Drones, smart agriculture and mycelium bio-materials from agricultural waste — Widening country partner

Who we are

EVEC Kočani is a Macedonian NGO (Widening country, PIC: 943554018) based in Kočani, Eastern Macedonia — the largest rice-producing region in the Western Balkans. We operate as a Youth Green Tech Innovation Hub working across drones, smart agriculture, solar energy, and circular bio-materials.

The opportunity: mycelium bio-materials from diverse agricultural waste

Every year, thousands of tonnes of rice straw are burned on fields across the Kočani valley, releasing CO2, PM2.5, PM10, and black carbon — causing severe air pollution, soil degradation, and health impacts. We are developing mycelium-based bio-materials (packaging, insulation, construction composites) using this rice straw as primary substrate.

But rice straw is just the starting point. The Kočani region is a diverse agricultural area producing corn, oats, grapes (wine), stone fruits, and orchard crops. This gives us access to multiple agricultural waste streams — corn stalks, oat straw, vine prunings, fruit tree wood — all available as substrates for mycelium cultivation and combination testing. We aim to become a regional circular bio-materials pilot hub testing which waste streams and combinations produce the best material properties.

What we offer to consortia

• Pilot demonstration site in a Widening country (evaluation bonus for coordinators)

• Access to real agricultural waste feedstock: rice straw, corn, oats, vine, fruit tree waste

• Drone-based crop monitoring and precision agriculture (UAV, NDVI analysis)

• Sensor-based environmental data collection and smart agriculture

• Local stakeholder networks: rice farmers, agricultural cooperatives, municipalities

• Community engagement, VET training delivery, and dissemination

• 15+ EU-funded projects since 2014

What we are looking for

• Consortium coordinator(s) preparing Horizon Europe Cluster 6 proposals (2026-2027 calls)

• Research partners with mycology/mycelium composites expertise

• Partners working on circular bioeconomy, bio-based materials, or agricultural waste valorisation

• CEA and precision agriculture technology providers

Contact: contact@evec.org.mk | Website: evec.org.mk