The BIOSTARS project is co-financed by the Interreg Euro-MED Programme. It aims to foster the creation of bioeconomy startup villages across Mediterranean rural areas by introducing systemic circular bioeconomy solutions, social innovations, and entrepreneurship support. Building on validated outputs from past Horizon Europe projects such as BIOLOC and REVIVE, BIOSTARS will roll out a dedicated toolbox to guide rural communities in developing sustainable and inclusive bio-based business models. The initiative will target six rural territories in Greece, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while also ensuring knowledge transfer, dissemination, and replication across the broader Euro-Mediterranean region .

The Central European Initiative – Executive Secretariat (CEI-ES) is a key partner in BIOSTARS. Leveraging its extensive networks of 17 Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern European countries, CEI will raise awareness of startup village concepts and practices, and contribute expertise from its coordination of earlier projects such as BIOLOC and RIBES . CEI will play an active role in establishing Regional Stakeholders Hubs, identifying relevant actors, and promoting bottom-up approaches to foster innovation. Additionally, CEI will support the implementation of the BIOSTARS toolbox, engage decision-makers through its institutional channels, and coordinate activities such as training sessions, showcase events, and communication outputs .

BIOSTARS will deliver a comprehensive framework to transform rural areas into dynamic startup villages, addressing depopulation, unemployment, and environmental challenges. Through the development of inclusive governance models, capacity-building actions, and cross-border peer-to-peer exchanges, the project will empower local entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and policymakers. By integrating cultural and societal considerations, BIOSTARS will contribute to building resilient rural innovation ecosystems that accelerate the transition toward a sustainable, circular bioeconomy .