The Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture in Budapest proved to be an apt setting for the annual Bioeconomy Impact meeting of the EU-funded CommBeBiz (CBB) project, co-ordinated by Minerva Director Rhonda Smith.

Delegates at the conference, hosted by Hungarian Agriculture Minister Dr. Zsolt Feldman, watched an inspiring presentation by Budapest-based architect and Organica Water CEO, Attila Bodnár, which showcased his company’s innovative and sustainable approach to water treatment and recycling plants.

Bioeconomy researchers from all over Europe attended the event, which also saw the launch of the 3-year Horizon 2020 Communications Support Action project’s BeBizBlueprint report – aimed at helping bioeconomy research projects communicate their ideas, work and results to businesses, policy-makers and for societal benefit.

The theme of this year’s meeting was Driving Smart and Sustainable Cities.

CBB Project Co-ordinator, Rhonda Smith, said: “In order to secure a more sustainable future it is vital researchers and scientists communicate with one another as well as with external stakeholders to drive a smarter and more sustainable urban environment.

“Budapest – with its world-class reputation in innovation – was the ideal location for our annual meeting and we are extremely grateful to the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture for hosting the event. It gave all attendees the opportunity to think more broadly about how research and the bioeconomy can play a vital role in driving smart and sustainable cities.”

During the two-day conference delegates had access to a range of ‘top tips’ workshops from expert mentors on a range of topics including ‘Eco & Smart Urban Transitions Towards Sustainable Urbanisms’ and ‘Smart Urban Planning for Cities’ as well as business topics such as IPR and access to investment.

For more information about CBB visit www.commbebiz.eu

Left to right: Deputy Head of Dept at the Hungarian Agriculture Ministry, Ákos Kristóf; CBB Project Coordinator, Rhonda Smith; Hungarian Agriculture Minister, Dr. Zsolt Feldman; and Director General of the Hungarian Research Institute of Agricultural Economics, Anikó Juhász. BIOeast is the Central and Eastern European initiative for knowledge-based agriculture, aquaculture and forestry in the bioeconomy, started by the Visegrad Group of countries, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and joined by Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia and Estonia.