Unlocking Green Growth: Assessing the Circular Bioeconomy Potential in the Žilina Region

The global transition toward a Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) requires rigorous regional analysis to move from theoretical models to practical implementation. This is the core focus of the new scientific monograph, Assessment of the Potential of the Circular Bioeconomy. A Case Study: Žilina Self-Governing Region (Slovakia), authors: Fila, M. – Filová, S., developed in the context of the international ROBIN (Horizon Europe) project. The work provides a critical evaluation of the resource potential and the primary obstacles hindering CBE development in one of Slovakia’s most geographically distinct regions.

The Žilina Region was selected as one of the five pilot regions of the ROBIN project, making it a key testing ground for assessing circular bioeconomy potential, barriers, and opportunities in practice. Located in north-west Slovakia and composed of 11 districts and 315 municipalities, the region is characterized by its mix of agricultural land, forestry resources, and mountainous landscapes.

The monograph’s primary objective is two-fold: to precisely quantify the available biomass resources and to propose strategic, evidence-based recommendations that align with ROBIN’s goals of fostering sustainable and resilient regional development.

Quantifying the Untapped Biomass Wealth

Utilizing a robust quantitative methodology, the study confirms that the Žilina Self-Governing Region possesses significant, yet largely underutilized, biomass potential. This resource base stems predominantly from its strong agricultural and forestry sectors.

The findings highlight the scale of opportunity:

• Forestry: Despite its challenging geomorphology, the region holds an immense potential for wood waste valorization, estimated at an equivalent of 1,274.8 TJ annually.
• Agriculture: Production on arable land offers an energy potential reaching 533.6 million MJ per year.
• Waste Management: The analysis points toward untapped energy recovery from the waste sector, including the potential for biogas production from sorted kitchen waste, utilization of landfill gas, and processing of sewage sludge.

These detailed quantifications provide the first comprehensive, data-driven foundation for strategically redirecting resource flows away from linear models toward circularity.

Identifying the Barriers to Implementation

The monograph complements its quantitative analysis with in-depth qualitative research, including a survey of key stakeholders such as Local Action Groups (LAGs). This approach revealed that while there is growing interest and theoretical awareness of the CBE, its practical implementation remains at a low level.

The study clearly identified the primary systemic barriers:

• Financial and Knowledge Gaps: A critical lack of sufficient funding for innovative projects and a low level of professional knowledge among local practitioners.
• Information and Cooperation Deficits: The absence of a unified, publicly accessible data platform and suboptimal cooperation between local actors hinders synergy and effective decision-making.

Social Acceptance: A persistent negative perception of key valorization facilities, such as biogas plants, contributes to planning and implementation delays.

Strategic Recommendations and ROBIN Relevance

The monograph’s final section translates its rigorous findings into a set of concrete, pragmatic policy recommendations. These proposals are directly developed to support the overarching goals of the ROBIN project in the Žilina Region, which is managed under the auspices of the Žilina Self-Governing Region’s Development Agency. The recommendations are not merely academic; they are strategically designed to:

• Enhance understanding of the bioeconomy’s benefits amongst all stakeholders (including primary biomass producers as well as consumers).
• Improve regional governance models with increased stakeholder engagement, thereby accelerating the circular bioeconomy transition of the region.

Key recommendations include:

1. Modernization of Biogas Infrastructure: Supporting the upgrade of Biogas Plants (BPS) to incorporate hygienization lines and transition towards biomethane production, a crucial step for decarbonizing the gas sector.
2. Synergy and Efficiency: Promoting the co-location and operational synergy between BPS and composting facilities to maximize resource recovery and increase the overall efficiency of waste processing.
3. Data and Innovation Support: Establishing a unified data platform for the bioeconomy and supporting innovations and knowledge-building in the agri-food and forestry sectors.
4. Policy Alignment: Proposing a robust set of SMART indicators to allow for the systematic monitoring of regional progress in line with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy.

Key data and scientific findings were obtained through the support and active collaboration within the ROBIN project. The scientific monograph’s contribution holds both scientific and potential application value for the Žilina Self-Governing Region, the Development Agency of the Žilina Self-Governing Region, and all relevant regional actors. It provides them with a scientific and expert foundation for creating an effective regional strategy or specific actions for the region’s transition to a circular bioeconomy, which can significantly accelerate and guide the transformation of the Žilina region into a prosperous, green, and sustainable region.

Download the Full Report here: https://razsk.sk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/251025-FILA-Monografia_cislovanie_final_WEB.pdf