BIOWAYS · Project

Ready-Made Marketing and Training Toolkit to Help Sell Bio-Based Products

environmentPilotedTRL 6Thin data (2/5)

Most people have no idea what "bio-based products" even means — and if your customers don't understand it, they won't buy it. BIOWAYS built a complete communication and education package to fix that: an online platform, a product library, training materials, and workshop formats that explain bio-based products in plain language. Think of it as a marketing-in-a-box for the bioeconomy, tested across 7 European countries with real audiences.

By the numbers

deliverables produced

consortium partners

countries covered

EUR 965,750

EU funding invested

75%

industry participation ratio

broad bio-based application areas covered

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies selling bio-based products face a communication wall: consumers and business buyers don't understand what bio-based means, why it matters, or why it costs more. Without effective education and marketing tools, even superior bio-based products lose to conventional alternatives simply because nobody explained the value proposition clearly.

The solution

What was built

BIOWAYS built 30 deliverables including: an online collaboration platform and social network, an accessible library of bio-based products, training materials with tested seminar formats, and proven engagement formats (social hack days, co-creation workshops, BarCamps, an eConference, and thematic Charrettes) — all piloted with real users across 7 countries.

Audience

Who needs this

Bio-based packaging manufacturers struggling with consumer awarenessSustainability consultants needing ready-made bioeconomy training contentFMCG brands launching bio-based product linesIndustry associations promoting bioeconomy adoptionCorporate sustainability teams designing internal education programs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Bio-based packaging

SME

Target: Packaging companies producing bio-based alternatives to plastics

If you are a bio-based packaging company struggling to explain to retailers why your product costs more but is worth it — this project developed training materials, a product library, and workshop formats tested across 7 countries that help translate technical bioeconomy benefits into language buyers actually understand. The toolkit was built by a consortium of 8 partners with 75% industry participation, meaning it was designed for commercial use, not academic shelves.

Sustainable consumer goods

mid-size

Target: FMCG brands launching bio-based product lines

If you are a consumer brand adding bio-based products to your lineup but finding that shoppers don't see the difference — BIOWAYS created an accessible online library of bio-based products and co-creation workshop formats that were tested with real consumers. These materials can anchor your in-store education campaigns or sustainability communications without starting from scratch.

Bioeconomy consulting and training

SME

Target: Sustainability consultants and corporate trainers

If you are a training provider or consultant helping companies transition to bio-based materials and need credible educational content — BIOWAYS produced 30 deliverables including training pilots, seminar formats, and an online collaboration platform covering 5 broad bio-based application areas. These are ready-to-adapt resources that can accelerate your service offering.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What exactly was produced — and can I use it commercially?

BIOWAYS produced 30 deliverables including training materials, an online collaboration platform, a bio-based product library, and tested workshop formats (BarCamps, co-creation workshops, social hack days). As a publicly funded CSA project, most outputs are publicly accessible. Licensing terms for commercial reuse should be confirmed with the coordinator.

How much would it cost to adapt these materials for my company?

The project itself was funded with EUR 965,750 over 2 years. The educational materials and platform are publicly available outputs. Your cost would be adaptation and customization — significantly less than building awareness campaigns from scratch, since the core content and tested formats already exist.

Were these materials tested at real scale or just in a lab?

Training seminars were organized with wide groups of different users to evaluate attractiveness and efficiency. The consortium tested across 7 countries (EE, EL, ES, IT, PT, SK, UK), giving the materials genuine cross-cultural validation rather than single-market assumptions.

Is this relevant for my specific bio-based product category?

BIOWAYS was built around the 5 broad application areas defined by the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), which covers chemicals, materials, packaging, fuels, and food/feed ingredients. If your product falls within the bioeconomy, there is likely relevant content.

Who built this — academics or people who understand business?

The consortium of 8 partners had 75% industry participation, with 7 out of 8 partners being SMEs. Only 1 university and 1 research organization were involved. This is unusually business-heavy for an EU project, which means the outputs were shaped by commercial thinking.

The project ended in 2018 — is this still usable?

The core educational content about bio-based products remains relevant since the bioeconomy has only grown since 2018. The online platform at bioways.eu and training formats may need updating for current market data, but the communication methodology and product library provide a strong foundation to build on.

Consortium

Who built it

This is an unusually industry-driven consortium: 6 out of 8 partners come from industry, with 7 being SMEs — a 75% industry ratio that is rare for EU-funded awareness projects. Led by Q-PLAN International Advisors, a Greek SME specializing in advisory services, the consortium spans 7 countries (Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, UK) giving the outputs genuine pan-European reach. With only 1 university and 1 research organization, this project was clearly designed by practitioners who understand commercial communication, not by academics writing for other academics.

Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS PCCoordinator · EL
GLOBAZ, S.A.participant · PT
PEDAL CONSULTING SROparticipant · SK
CIVITTA EESTI ASparticipant · EE
FVA SAS DI LOUIS FERRINI & Cparticipant · IT
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNAparticipant · IT
INSIGHT PUBLISHERS LIMITEDparticipant · UK
AINIAparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Q-PLAN International Advisors PC is a Greek SME specializing in EU project advisory — reachable through their corporate website or LinkedIn presence.

Order a report on this consortium See Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS PC profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to adapt BIOWAYS training materials and communication tools for your bio-based product launch? SciTransfer can connect you with the consortium team and help tailor the toolkit to your market.

Order a report on this topic More in Environment & Climate