¿What is a Industrial modernisation partnership aproved by the European Comission?

Conceived within the reformed Cohesion policy of the European Commission, Smart Specialisation is a place-based approach characterised by the identification of strategic areas for intervention based both on the analysis of the strengths and potential of the economy and on an Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) with wide stakeholder involvement. It is outward-looking and embraces a broad view of innovation including but certainly not limited to technology-driven approaches, supported by effective monitoring mechanisms.

¿What is Berry+?

BERRY+ is an S3 industrial modernisation partnership approved on 17.11.2020. Its purpose is to establish an interregional cluster among the partner regions, emphasising excellence-based processing of renewable natural resources & their side streams for high added value applications and ensuring access to market, through value chain collaborations.

Value chain collaborations were selected since, as business and regional growth tools, they can be effective instruments supporting innovation-based growth on all levels of governance (regional, national, EU and global).

The starting point of BERRY+ is circular economy as a driver for growth, investments and exports. We consider renewable natural resources scarce goods. We aim on maximising the value bound to them as much as possible in the economy, and in the process to generate sustainable growth for the partner-regions. Interregional complementarities identified through value chain analysis will support partner regions’ industrial development, path the way for long term collaboration, joint development and accelerate the transfer to a competitive circular economy.

During this starting phase of the BERRY+ partnership, the prioritised value chains, from raw materials to final products and their associated technologies of the following types of value chains: relate to functional foods, vegetable-based proteins, regenerative cosmetics, herbs applications, and forest industry side streams especially those replacing products based on non-sustainable raw materials. Synergies between and among these value chains will also be taken into account. Synergies between and among these value chains will also be taken into account. These initial working areas are not restrictive. They will be expanded, diversified, as new regions join BERRY+ and as the initial BERRY+ partnership identifies new opportunities.

BERRY+ initiatives are organised in three distinct types of activities and their synergies: investments, transregional projects, and regional & national projects & initiatives supporting investments and clustering.