Unlocking regional bioeconomy transitions: Co-creation, stakeholder engagement, and systemic change in rural Europe

<ns3:p>Background Transitioning to a sustainable bioeconomy in rural Europe is challenged by the difficulty of translating high-level strategies into locally relevant initiatives. Regional bioeconomy hubs aim to bridge this gap, but their success hinges on engaging diverse, often conservative, stakeholders. While co-creation is a promising approach, its practical application in these contexts is poorly understood. This study examines the establishment of nine hubs within the Horizon Europe project RuralBioUp to identify effective strategies for fostering stakeholder ownership and systemic change. Methods This qualitative study analysed multi-layered data collected from nine regional bioeconomy hubs between October 2022 and June 2025. Sources included seven semi-structured interviews with hub facilitators, two mutual learning workshops, participatory feedback tools, and co-created documentation. Thematic analysis identified patterns related to effective actions, co-creation dynamics, and innovation adoption. Results Effective engagement actions were practical and locally grounded, such as study visits, targeted training in local languages, and co-organized events. Generic online workshops and bureaucratic activities proved ineffective. Co-creation was enabled by institutional flexibility, trusted local facilitators, and established networks. Key barriers included stakeholder time scarcity, logistical challenges, cultural scepticism, and unclear value propositions. In conservative settings, innovation adoption was facilitated through peer-to-peer learning and framing new ideas as extensions of existing practices. Conclusions The success of regional bioeconomy hubs is contingent on trust, perceived local relevance, and stakeholder ownership, not just technological novelty. Instead of one-size-fits-all models, patient, bottom-up strategies that co-adapt innovation to community values are essential for long-term change. Hubs can act as critical facilitators for place-based transitions by embedding co-creation within flexible governance structures. Policy and practice should prioritize context-sensitive, tangible engagement to foster inclusive and sustainable rural bioeconomy development.</ns3:p>