BEAMING Researcher’s PhD Links Sustainable Urban Transformation and Urban Bioeconomy

In September 2026, Jovana Kisin, researcher at Educons University and member of the BEAMING project team, successfully defended her PhD dissertation at the Faculty of Business Economics within the doctoral programme in Economic Sciences. Her research examines the economic dimensions of smart cities as models of sustainable urban development, connecting digital transformation, innovation, sustainability and citizen-centred urban development.

A particularly relevant connection with the BEAMING project is the dissertation’s exploration of urban bioeconomy as an instrument of structural transformation of smart cities. The research positions urban bioeconomy within the wider context of the digital and green transition and examines its potential contribution to more sustainable and resilient urban economies.  The dissertation discusses how smart-city infrastructure, digital platforms and data-driven systems can support circular resource flows and the development of bio-based activities, while urban bioeconomy can add a material, resource-efficient and circular dimension to smart urban transformation. It also highlights the importance of innovation ecosystems, cross-sector collaboration and new value chains in linking technological development with bio-based economic models. 

This perspective closely connects with BEAMING’s broader interest in strengthening bioeconomy research, innovation ecosystems and knowledge valorisation. It also illustrates how bioeconomy can be explored beyond its traditional rural and agricultural contexts, as part of a wider discussion on the future transformation of cities and urban economies.

Jovana’s doctoral research therefore represents another example of how researchers involved in the BEAMING community are contributing to emerging interdisciplinary perspectives on the bioeconomy and its role in sustainable transformation.