First editions of the summit took place in Berlin in 2015 and 2018,  this year it will be delivery fully virtually. The digital conference event with more than 1,800 participants is financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The programme is brought together by the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IAC), a body that was formed as part of the first GBS in 2015 and has been organizing the summits ever since.

5 plenary sessions, 12 interactive workshops, 100+ high-level speakers

With five plenary sessions and 12 interactive workshops, the conference covers a broad spectrum of discussions within the bioeconomy. For the first time, the IAC on Global Bioeconomy welcomes official partners from each continental region to strengthen the international character of the GBS. They are representing Japan, the ASEAN region, Eastern Africa, the European Union, and Latin America & the Caribbean. 

The bioeconomy's role of solving global crises

More than 100 top-class speakers are taking part to discuss, among others, the bioeconomy’s role of solving global crises and effects of the corona crisis towards a sustainable bioeconomy as new economic strategy that stabilizes global economies. “In the wake of pandemic, the global bioeconomy community will virtually come together for GBS2020 to explore uncharted territory and advance our sustainable development,” Morakot Tanticharoen, Senior Advisor to the President of the National Science and Technology Development Agency Thailand (NSTDA). That Europe is willing to play its part in further establishing a biobased economy, is underlined by Peter Wehrheim, Head of Unit for the “Bioeconomy and Food System” at the European Commission:“By scaling up its bioeconomy, the EU can become the first climate-neutral continent: I look forward to see many concrete best practice solutions for climate mitigation at this year’s Global Bioeconomy Summit.”

However, speakers will not only refer to economy-driven potentials, but also will include social perspectives. “The transition towards bio-based economies is not only about production but also about sustainable consumption. GBS2020 covers both sides of the equation and brings together experts from around the world to discuss regional differences in lifestyle and culture,” says Torfi Jóhannesson, Senior Adviser at the Nordic Council of Ministers. Top-class researchers such as Mary Maxon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will also contribute to the GBS. “A vibrant bioeconomy is economic activity that is reinforced by the safe, secure, ethical and reciprocal use of biological data, as well as by international standards and norms in research and business operations,” she says.

Communiqué and policy recommendations on how to further establish a sustainable bioeconomy

At the end of the virtual GBS conference week, a communiqué with policy recommendations developed and agreed by the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) will be published and a shared vision on sustainable bioeconomy will be presented. For the first time the "Bioeconomy Youth Champions" will be chosen at the GBS. More than one hundred young bioeconomy players from all over the world have applied to take part in this competition, eight of which will be awarded and prepare their own Bioeconomy Roadmap.

Global expert survey and policy report results

The GBS will again provide the platform to present several international report results. The Global Expert Survey will shed light on sustainability governance for the bioeconomy and the Global Bioeconomy Policy Report summarizes again how countries across the globe have integrated bioeconomy into governmental action. According to this latest research, the trend of developing dedicated bioeconomy policy strategies has prevailed in recent years with 19 countries and macro-regions (Austria, Costa Rica, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Nordic Countries, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, UK, US, East Africa)[1] having adopted strategies since 2010. In parallel, according to the authors, bioeconomy development is increasingly driven by the engagement of macro-regional and international actors as well as stakeholders from science, civil society and industry.

Industry, policy and science expertise represented