Reports


Boosting the EU Bioeconomy - EuropaBio (August 2012)

The bioeconomy encompasses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy via innovative and efficient technologies provided by Industrial Biotechnology. It is already a reality and one that offers great opportunities and solutions to a growing number of major societal, environmental and economic challenges, including climate change mitigation, energy and food security and resource efficiency.

   

Building a Bio-based Economy for Europe in 2020 - EuropaBio (August 2010)

Europe is at the forefront of industrial biotechnology. With the right policies and focus, Europe should be able to develop and implement a clear strategy for deploying the world’s leading bio-based economy by 2020.

In order to benefit from the full potential of Europe’s resources and its academic and industrial capabilities, the Commission and the member states need an integrated and holistic approach to develop a sustainable and competitive bio-based economy. It will be essential to have coherent policy across many sectors, such as climate action, energy security, renewable feedstock supplies, research and innovation, agriculture, the environment, and trade. It will also require the ongoing dedication and commitment of all stakeholders to make it happen.
   

The Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) in Europe: Achievements and Challenges (2010)

The increasing demand for a sustainable supply of food, raw materials and fuels, together with recent scientific progress, is the major economic driving force behind growth of the Knowledge Based Bio-economy (KBBE) in Europe over the last few decades. The bioeconomy – the sustainable production and conversion of biomass, for a range of food, health, fibre and industrial products and energy, where renewable biomass encompasses any biological material to be used as raw material - can play an important role in both creating economic growth, and in formulating effective responses to pressing global challenges. In this way it contributes to a smarter, more sustainable and inclusive economy.

It is estimated that the European bio-economy currently has an approximate market size of over 2 trillion Euro, employing around 21.5 million people, with prospects for further growth looking more than promising. In addition to being economically favourable, the KBBE can help to meet the most urgent global challenges improving public well-being in general. Areas that it can benefit include social and demographic development and its impact on agriculture, the growing pressure on water, the threat of climate change, the limited resources of fossil fuel, the need for sustainable development, the impact of changes in lifestyles and eating habits, the demand for safer and healthier foods and the prevention of epizootic and zoonotic diseases.
   

Biorefinery feasibility study (March 2011)

The EU has set an ambitious target to reduce GHG emissions and oil dependency. The key to achieve this goal is to establish a biobased economy that focuses on replacing oil in all applications including plastics, chemicals and other materials.

Europe is well positioned to spearhead the development of a new bioeconomy with world leading companies in the biochemical industry and strong agricultural industry. However, the EU risks falling behind the US, Brazil and China as the development of the bioindustry is facing a major barrier due to the lack of demonstration facilities to mature technologies and commercialization. It is urgent for Europe to capture the economic and environmental benefits arising from its research investments.

 There is a gap in demonstration scale second generation biorefineries focusing on the production of high value products like chemicals, materials and fibres. The industry is willing to invest but lacks public funding support to realize projects . The bioindustry has come together to promote this goal (e.g. via EuropaBio). The ambition is to see at least two lignocellulosic demonstration scale integrated biorefineries within the value chains.

To avoid falling behind the global competition, Europe needs to start demonstration activities as soon as possible. In the short-term the best option is to join the European Industrial Bioenergy Initiative (EIBI) to establish integrated demonstration scale biorefineries producing both bioenergy and biochemicals/materials. This will imply establishing several smaller consortia with bioenergy producers and other key stakeholders around targeted value chains.

In the medium to long term (funding windows opening 2013) the most attractive option is to foster the launch of a tailored European Biorefinery Initiative (EBI) similar to EIBI but focused on non-fuel biorefineries in the biobased economy. The bioindustry along with Research Technology Organizations (RTOs) and member states in dialogue with. EC could establish a European Biorefinery Initiative (wider than EIBI, focused in the biobased economy) under the European Strategy for Bioeconomy. The outcome of this process remains uncertain. Alternatively establishing a PPP or encouraging a joint FP8 call for demonstration scale biorefineries could be viable options. Both PPP and FP8 are in the process of being defined and the outcomes remain uncertain. Previous PPPs (called JTI) have been deemed bureaucratic and are not likely to continue. The EC asks for input to redesign the PPP facility. Using FP8 for biorefinery investment would require an expansion of funding eligibility from research to Capex.

The industry needs to collaborate to establish the framework for these funding opportunities. These funding options leave room for multiple sub-consortia to establish different demonstration facilities tailored to their demonstration needs without compromising IP. These consortia will define detailed technical design and locations for demonstration facilities according to their members’ priorities. Industry’s immediate next steps are to align on the strategy to pursue.
   

Report on Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe (2012)

Over the next 40 years Europe will have to address a number of social challenges. The constant increase in the world population, the rocketing growth of demand for food and energy and the scarcity of natural resources worldwide mean that Europe will have to reflect on the new approach to take in terms of production and consumption, in order to deal with these new requirements efficiently and sustainably.

The bioeconomy is a major opportunity to meet those challenges by ensuring not only greater sustainability but also support for rural development, a potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, improved sustainability of the production cycle and the spread of industrial innovation along the entire value chain

The bioeconomy strategy could be the solution to our dependence on fossil fuels and the road towards smart growth. If it is forward-looking, it could also provide the answer to food security, economic growth and the creation of new jobs.
   

Biotechnology update - OECD (June 2013)

The purpose of the OECD Biotechnology Update is to provide up-to-date information on the diverse activities at OECD related to biotechnology. The newsletter is mainly intended to serve a purpose to the wider biotech community.
   

Biotechnology for the Environment in the Future: Science, Technology and Policy - OECD (April 2013)

There are at least two policy regimes to be considered, one for environmental biotechnology, and another for industrial biotech. Environmental biotechnology is focused on biotechnologies for environmental clean-up, and much of the policy in this area is around compliance. Industrial biotechnology has quite different policy objectives and only started to grow as a field with the worldwide interest in biofuels. Much of the world now has targets for bioenergy and favourable policy regimes to stimulate production and use of biofuels, but sustainability is now a real issue for biofuels production. This should become an international theme as more countries start to adapt biofuels as part of their energy supply.
   

Industrial Biotechnology and Climate Change : Opportunities and Challenges - OECD (2011)

This paper explores the potential role of industrial biotechnology in the biobased economy. Along the way it examines emerging trends, the impact of innovation, the convergence of technologies, and goes on to identify the challenges involved. It concludes with a need for an integrated and strategic approach to allow industrial biotechnology to fulfil its potential as a force for good, not a panacea, in the struggle with climate change. Industrial biotechnology has suffered a lack of investment at all levels, and there is a serious mismatch between future expectations of this industry and this low level of investment. Policy intervention is seen to be required across three broad criteria – social/environmental, industrial performance and economical. To make this all happen requires not only national but international policy in a rapidly globalising world.