Advisory Board Meeting 26-27.09.2017
MINUTES
INTRODUCTION – WP1 (Recruitment of ERA Chair – project coordination)
The 3rd meeting of BioEcon Advisory Board was inaugurated by prof. dr. hab. Wiesław Oleszek, the Project Coordinator, who welcomed the participants and presented the update on the project progress:
- Termination of ERA Chair contract with dr. Miguel Brandão
- Termination of the senior researcher contract with dr. Lorie Hamelin
- Termination of the post doc researcher contract with dr. Andrea Bartoli
- Employment of the new ERA Chair, dr. Stelios Rozakis
- New BioEcon Project Officer
The agenda of the meeting followed the sequence of workpackages in the BioEcon project:
As the Leader of Work Package 1, prof. Oleszek presented dr. Stelios Rozakis – previous Advisory Board member and the new ERA Chair of the BioEcon project since August 1st, 2017.
WP2 – Brain Gain
Dr. Rozakis, leader of WP2, discussed the brain gain progress and the BioEcon group composition: the vacant positions of senior researcher, post doc and PHD student.
Two calls for these vacant positions are open at IUNG, and several candidates have answered them so far:
1) The post doc researcher – contract duration of 12 M with possibility of extension until the project end
(5 candidates have applied for the post and they been considered for evaluation. Dr. Rozakis presented the candidates and discussed the evaluation principles, where the most important criterion was considered experience in “bio-economic modelling”.
Full evaluation grid in Annex I)
2) PhD student call – contract duration of 32 M
(A candidate with agro-economic background and knowledge of the Polish agricultural system would be preferred)
Dr. Lorie Hamelin suggested inviting foreign PhD students for a 3-month internship which is an obligatory part of many doctoral programs.
The position of senior researcher is currently vacant. After considering budgetary availability two options of filling in are considered:
1) hiring an LCA specialist for 24 M
2) adjusting the position to 4 visiting scholars with expertise in 4 relevant doctoral topics in the field of bioeconomy.
The 2nd option is preferable: offering several fields of expertise and shorter contracts, which means faster completion of tasks by each hired person. It was also approved by the members of the Advisory Board.
WP3 – New interdisciplinary strategy development
Dr. Rozakis presented also the progress within WP3, concerning the new interdisciplinary strategy, research capacity, HR strategy, peer review strategy, and doctoral trainings.
The new interdisciplinary strategy:
- Build around the assumption that bioeconomy should not be limited to bioenergy sector
- presented a list of key issues determining bioeconomy implementation
- intends to create an integrated model for Poland starting with the Lubelskie region and then expanding it to different sectors and regions
Prof. Chyłek, a member of the Advisory Board, suggested incorporating the concept of circular economy in the strategy, which will be taken into account.
Dr. Rozakis presented the publication strategy, discussing different visions on bio-economy in academic literature, and a diagram presenting links between different authors publishing in the field of bioeconomy. His conclusions were as follows:
1) ERA Chair and senior researcher’s publications are not co-authored by BioEcon team members at the time being
2) high IF publications should preferably involve the project team ,
3) The focus should be put on relating bioeconomy to sustainability both economic and environmental
When it comes to doctoral training, dr. Rozakis informed that the initial plan to develop a doctoral programme on bioeconomy has to be revised under the light of the reformed IUNG studies organization scheme (2016).
Conforming to that the deployment of a module on bioeconomy into the current framework of doctoral studies at IUNG is a feasible and desirable option.
Dr. Rozakis presented a list of possible courses to be incorporated into the current doctoral programme during the starting academic year.
Namely training on multicriteria decision making methods for the Fall semester and applied Life Cycle Assessment for Spring semester (See Annex II for a detailed Fall semester training course).
WP4 – Regional support mobilization and development of a regional cluster for bio-economy
Dr. Jerzy Kozyra, the leader of WP4 presented the progress within this workpackage: creation of a database in collaboration with FADN and establishing cooperation with the business sector, the most important of which is establishment of the Tomaszów Lubelski Energy Cluster.
Dr. Lorie Hamelin discussed the idea for creation of the cluster and its purpose, as well as insights that can be derived from this action. The cluster is located in the Lubelskie region, which has been chosen due to local wind energy capacity and biomass potential.
The idea is to produce biogas from residues only, which will be used for balancing the intermittent energy generated by Renewable Energy Systems. Dr. Hamelin discussed also the possibilities of biogas storage and selling, which can be done thanks to the existing infrastructure in the region.
WP5 – Cooperation for Excellence
Dr. Rafał Pudełko, the leader of WP5, presented the progress within this workpackage:
- 4 doctoral trainings and 7 workshops/lectures organized so far within the framework of the project
- 5 publications have been written and submitted
Dr. Pudełko presented also the idea for the BioEcon Platform which is now under creation.
Mgr Aneta Pieczykolan, the Innovation Broker in the project presented the innovation management strategy for IUNG, which provides for close collaboration between the Institute’s departments and external actors, especially the business sector.
The strategy comprises creation of a Technological Transfer Office within the Institute, which will be responsible, among others, for creating a database of projects chosen for commercialization, organizing trainings on related topics, and establishing relationships with business actors.
Mgr Pieczykolan discussed also plans for intensifying collaboration between IUNG and the business sector.
WP6 – Widening of participation
As the WP6 leader, dr. Stelios Rozakis presented the selection of networking events and institutions chosen for collaboration, the submitted project applications, as well as ongoing projects resulted from BioEcon (BioReg project).
WP7 - Dissemination and exploitation
Dr. Magda Borzęcka shortly presented the BioReg project and, as the WP7 leader discussed the progress within this workpackage:
- Creation of the BioEcon website
- Creation of the Platform (in progress)
- Participation and presentation of BioEcon at 5 international conferences
- 3 conferences organized so far and 3 other events planned for the year 2018 (summer school, international conference and international workshop – proposal for two conferences already submitted to corresponding associations in Annex III)
The meeting was closed with the presentation of dr. Fausto Freire who presented the Center for Industrial Ecology, discussed its areas of research and ongoing projects focusing on collaboration with industry.
Presentations and agenda: