The Rural BioReFarmeries (RBRF) project is rethinking how we can build local, circular and sustainable value chains for bio-based products. By focusing on small-scale and decentralised green biorefineries, the project aims to unlock the potential of rural areas across Europe — reducing waste, boosting local economies and supporting the EU’s green transition.
To successfully achieve the project’s mission, the 19 partners that conform the RBRF consortium are joining forces across 8 work packages. This article focuses on Work Package 7 (WP7), led by SEGES Innovation.
WP7 in a nutshell
Title: Business models, Ecosystem building, Training and Outreach
WP Leader: Andreas Gravolt, SEGES Innovation
This work package connects the scientific, technical and social dimensions of the Rural BioReFarmeries project by ensuring that the proposed small-scale green biorefinery models are both economically viable and socially inclusive. The focus is on creating business models that place farmers at the centre of value creation, building a strong replication framework for Europe-wide adoption, and empowering rural communities through targeted training and outreach.
Key objectives
WP7 sets out to:
- Develop inclusive business models that ensure a fair return for farmers and local stakeholders.
- Design a replication model to enable the wider adoption of small-scale green biorefineries across Europe.
- Establish and coordinate the Rural Green Biorefinery Replication Network, connecting farmers, policy-makers, researchers and innovators across regions.
- Confirm market uptake and stakeholder engagement through collaborative validation and feedback.
- Deliver training and capacity-building programmes to support farmers and rural communities to understand and adopt the proposed green biorefinery models.
- Implement a comprehensive communication and dissemination strategy to raise awareness about the project’s mission.
Main tasks and technical activities
To achieve these goals, the WP7 team is carrying out several interconnected activities:
- Developing inclusive business models: Exploring innovative, fair and sustainable approaches to ensure that primary producers benefit financially from biorefinery operations while maintaining long-term farm competitiveness.
- Creating replication models: Defining a framework to replicate and adapt successful biorefinery models across different European contexts, ensuring flexibility to local agricultural and policy conditions.
- Building the Rural Green Biorefinery Network: Establishing a pan-European network to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange among farmers, research institutions, policymakers, and industry actors.
- Promoting social acceptance: Analysing perceptions of green biorefineries among farmers and consumers, identifying drivers and barriers for broader adoption.
- Training and outreach: Developing practical training materials and activities to help farmers understand and implement green biorefining technologies.
- Communication and dissemination: Leading awareness-raising efforts to showcase the project’s outcomes, boost engagement and highlight the socio-economic value of small-scale biorefining in rural regions.
A collaborative effort
SEGES Innovation leads WP7 in close cooperation with AUSTRALO and other academic partners in the consortium, including Unitelma Sapienza and Agricultural University Plovdiv. By bringing their diverse expertise together, they will bridge innovation, policy and practice — ensuring that the biorefinery models developed in the project are not only technically sound but also economically replicable and socially fair.
Expected outcomes
As WP7 advances, the teams involved in this work package will deliver:
- A detailed Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication Plan guiding all outreach activities.
- A set of inclusive business model scenarios tailored to ensure farmer participation and fair profit distribution.
- A replication framework enabling the implementation of small-scale green biorefineries in new EU regions.
- A Rural Green Biorefinery Replication Network to sustain stakeholder collaboration beyond the project’s lifespan.
- Reports on market perspectives and social acceptance, providing insights into consumer preferences and policy implications.
- A training programme designed to build local capacity and facilitate the practical uptake of green biorefining solutions.
By integrating business innovation, stakeholder engagement and community training, WP7 ensures that the Rural BioReFarmeries project goes beyond the lab — turning biorefinery concepts into real opportunities for farmers and rural regions. Through collaboration, knowledge sharing and fair value distribution, WP7 lays the foundation for a resilient, inclusive and scalable green biorefinery ecosystem across Europe.