Society’s transition towards a circular and bio-based economy needs to happen faster, which generates a momentum where our region has unique conditions in forest-based bioeconomy. However, industry needs to relate to international competition and increasingly stringent requirements regarding environmental pollution and waste, as well as requirements for sustainable use of resources, such as forest raw materials and water. The IB:ACCEL project intends to increase both the rate of development of innovation processes and the commitment of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. IB:ACCEL is the next step in the development of the regional innovation platform for biorefinery development and leads to a shift in focus on the innovation platform, from building R & D capacity to developing innovation and utilisation capacity.