Katarina Blicklingova

Established in 2015, Bioeconomy Cluster (BEC) is a pioneering innovation ecosystem based in Nitra, Slovakia, at the heart of the country's agri-food sector. BEC serves as a dynamic interface between research, industry, and policy, facilitating knowledge and technology transfer across bio-based value chains. Its mission is to catalyze sustainable innovation, foster rural development, and drive the transition toward a circular, climate-resilient bioeconomy. BEC connects over 40 official members, including innovative SMEs, farmers, food companies, and strategic partners involving research institutions and academia. It collaborates with a network of over 100 external partners from across the agri-food and bio-based sectors. BEC is actively engaged in European and national policies in agricultural innovation, in supporting and networking of SMEs, as well as in connecting the entities of knowledge triangle. It facilitates a good interconnection of different partners in the area of bioeconomy at national level and it is strong in agri-food and bioeconomy policy research, rural development research, cluster development and value chain development.