A more robust bioeconomy could help the EU accelerate its progress towards a circular and low-carbon economy

 

What do we mean by the bioeconomy? 

The bioeconomy means using renewable biological resources from land and sea - like crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms - to produce food, materials and energy. A more robust bioeconomy could help the EU accelerate progress towards a circular and low-carbon economy.

In addition to preserving the environment and biodiversity, the shift to a bioeconomy could help modernise the EU industrial base, creating new value chains and greener, more cost-effective industrial processes. Its sectors and industries, ranging from agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and bioenergy, have strong innovation potential due to their use of a wide range of sciences.

What is the EU policy on the transition and innovation towards the bioeconomy?

Climate change, coupled with unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, is urging the  EU economy to be built on renewable biological resources. With the world’s increasing population also comes the need to secure global nutrition while protecting renewable resources and the environment. The shift to a bioeconomy could be brought about by cutting-edge biological and technological knowledge and methods which ensure both flourishing and sustainable production, provision and processing of biomass.

To reach these ambitious objectives, the European Commission adopted a Bioeconomy strategy which was later accompanied by a targeted Action Plan along three main action areas: (1) strengthen and scale-up bio-based sectors, unlock investments and markets; (2) deploy local bioeconomies rapidly across Europe; and (3) understand the ecological boundaries of the bioeconomy. The development of this EU strategy highlights the importance of the bioeconomy as a major component for the implementation of the European Green Deal.

The examples listed below are just a glimpse of how the EU research and innovation projects overseen by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) aim to contribute to a sustainable bioeconomy in Europe.

Setting the foundations for Europe’s bioeconomy

The danger posed by climate change has led governments and organisations to seek out novel green and systemic solutions that could help hinder its negative impacts.

The EU-funded POWER4BIO project sought to change this by presenting regional stakeholders with the necessary instruments and methods to bring sustainable bioeconomy strategies. The project provided several bio-based models and recommendations to foster communication, collaborative learning and research transfers. All in all, 10 participating regions were involved, that represented a population of around 88 million people, a GDP of €2 460 billion and an area of almost 450,000 km2.

More about POWER4BIO

Recruiting bioeconomy ambassadors

To improve public understanding and engagement in circularity and bioeconomy, educational initiatives are needed. For that, the EU-funded GenB project is co-creating resources like toolkits on bioeconomy and bio-based sectors. The project is recruiting ambassadors to inform and inspire their communities on sustainable circular economy and bioeconomy in the fields of food systems, forestry, agriculture, fisheries, rural development, ecosystems, and more.

More about GenB

A smooth transition to a sustainable (circular) bioeconomy

In the same line, the EU-funded project BioBeo aims to educate European youth about the benefits of the bioeconomy. To achieve this, it strives to develop engaging educational programme using five bioeconomy themes: interconnectedness, outdoor learning, forestry, life below water and the food loop. BioBeo gathers 15 partners across 10 countries committed to promoting the bioeconomy concepts and to co-create and co-deliver the programme. The pilot programs have already reached more than 35 schools, 1 000 university students, 1 800 parents/guardians and 100 teachers. The overarching goals of this innovative project are to facilitate the shift to a sustainable bioeconomy, encourage active citizenship and boost the numbers of young people pursuing STEM careers.

More about BioBeo

Producing advanced bio-based fertilizers from fisheries wastes

One way to reduce greenhouse gases and soil contamination is with the active use of Bio-Based Fertilisers (BBFs). These can be made from the nutrients recovered from aquaculture by-products and fish processing waste. The EU-funded SEA2LAND project will encourage the production of large-scale fertilisers in the EU from own raw materials. It is forecasted that this innovative solution will lessen Europe’s imbalance in soil nutrients and eventually, the BBFs will serve to partially replace imported nutrients for agriculture in Europe.

More about SEA2LAND

The sustainable conversion of CO2 into added-value chemicals to fight global warming

One of the processes that can accelerate the transition towards a net zero environment is the sustainable conversion of CO2 into added-value chemicals. Biorefinery industries are key in making this happen. The CO2SMOS project is developing a set of novel technologies, aiming to help bio-based industries transform CO2 into chemicals needed in order to produce sustainable bio-products. The project will combine innovative bio-technological and intensified electrochemical conversion processes along with renewable sources, such as green H2 and biomass.

More about CO2SMOS

The EU-funded VIVALDI project is developing a cost-efficient and sustainable biotechnological solution to convert CO2 into industrially added-value organic acids such as 3-hydroxypropionic acid, succinic acid, itaconic acid and lactic acid. In this way, the industry will not only cut its greenhouse gas emissions but also employ them as a novel feedstock, reducing its reliance the import of fossil fuels and the exploitation of vital resources such as energy, raw materials, freshwater and land. The adoption of the VIVALDI concept sets the path towards the implementation of a new CO2-based industrial sector that is environmentally and economically competitive with the current fossil-based alternatives.

More about VIVALDI

 

The EU Bioeconomy strategy aims to accelerate the deployment of a sustainable European bioeconomy. Research and innovation projects are making it possible. Under the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (2021-2027), the EU has invested more than €900 million from Cluster 6 in projects advancing in both the bioeconomy and circular economy sectors. Currently, there are two calls for proposals open for funding offering €147,5 million to support innovations in both sectors.

More info

Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival, in Brussels, on 13 - 14 March 2024

European Bioeconomy policy

How the bioeconomy contributes to the European Green Deal

BIOEAST initiative for sustainable bioeconomies in Central and Eastern European countries

Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy