The first European bioeconomy strategy was published in 2021, revised in 2018, and is now set to be further developed by the end of the year. The ShapingBio project, coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), aims to support this process. The team has published a policy brief setting out its demands and recommendations for action. These are based on surveys, interviews and events involving almost 2,000 bioeconomy stakeholders from politics, research and civil society.

Strengthening funding and improving market conditions

In the brief, the researchers highlight areas where action is needed and provide practical recommendations. According to the brief, in order to exploit the full potential of the bioeconomy in the EU, greater strategic cooperation between Member States and regions should be sought. The focus is on improved horizontal and vertical coordination and more intensive exchange between relevant stakeholders from education, business, the environment, civil society and politics.
It is also recommended that access to finance be improved along the entire innovation chain in order to facilitate the translation of research results into industrial applications. The aim is to tailor financing conditions more closely to the needs of innovative companies, to provide targeted instruments for projects with a high degree of technological maturity, and to further expand public-private partnerships. In addition, uniform market conditions and targeted measures to promote demand are intended to accelerate the introduction of bio-based products on the market.

It's all about community

‘Europe has clear strengths in the bioeconomy – from diverse biomass resources to leading research and innovation. But fragmented strategies and the uneven distribution of innovation capacities are slowing us down,’ emphasises Sven Wydra, head of the Bioeconomy and Life Sciences business unit at Fraunhofer ISI and coordinator of the ShapingBio project. According to Wydra, a collaborative approach is needed to counteract this: a coherent policy that strengthens cooperation, targeted funding and Europe's leadership role in the bioeconomy.

ShapingBio aims to support and accelerate innovation in the bioeconomy and the implementation of new findings in the EU and its member states. The current policy brief is part of a series of publications within the framework of ShapingBio. According to ISI, those responsible at the European Commission, who are currently drafting the new EU strategy for the bioeconomy, have responded positively to the recommendations.

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