AllThings.bioPRO

AllThings.bioPRO was an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project that aims to engage citizens on the topic of the bioeconomy. As part of the project, a serious game was developed to foster citizens’ awareness and participation in various aspects of the bio-based industry. VA (Public & Science) was one of 12 European partners in this three-year project that ran 2020 – 2023.

The Bioeconomy game Mission BioHero is launched!

The Mission BioHero game is now available online for both Android and iOS users! Can a game teach you more about bioeconomy, how to make the right choices in everyday life and how you can change your lifestyle for a sustainable society? Try it out! In the game, you play the role of an alien come to destroy planet Earth, but then you change your mind. You decide it’s much better to become a BioHero and help humanity save the Earth.

Mission BioHero is an educational game, a so-called serious game, which provides educational information to participants, while at the same time, gathering data on personal preferences, opinions and ideas on the topic of bioeconomy. The results will help stakeholders to meet consumers’ expectations and requirements when developing their products.

The circular bioeconomy is complex, and gamification is one way to make the concept easier to understand. The game consists of eight “missions”, each of them related to different aspects of the bioeconomy; sustainable packaging, greenwashing or end-of-life products. The players learn about circular bioeconomy in a subtle way e.g. via quizzes that involve short ”yes” or ”no” answers.

The game is in English and fits perfectly as part of teaching about sustainability. The project has produced a teacher’s handbook that contains scenarios and examples of how the game can be integrated into lessons, as well as the correct answers to the quiz found in the game.

The teacher’s handbook is available in the following languages:

• Swedish
• English
• German
• Italian
• Dutch

Because it is so easy to get confused about bioeconomy and what is sustainable and what is not, the project has also launched an app called Label Bio-Hero. The app is intended to help by providing knowledge on which eco-labels you can trust and what they mean. For example, which products are biodegradable and/or biobased? (See the project bioeconomy glossary too).

Public engagement for a circular bioeconomy

AllThings.bioPRO has also been collaborating with citizens on a local level. The main topics addressed relate to aspects of everyday life and include:

• bio-based food packaging
• sustainable fashion
• sustainable bio-based products for children and schools
• jobs and careers in the bioeconomy

VA has been particularly involved in developing the game mission around sustainable fashion and textiles as well as dissemination activities.

Factsheets in English, and translations in the following languages

• The Bioeconomy – a brief introduction | Dutch, Estonian, German, Italian, Swedish
• Jobs and Careers in the bioeconomy | German, Italian
• Sustainable fashion | Dutch, German, Swedish
• Food Packaging | Dutch, German
• Kids & Schools | Estonian, German

Co-creation

Co-creation is at the core of the EU-funded project Allthings.Bio and is an important part of open science, dialogue and the transition to RRI – Responsible research and innovation. The concept is found throughout the EU’s research framework and is, in short, about research and innovation being conducted in a way that takes society’s needs and challenges into consideration.

To ensure maximum relevance, the project uses co-creative activities to learn from end users, stakeholders and to meet the sustainable expectations and needs of the future. Watch film below:

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