HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-06 | Developing Regional Bioeconomy Innovation Ecosystems and Partnerships

Target Topic: HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-06 – Towards a Europe of Bioeconomy Places

Organisation: Gebze Technical University (GTU), Türkiye

Proposed Role: Research Partner / Consortium Partner

Project Stage: Early stage

Cooperation Objective

Gebze Technical University (GTU) is seeking international partners to develop a collaborative Horizon Europe proposal under CIRCBIO-06, focusing on strengthening place-based bioeconomy innovation ecosystems, regional partnerships, and sustainable economic transformation.

Our proposed contribution focuses on the governance, innovation management, strategic foresight, and stakeholder collaboration dimensions of regional bioeconomy development.

We are particularly interested in exploring how universities, research organisations, businesses, public authorities, and innovation intermediaries can collaborate to establish and strengthen regional bioeconomy ecosystems.

Expertise and Relevant Experience

Our research team offers expertise in innovation management, strategic foresight, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, research and innovation policy, and regional innovation ecosystems.

The team's lead researcher is a Professor of Business Administration at GTU and a former Vice President of TÜBİTAK, Türkiye's Scientific and Technological Research Council, with extensive experience in R&D support programmes, innovation policy, technology-based entrepreneurship, and academia-industry collaboration.

Previous senior management experience at Teknopark Istanbul further contributes to our understanding of innovation ecosystem development, technology commercialisation, and cooperation among universities, industry, and public institutions.

Potential Contributions to the Project

GTU is interested in contributing to research activities and work packages involving:

• Regional bioeconomy ecosystem mapping: Identifying relevant stakeholders, institutional capabilities, innovation infrastructure, and collaboration opportunities within regional bioeconomy ecosystems.

• Strategic foresight and regional innovation strategies: Applying foresight and strategic intelligence approaches to identify emerging bioeconomy opportunities, technological developments, and future innovation priorities.

• Innovation governance and stakeholder coordination: Analysing governance structures and developing cooperation mechanisms among public institutions, universities, industry, SMEs, and innovation intermediaries.

• Entrepreneurship and technology transfer: Investigating mechanisms supporting bioeconomy-related entrepreneurship, research commercialisation, technology adoption, and academia-industry partnerships.

• Sustainable business models: Exploring innovative business models, value creation mechanisms, and organisational approaches supporting regional bioeconomy development.

• Capacity building and knowledge exchange: Contributing to stakeholder workshops, training activities, peer learning, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms across participating regions.

• Policy analysis and impact assessment: Evaluating innovation support instruments, regional policy frameworks, and the economic, organisational, and societal impacts of place-based bioeconomy initiatives.

Proposed Research Approaches

Depending on the consortium's objectives, our contributions may include regional innovation ecosystem analysis, comparative case studies, stakeholder mapping, expert interviews, surveys, participatory workshops, and strategic foresight exercises.

We are particularly interested in developing practical frameworks that help regions strengthen institutional cooperation, mobilise innovation capabilities, and support sustainable bioeconomy entrepreneurship.

Partnership Interests

We welcome collaboration with universities, research organisations, regional development agencies, public authorities, bioeconomy clusters, technology parks, SMEs, industry associations, and other innovation intermediaries.

We are particularly interested in consortia combining expertise in bioeconomy, regional development, innovation governance, technology transfer, and sustainable economic transformation.

GTU aims to contribute as a research and implementation partner, focusing on regional innovation ecosystem analysis, strategic foresight, stakeholder engagement, entrepreneurship, and policy recommendations.

We welcome discussions with prospective coordinators and consortium partners preparing proposals specifically for HORIZON-CL6-2027-01-CIRCBIO-06.