GRACE launched via the EU Dissemination Booster a project portfolio and joined forces with the BBI JU project Dendromass4Europe and the EU Eranet project MISCOMAR+. Together these projects formed the CrOpportunity cluster aiming to inform policy makers and general public about the key advantages of perennial crops for the environment, the agriculture and the bioeconomy. The CrOpportunity cluster organized the Side Event CrOpportunity – Perennial Crops for Bioeconomy on 05 October 2022 at the EU Bioeconomy Conference 2022 in Brussels to facilitate information of policy makers about the potentials of perennial biomass crops for feedstock production for and valorization in the European Bioeconomy. The aim of the Side Event was to share most important project results of the three projects and disseminate knowledge about the implementation of perennial biomass crops, suitable use case for their biomass and added values by additional ecosystem service provision. Four presentations were held by the GRACE consortium:
- Andreas Kiesel, UHOH – “From biomass to biobased products: How GRACE contributes to sustainable value chain development”,
- John Clifton-Brown, IBERS – “Upscaling miscanthus biomass production with novel hybrids”,
- Andrea Ferrarini, UCSC – “Soil health with perennial biomass crops”
- Silvia Gava, MOGU – “A thriving partnership – Mycellium and miscanthus panels for Interior Design”.