Working Groups/Networks
The Global Bioeconomy Alliance (GBA) is a network of institutions from all over the world, which play a leading role in the field of bioeconomy. Current members are DTU (Denmark), Tec de Monterey (Mexico), TUM (Germany), UNESP (Brazil) and UQ (Australia). The intension of this strategic partnership is to strengthen the cooperation in research and development, innovation transfer as well as teaching to accelerate the turnaround to a more sustainable society and planetary health.
The GBA working groups bring together researchers from member institutions and give them the opportunity to share knowledge, experiences, best practices and to contribute to development of common bioeconomy activities on a global scale with regard to a certain topic. The goal is to provide increased opportunities for research collaboration, joint grant applications, and joint publications across the Alliance.
Members:
- Each working group consists of one or more researchers from each university, with one person from each university being the institutional ‘lead’.
- One member of each group will serve as the group’s ‘speaker’ within the Alliance.
- The members are appointed in collaboration between the Board and the researchers themselves.
Expectations:
- Leads shall meet regularly to share knowledge, experiences and best practices.
- Leads may define by themselves any specific themes within their working group that they want to focus on.
- Speakers engage the GBA Board with concepts on overarching projects to initiate funding options.
- Working groups may be given tasks for a limited time or handle requests from the GBA Board such as: contribution to the GBA homepage; organization of white papers; coordination of relevant sessions at the annual KTB conference.
- In the long term, the group’s work is expected to result in concrete collaborative projects.
Benefits:
- Institutional collaborations: research, projects, and networking between work group members will strengthen each university member and enhance institutional collaboration within the Alliance.
- Brand promotion: leads from each institution act as promoters of the network in general and the focal area in particular. They will draw additional members into the network.
- Personal collaborations and enhanced funding opportunities: leads can establish collaborative programs that may attract funding from diverse international sources.
- Talent: recruitment of talented postgraduate students into collaborative projects (e.g. DTUQ, QUEX, IGSSE, etc.).
- Enhanced exchange formats: additional access to research and teaching infrastructure across member institutions.
- Lobbying and political engagement: support from GBA leadership to e.g., lobby specific (larger) proposals at funding bodies or establish contact with relevant industries, NGO’s, governments, foundations, etc.
Reporting:
- The speakers of the working groups will meet regularly (e.g., twice per semester) with the leadership of the Alliance to report on the group’s activities and participate in strategic decision-making.