"<< Background >>Becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is the greatest challenge of our times for the EU. In this framework, the bio-based industry plays a crucial role, with special focus on the bioeconomy in the agri-food sector. EU relies as well as a specific R&D agenda related to Bio-based products. This agenda concludes that a shift to biological raw materials and biological processing methods could save up to 2.5 billion tons of CO2 equivalents per year by 2030, increasing markets for bio-based raw materials and new consumer products Private sector is moving towards a more sustainable industry in Europe. Circular bio-society in 2050, a report from Bio-based Industries Consortium, establishes a sustainable and competitive bio-based industry in the EU enabling a circular bio-society by 2050. According to “The Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA 2030) for a Circular Bio-based Europe Realising a future-fit circular bio-society in Europe”, the promotion of bioeconomy can create 400 000 new green jobs by 2035 in particular in rural and coastal areas. This new challenge, besides the need of technological advances, needs to rely on new professionals which can valorise the by-products and waste from the agri-food sector into new, innovative and high added value biocompounds. The Circularity Gap Report 2021 demonstrates how vocational education and training (VET) is a key mechanism to ensure a skilled workforce that can drive the circular economy transition. It brings together thinking from skills development for green economies, innovation, sustainable development and the circular economy—all means for achieving a sustainable and just society. Strengthening VET and making skills development more accessible—while also realising that skills needs will shift across different stages of the transition to a circular economy—can help speed up the adoption of new technologies that increase efficient use of natural resources and reduce waste. As governments and businesses embark on greening economies, circular economy strategies and policies can be employed. When we narrow the scope and focus on bio-economy, as part of circular strategies, we found that to achieve a circular bioeconomic society, according to the report ‘The circular bio-society in 2050’, the primary sectors, operational actors, R&I institutions and market actors cooperate with education institutions to:Exchange of needs for skills and competences for the bioeconomy Standardise bioeconomic curricula and diplomas across Europe- Recognise input from all actors in terms of practical and ‘real time’ examples into curricula, educational programmes and materials- Encourage national and European innovation contests to stimulate exemplary performance by students and start-ups- Institutionalise lifelong learning facilities and trainings that are shared by industry, government and society<< Objectives >>Byp4Dev project main objective is related to improve the development of bio-based sector through the creation of a new professional profile, the by-products and wastes valorisation in agri-food sector expert, by designing a common curriculum and a learning approach that will allow professionals from this sector to meet the needs and opportunities that bio-based labour market offers.In order to address this opportunity, this project tries to tackle the challenge through the following objectives:- To improve the development of the bio-based sector through the creation of a new professional profile, the ""by-products and wastes valorisation in agri-food sector experts"". In order to do so, Byp4Dev will design a common curriculum (based on the European standard ECVET) and a learning approach that will allow professionals from this sector to take part in the opportunities that bio-based labour market offers, as well as, to provide the industry with needed talent to develop new, innovative and high added value bio-based products. - To determine the real knowledge, capabilities and skills needed in the direct target public, as well as, the existing barriers to facilitate the learning/teaching process, creating innovative tools.- To contextualise and integrate the profile generated into the necessary profiles into the global transition process toward circular economy in the agri-food sector, supporting the teachers in its learning/teaching process.- To support the policymakers in charge of educational policies to integrate the profiles and content created into their own structure, allowing the project outcomes and the bio-based training activities will achieve long-term benefits. Through the use of innovative and collaborative methodologies (service design and lean methodologies), the project will design in a last stage, together with the main actors with competences in education and industrial areas, the pathway (through the service design tool ""blueprint""), to integrate this new expert profile into the vocational training ecosystem.<< Implementation >>Project main activities are closely related to the development of project results, together with Management activities as transnational project meetings Promotion activities:Related to Project Results, the activities to be implemented will be: - In PR1 (Methodological guideline and framework on by-products valorization in the agri-food sector) we will implement the Design process of the methodological guideline and framework on by-products valorization in the agri-food sector, using a Desk Research, a Survey and Focus Group and in the other hand, we will develop the Methodological guideline and framework on by-products valorization in the agri-food sector, as a set of recommendations to develop our expert profile and the training materials, to guide potential facilitators and companies interested in making training for agri-food and bio-based industries.- In PR2, we will design the Expert profile in by-products and wastes valorization in agri-food sector based on ECVET model to ensure the transferability of the results to educational structures, regulations around europe, and the open access of the curricula will facilitate the its access to the stakeholders map generated during the project and other national, and european networks .- In PR3, will develop the training materials, good practices, exercises, etc., structured according to the ECVET model developed previously, which will be tested in the next PR.- In PR4 an Open Educational Resource (OER) development and testing process will be implemented and tested, providing the community of agri-food professionals in the EU with open, unrestricted (and equal) access to latest available knowledge, contributing also to enhancing the quality, relevance and attractiveness of both formal and non-formal education in the field.- In PR5 a Blueprint and Policy recommendation guidelines will be developed, to ensure tha,t the activities will be related to engage a group of stakeholders, define the scope and research process to design the blueprint and then distribute it among regional policy makers.Related to Project Management, we can highlight the following activities:- Transnational Coordination - Preparation of the Project Manual - Development of Quality Management Plan (including risk management)-Implementation of management and quality measures - Organization and celebration of transnational meetings - Preparation of technical and financial reports Related to Communication and promotion activities, we have to mention- Elaboration of Dissemination & Promotion Plan, containing the development of project corporate image - Creation and maintaining of a project website, project pages and profiles on social networks - Production of digital informative materials (leaflet) and publication of articles, news and press releases Finally, we can’t forget the organization of 11 Multiplier events (6 face-to-face and 5 virtual - two in each partnership country plus one Final event in Finland) and to promote and disseminate the project results (ECVET model, training materials and innovative training tools, blueprint/roadmap, etc.) and to set an open discussion on the possibility and opportunities of the bio-based sector in the future labour market.<< Results >>The main results of this project are the following: - Methodological guideline and framework which allow us to design the Expert profile in by-products and wastes valorization in agri-food sector, as well as, to guide the future teachers/learner to integrate this profile in a global circular economy transition process in the agri-food sector, and to design the training contents and tools more adapted to the real learn characteristics of the target public.- An expert profile in by-products and wastes valorization in the agri-food sector according to the ECVET Model. This profile will facilitate the validation, recognition of knowledge, competences and skills (KCS) acquired and a better compatibility between the different vocational education and training (VET) systems in place across Europe and their qualifications.- A training course (training materials, good practices, exercises) in expert in by-products and wastes valorization in agri-food sector, directed to students, technicians, professionals, etc., with a range of materials and competences necessary for the learner to get enough skills to develop a professional work in this area.- A free and openly educational resource (OER) development and testing process which allows to test, analyse and improve the training course generated.- A Blueprint/Roadmap with policy recommendations about how the project partners and the rest of stakeholders (public and private) can promote and foster this new expert profile with the aim of supporting the bio-based sector as well as strategies to speed up the updating of professionals to this new bio-based sector."