Building on the idea that an open and informed dialogue on complex topics such as the bioeconomy and engaging with variety of stakeholders and the general public may bring the concept of the bioeconomy closer to the society, the BioSTEP project experimented with different participatory tools including workshops, living labs, and exhibitions. This report describes the lessons learned from BioSTEP’s engagement activities and provides recommendations for future EU research.

Stakeholder involvement and public engagement are key elements of EU policy development, as well as of responsible research and innovation. Consultation with entities affected by policies and with the public at large increases public understanding of scientific research, improves trust, and informs research by providing diverse perspectives - it enables innovations to better align with societal needs.

Report outline

After a brief introduction of the theoretical framework of stakeholder and public engagement in BioSTEP, the first part of this report briefly explains its methodological approach and gives an overview of the participatory instruments applied. It then analyses their effectiveness in terms of organisational issues, engagement aspects and policy impacts. The second part of the report presents five research recommendations and describes in detail their backgrounds and goals as well as their expected impacts.

The lessons learned and the recommendations go beyond the bioeconomy and can be applied to other topics where effective stakeholder consultation and public engagement can improve EU policy development, research and innovation.