The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) has published for the first time a Trend Report on how Europe can unleash the full potential of the bioeconomy, so that it can better contribute to the EU's green transition.
In 2012, the world admired Europe as a global leader in launching the EU bioeconomy strategy. Today, the world and Europe are looking to other regions that are braver in making the bioeconomy a strategic industry sector. In particular the US with its recently launched initiatives, but also China, India and the G20.
European and EU policymakers need to take a fresh look at the bioeconomy and how it can enable circularity, climate change mitigation, resource efficiency and boost reindustrialization in the coming years.
The Trend Report is the result of four workshops organized by BIC in 2023 with EU bioeconomy stakeholders, with the participation of representatives from the European institution, NGOs, think tanks and private sector companies.
Illustrated with real-world examples from the private sector, the Trend Report provides key insights from the workshops and policy recommendations to unlock the innovation potential of Europe's circular bioeconomy.
“The bioeconomy is part of the solution for a green transition. It supplies bio-based products that are largely purchased, manufactured, used and recycled in Europe. One of the things the EU can do to positively impact and accelerate the bioeconomy at scale is to establish a regulatory framework that will reduce our dependence on new fossil carbon. Not only for fuels, but also for the fossil carbon that is used as a material in the products we make and use in Europe.”
Rob Beekers, BIC chairman
“What makes the biobased industry so special is the way it uses a systematic approach, creating new industrial ecosystems. From the start of a project to the end, partners from the entire biobased chain work together to design and implement projects in a systematic manner. And in doing so, they address the economic, social and environmental impact – from purchasing to production, and from processing to delivery to end users.”
Dirk Carrez, CEO of BIC
