The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) is a non-profit organisation, representing the private sector the private sector in the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). The CBE JU is a Public-Private Partnership with the European Commission, and which has a total budget of €2 billion. The partnership mobilises investment in innovative processes and production facilities that manufacture high-quality bio-based products as well as in biorefining research and demonstration projects.

Business Region Aarhus is situated in East Jutland, in the heart of Denmark. With a total of one million inhabitants, we are the largest growth region outside of the nation’s capital, Copenhagen. Our cooperation is rooted in a strong political partnership whose overriding ambition is the realisation of East Jutland as a national centre of growth and a coherent, functional city region. Forging stronger ties is in our mutual interest, which is why we have established a formal partnership comprising 12 municipalities. Business Region Aarhus looks after the interests of East Jutland when it comes to framework conditions and competitiveness, ensuring that the East Jutland metropolis maintains a strong and visible profile, both nationally and internationally. We are committed to growth and development, and Business Region Aarhus speaks with one, powerful voice that provides us with a stronger platform in a competitive, global world. Our cooperation comprises the following municipalities: Favrskov, Hedensted, Horsens, Norddjurs, Odder, Randers, Samsø, Silkeborg, Skanderborg, Syddjurs, Viborg, and Aarhus.

Aarhus is Jutland’s capital and has more than 300,000 inhabitants. It is the centre of "Greater Aarhus", which has a population of approx. 1.2 mill people. Aarhus is a city of students. Aarhus University is no 63 on the top 100 of the world’s 17,000 universities. Aarhus is a city of business. International businesses have established or expanded their activities. The Port of Aarhus has continuously expanded and is an important container hub to the Baltic sea region. Aarhus is a city of culture. A visionary media library as well as other cultural projects are ready to launch their building phases. Aarhus is a city of renewable energy. The wind power industry has a strong presence in and around Aarhus, and Aarhus wants to be Denmark’s number one energy city. The city wants to be CO2 neutral by 2030. Aarhus is a city of development. Over the next 20 years the city must continue to grow – 75,000 new inhabitants, 20,000 new homes, 50,000 new jobs and 10,000 extra students.

The establishment of the Danish Board of Business Development as of January 2019 is an initiative of the Danish government to unite the various efforts within the business promotion. A decentralised effort for business growth and development will ensure a more focused effort, e.g. by concentrating on the needs of the enterprises and the regional differences in order to increase business growth and development in all of Denmark The Board has the task of ensuring that the decentralised business initiatives are coherent across different sectors - state and municipalities.

Food & Bio Cluster Denmark is a globally acting association in the food and bio-resource sector with nationwide service and international cooperation with companies and knowledge institutions within the group of members. We are the direct entry point for Danish and international companies and knowledge institutions for networking, business development, innovation and financing. We promote increased cooperation between research and business and offer our members one-stop-shop access to networks, funding, business development, projects and facilities. We have in-depth experience and can draw on national and international resources to realize new, innovative ideas.

Kromann Reumert is the leading law firm in Denmark with offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus and London. We employ a team of around 500 dedicated people, who work together to provide quality services for our clients. Currently, our employees include around 275 lawyers covering a long list of practice areas. The vast majority of Kromann Reumert’s lawyers are qualified Danish lawyers, but we also have lawyers qualified to practice in other jurisdictions. Kromann Reumert's legal advice is practical, relevant and individually tailored to meet the specific needs of each client. We believe that the best advice is achieved by working in close cooperation with our clients and developing a thorough knowledge of their business. A collaborative approach enables us to provide workable, operational and value-adding solutions for both the short and long term.

Many SMEs experience that even though they have a good idea or a good product, they cannot get an investor. They need to be able to pitch their idea perfectly, have a strong business plan, a clear strategy, a well-defined customer base, etc. to attract investors. European clusters need to be better suited to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) overcome the valley of death i.e. the difficult task of finding sufficient investment to get from idea to business. This is the main focus of the MPowerBIO project.

Viborg Municipality is one of Denmark's largest agricultural municipalities. A significant number of companies and jobs in Viborg Municipality are directly or indirectly related to agriculture, including the production of agricultural machinery, knowledge and technology, food and service industry. Furthermore Viborg Municipality is home to Agro Business Park and Aarhus University’s department in Foulum, where most of Aarhus University’s research into food, agriculture and bioeconomy is carried out. Viborg Municipality has a double interest in contributing to new development and business opportunities for the agricultural sector and at the same time contributing to more climate and environmentally friendly solutions. Bioeconomy is an important part of the answer on how to create new business opportunities and more climate friendly solutions at the same time. Therefore, Viborg Municipality is an active part of and supports various activities that contribute to the development of the bioeconomy. European BioEconomy Venture Forum is one of these activities and Viborg Municipality is proud to be the meeting place for new solutions, companies and potential investors.

Agro Food Park was officially opened in 2009. It was established based on the fact that the Danish agriculture and food industry needs to excel within innovation and be in constant development in order to sustain a competitive position compared to the industry in the rest of the world. In Agro Food Park we strive to create a unique interplay between industry, universities, institutions and investors. Our role is to facilitate connections and co-operation between these by creating environments that generates optimum conditions for the sharing of knowledge along with opportunities to make new connections On a daily basis, approx. 1,000 employees spread across 75 companies work in Agro Food Park. We work together on 45,000 square metres of office space and have laboratory and conference facilities at disposal as well. August 17, 2016, Agro Food Park launched a visionary plan that will make it the leading food innovation and growth centre in Denmark – and one of the best in the world.

The Danish Green Investment Fund is an independent state loan fund with the purpose of co-financing economically viable projects that facilitate and support the sustainable development of our society. Privately held companies, non-profit housing associations and public sector companies and institutions (with budgets separate from the municipalities, regions and the state) can apply for a loan from the fund. The Danish Green Investment Fund seeks to bridge the gap between traditional bank financing and equity capital. The individual loans have a maximum maturity of up to 30 years, and the fund is generally able to finance up to 60 per cent of the total costs associated with the given project. The fund was established as part of the agreement “Et Grønnere Danmark” (“A Greener Denmark”) from 2014 and has a net capital of up to DKK 200 million as well as a state guaranteed lending limit of up to DKK 5 billion in capital to co-finance projects within following areas: Environmental savings Renewable energy sources Resource efficiency

The Danish Growth Fund is the Danish state’s investment fund. We are an independent fund governed by an independent legal act and an independent board of directors. The act concerning the Danish Growth Fund stipulates that the fund must promote growth and renewal for small and medium-sized enterprises in order to achieve a greater socio-economic return. We contribute to the creation of new companies by providing capital and expertise. Since 1992, The Danish Growth Fund has together with private investors co-financed growth in more than 6,600 Danish companies with a total commitment of more than DKK 20 billion. The Danish Growth Fund invests equity and provides loans and guarantees for small as well as medium-sized enterprises in collaboration with private partners and Danish financial institutions. In 2016 these companies had over 53,500 employees in total.

Ard Innovation is approved as a commercialization actor at The Norwegian Research Council, and operates as the Technology Transfer Office on behalf of The Norwegian Institute of BioEconomy (NIBIO) and Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). The company assist both students and employees at these institutions with commercialization of research and student-based ideas, in addition to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in general. The company has currently 7 employees.

Det Kongelige Selskap for Norges Vel (The Royal Norwegian Society for Development) is an independent nonprofit organisation established in 1809, and is Norway's oldest nationwide organisation. We work with sustainable business development within agriculture, aquaculture and renewable energy. The goal is to advance thriving communities both nationally and internationally. The methods are the same as they were at the organisations conception: Cooperation, sharing of knowledge, and business development. Through sustainable projects we are contributing to value creation in communities. Our primary focuses nationally and internationally: • Agriculture and environment • Aquaculture and fishing • Food, culture and experiences • Renewable energy and climate • Entrepreneurship and cooperation