The EU Green Deal and the EU F2F Strategy require novel approaches by primary biomass producers. Smart Farming solutions are a global trend. Decision Support Systems (DSS) are ever relying on AI and precision agriculture tools employing remote sensing of environmental conditions and combining them with prediction models. The company BeVine provides such technology for grape- and wine-growers that may achieve 20% spraying saving, 90% accuracy of disease prediction models, and 30% savings on scouting expenses. BeVine collaborates with the Agricultural University in Plovdiv (AUP) using its scientific resources and infrastructure of universities to compile a novel DSS for winegrowers who want to optimize their production costs and get quality yield. This collaboration is included in the Bulgarian MIP and will continue to a) provide the DSS to grape- and wine-farmers, b) execute capacity building through training courses and c) teach students and researchers. It creates a network of cooperation between the agricultural sector, digital technology professionals, and scientists thus demonstrating in practice the Quadruple Helix concept. The remote access and daily monitoring of thousands of acres of strategic crops such as grapes is entirely feasible. Farmers are provided with the opportunity to “test before invest,” and receive a "tailor-made" expert advice on their individual functionality of technological solutions. The collaboration with experts who possess extensive experience in agronomy and a well-equipped university base are essential for collecting useful data and conducting innovative research in this field. The climate monitoring stations are being installed in the experimental grape yards of the AUP. Researchers from the AUP will conduct demonstrations to help interested farmers familiarize themselves with the functionality of the intelligent vineyard management software, which facilitates remote monitoring and smart grape cultivation.

HTL (hydrothermal liquefaction) is a hydrothermal process that transforms wet biomass, with high pressure and temperature, to mainly liquid. Oil is the main product from HTL, but small amounts of gas and solid phase (carbon) are also formed.
With HTL biomasses such as sawdust, bark and sludges are converted into a liquid oil that in many respects resembles fossil crude oil.  The desired properties can be obtained by adjusting process parameters (catalyst, pressure, temperature and time). Biomass with high moisture content is not cost efficient to process by conventional technologies. HTL however can tolerate huge amounts of water thus it eliminates the costly dewatering step. Since a majority of residual materials from forests and agriculture are possible to use for HTL, a large raw material base is provided, both on regional, national and international level. Techno-economic analysis indicates economic potential for cases where bio sludge and fiber sludge from pulp mills are converted to bio oil, and then used as energy source in the mills, replacing fossil fuels. Also, integrating pulp mills and HPP (High Pressure Processing) has shown possible synergies when fuel handling and disposal of process water can be coordinated. 
Production of fuel oil or propellant from these bio based side streams enables new business models that broaden the economic efficiency of biorefineries. RISE Processum has a state-of-the-art HTL pilot facility from batch mode to continuous mode which has capacity to produce 1 kg oil/day. Work is underway to increase the capacity.
So far bio oil have been produced from mainly different types of forest industrial waste sludges but the basic technique is the same for any biomass.

Apadrina un Olivo (Adopt an Olive tree) is an initiative born in 2014 in a village in Aragon, with the aim of recovering abandoned centenary olive trees in an area with a very high rate of depopulation, contributing to the conservation of local biodiversity and the economic revival of the area. The strong rural exodus experienced in Oliete, Teruel (ES) in the last 60 years caused the abandonment of more than 100,000 olive trees. The founders of Apadrina un Olivo saw an opportunity for economic development and conservation for the region, based on both the recovery of the olive grove and the attraction of visitors to the area.
The olive trees are sponsored for a fee of 60 euros, which gives you the right to name the olive tree, follow the recovery process through the farmer in charge, and visit the olive tree whenever you wish. In addition, whoever sponsors an olive tree receives 2 litres of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This payment contributes both to the recovery of the olive grove and to the management of the initiative itself. The recovery of each sponsored olive tree is carried out following a series of steps: pruning and elimination of pruning waste, elimination of ground branches, soil tillage, spontaneous soil cover, soil fertilisation, foliar fertilisation with nettle slurry, ecological pest treatment and irrigation and maintenance.
The initiative has brought benefits in terms of employment generation, rural development and the environment. In the 10 years that the initiative has been running, more than 15,000 olive trees have been recovered, 16 jobs have been created, and visits to the village have increased significantly, reviving the local economy and even preventing the village school from closing! More info at: https://apadrinaunolivo.org/en

• Apadrina un Olivo (Adopt an Olive tree)

Alcarràs Bioproductors SAT is an inspirational case for those searching advice on organisational and coordination aspects. 15 years ago, 200 farmers from the Spanish town of Alcarràs decided to join forces and create a composting plant in which treat the solid waste of their bovine and porcine cattle. All farmers agreed to invest €1,5M and have backed up the process through all difficulties. Today, the plant produces 27kT of compost and is run mainly on solar electricity and rainwater. Given the success, farmers plan to expand the company by adding an anaerobic digester to produce biogas from liquid manure. They also aim at including a pilot plant in which surrounding agents could try out their bioeconomy initiatives.
The implementation of this project cannot be understood without the social component. Previously existing cooperatives of bovine and porcine farmers were paramount to ensure trust, uniform opinions, and powerful acting will. As a united entity, farmers were more potent in asking for their demands. Treating all manures in the shared plant has put an end to previous individual costs (e.g.: transportation, renting a land for disposal, hiring a waste treatment company,...) and worries (e.g.: where to place the manure, what if the waste treatment company closes/rises its charges,...).
Practical recommendations to join forces:
- Talk regularly to primary producers in your area.
- Share your problems with each other: one can hold the answer to another's problem, or you can share a common problem.
- Create an association to raise awareness about the field and the problems, and to have more impact when searching solutions. Work on trusting your partners.
- Do not fear investing to solve a common problem. Think ahead.

The fertilization plan is the most important tool for managing NPK - essential nutrients in crop production. Developed in accordance with the principles of good agricultural practice, it takes into account the achievement of optimal plant yield and the reduction of the fertilization impact on the environment. In modern agriculture, advisory software is used to prepare a fertilization plan, supported by analyses of the content of NPK nutrients in the soil.
The INTER-NAW application is designed for planning fertilization of field crops with NPKMg and soil liming. Fertilizer rates are determined by the field surface balance method. The information necessary for the calculation includes crop species, expected yield, forecrop species, information on the management of by-products (harvesting/ploughing), type of manure, organic, and nutrient recycling fertilizers used, their rates and nutrient content, current soil nutrient content, and pH. Based on that information, the application determines the nutrient needs of the plant and the amount of NPK available from sources other than mineral fertilizers at a site and then calculates how many nutrients should be used in fertilizers. The use of an appropriate correction factor allows you to adjust the rates of fertilizers to the abundance of nutrients in the soil. The application allows calculating the amount of manure produced on the farm along with the NPK content, based on information about the animal stock density and its keeping. The free INTER-NAW application is used in the Polish agricultural advisory system and made available by the National Chemical and Agricultural Station at www.schr.gov.pl.

• National Chemical and Agricultural Station

Anaerobic digestion is the fermentation process of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Feedstocks are manure, crop residues or any other form of organic matter. The product of anaerobic digestion is biogas (CH4). Biogas needs to be upgraded to be able to use it in our gas network. The biogas can also directly be burned and used as heat or to produce electricity. Anaerobic digestion happens at different levels, from farm to regional levels, to even small scale with kitchen scraps. The technique is widely used and it's even more interesting in recent light, with rising gas and energy prices. The main advantage for farmers is the production of biogas. The digestate (the residual slurry after digestion) is still rich in nutrients and more uniform and can be directly spread onto the field. It can also be separated into a liquid and a solid fraction, so the nutrients can be applied to the field more precise. In case of digestion of manure before application on the field, this results in environmental profits like less greenhouse gas emissions (https://edepot.wur.nl/287471). A recent article in a farmers weekly reviews  costs, benefits and realization of mono digestion of manure in the Netherlands (https://melkvee100plus.nl/financieel/vergisten-dagverse-mest-zeer-inter… )

The EU Bioeconomy 2018 Strategy highlights the bioeconomy’s role in driving sustainability, competitiveness, and job creation across urban, rural, and coastal regions in Europe. However, many regions are still in the early stages of developing bio-based value chains and need structured approaches to unlock their potential. To support this, MainstreamBIO developed a methodology to help regions assess their bioeconomy landscape by analyzing biomass arisings, flows, value chains, stakeholders, and innovations. This approach has been piloted in Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden, combining desk research with stakeholder interviews for a comprehensive understanding. A standardized data collection template ensures uniform data on biomass availability, pricing, key actors, and innovations. Adapted from Attard et al. (2020), it expands frameworks to include regional stakeholders, technologies, and demonstration projects. Data is visualized using ArcGIS Pro for Biomass Arising Maps, while Sankey diagrams in PowerBI illustrate biomass flows, end-uses, and accessibility constraints. This analysis provides insights into pricing, infrastructure gaps, and innovation needs. By establishing a baseline of regional bioeconomy this approach identifies underutilized biomass, innovation opportunities, and collaboration potential, while fostering cross-regional learning. It equips decision-makers with insights to advance bio-based value chains and growth.

ARA Ecorobotix is the only ultra-high precision smart sprayer on the market. Smart spraying for ultra-localized treatments of your row crops, pastures, and lawns - Increase your efficiency while reducing the use of plant protection products. ARA is a high-precision sprayer developed by Ecorobotix that enables ultra-targeted application of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, or fertilizers. ARA is the proven solution for complying with strict environmental regulations and increased farm profitability. Compared to conventional spraying methods, ARA allows you to reduce the use of plant protection products by up to 95% due to the ultra-precise, plant-by-plant spraying technique. ARA enables an increase in profitability of up to 30%, depending on the type of farm, while complying with legislation mandating the use of less and less plant protection products.
ARA is recouped in three/four years with a medium-sized farm, and may also be eligible for subsidies in certain areas. ARA treats a large number of crops with all types of products and can be used throughout the year on different fields. ARA is the most precise field sprayer on the market that enables plant-by-plant spraying (targeting only individual weeds, not crops or soil). The benefits of ultra-high precision plant-by-plant spraying are:
- Reduced phytotoxicity thanks to ultra-high precision spraying - increasing crop yields and improving biodiversity.
- Close-to-the-ground nozzle action and protective covers minimize spray drift. With a working width of 6 meters and a travelling speed of up to 7 km/h, ARA achieves and covers 4+ hectares/hour. The ARA smart sprayer works as well at night as during the day and can cover up to 96 hectares every 24 hours. The sun visors also protect against wind and greatly reduce potential drift. The wide range of crop protection applications allows the use of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides for row crops, vegetable crops, as well as meadows and lawns.