That was the theme of the recently held ShapingBio workshop called "Powering Stakeholder Engagement and Communication for Bioeconomy", which was conducted with the aim of enhancing communication and stakeholder engagement in EU bioeconomy projects.
The event brought together 15 experts from 13 EU-funded bioeconomy initiatives, fostering a dynamic exchange of best practices and strategies for impactful communication and engagement.
Key Takeaways and Best Practices:
- Co-Creation Workshops: A "buffet" of formats (e.g., networking, presentations, hands-on activities) ensures active participation. Tailored workshops resonate better with specific audiences, such as farmers benefiting more from practical activities.
- Semi-Structured Interviews: Flexibility allows for deep stakeholder insights. Incentives like social media mentions or project highlights enhance participation.
- Interactive Surveys and Tools: Real-time tools like Mentimeter make discussions lively, while multiple-choice surveys provide quick, actionable insights without survey fatigue.
- Networking-Driven Events: Combining structured knowledge-sharing sessions with informal networking (especially during breaks) fosters meaningful connections and collaborations.
- Engaging Digital Platforms: Multi-functional platforms that combine collaboration, live Q&A, and ease of use cater effectively to diverse stakeholder groups.
- Tailored Stakeholder Outreach: Personalized invitations and hybrid strategies (digital + local efforts) engage both broad and specific audiences effectively, especially community-based groups like NGOs and farmers.
Trust as a Cornerstone: From inception to conclusion, trust builds confidence among stakeholders, ensuring their contributions are valued and reflected in meaningful outcomes.
A huge thank you to all participants for their invaluable contributions to this workshop. These insights are crucial in validating and shaping the communication strategies and stakeholder engagement approaches for future bioeconomy initiatives.
