BIOECONOMY GIANTS

The GIANTS project aims to enhance collaboration between primary producers, rural actors, and bio-based industries to accelerate Europe's transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. Through the implementation of a robust multi-actor approach (MAA), the project fosters innovative cooperation models and circular bio-based business practices to maximize the use of agricultural, forestry, and agri-food by-products.  

GIANTS addresses the pressing need to fully integrate primary producers, such as farmers and foresters, into the bioeconomy, shifting their role from being mere biomass suppliers to becoming pivotal stakeholders within the bio-based value chain. The project will engage over 80 primary producers, bringing them closer to innovative cooperative and circular bio-based business models (CCBBMs). To achieve this, GIANTS will offer the community (i) tailored capacity- building programs designed to create wider value networks, (ii) direct financial support via two Open Calls to support the piloting and scaling-up of new bio-based solutions, and (iii) dedicated decision-making tools, including Impact Shift, a well-established environmental self-assessment tool, and Coompy, a tool developed specifically within the GIANTS framework to address governance aspects of these cooperation models.  

Access to the comprehensive program developed by GIANTS, along with its integrated support tools, will empower stakeholders to effectively design and implement long-term CCBBMs. These resources, working in synergy, will accelerate the introduction of 30+ new bio-based products to the market, contributing up to 20% reduction in life-cycle impacts and generating over 130 direct jobs while driving more than €44M in annual sales. By reducing reliance on fossil resources, GIANTS will play a crucial role in building a competitive, sustainable, and resilient bioeconomy across Europe.

EFI is a project partner contributing forest-related expertise to the consortium.