lead the transition to more sustainable lifestyles. With this collection of games and additional initiatives, GenB aims to equip new generations to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of a sustainable future as well as equip educators with tailored and ready to use educational material.

For more information about these games and the GenB Toolkit, visit the GenB website. Stay tuned for the development of new materials that will drive the bioeconomy forward. Stay informed and be part of the movement!