John Bell of the European Commission discusses the strategies and initiatives in place to strengthen Europe’s bioeconomy.

John Bell, Director of Healthy Planet, DG Research & Innovation at the European Commission, discusses the strategies and initiatives in place to strengthen Europe’s bioeconomy.

The term ‘bioeconomy’ refers to activities that deal with renewable biological resources from land and sea, like crops, forests, fish, animals, and micro-organisms to produce food, materials, and energy. In a world where sustainability and the conservation of resources are more important than ever, the development of a strong bioeconomy is being prioritised in many regions across the globe. Europe, in particular, has implemented various strategies and initiatives in recent years to strengthen its bioeconomy to accelerate progress towards a circular and low-carbon economy.

Initially introduced in 2012, Europe’s Bioeconomy Strategy paved the way for a more innovative, resource-efficient, and competitive society that reconciles food security with the sustainable use of renewable resources for industrial purposes, while ensuring environmental protection. The Strategy was updated in 2018 to include actions to scale up and deploy locally the bioeconomy, capitalising on and going beyond the previous successful research and innovation (R&I) investments, in order to create growth and job opportunities at a local level, to reinforce the bio-based sector, and contribute to the modernisation of EU industry.

The Innovation Platform spoke to John Bell, Director of Healthy Planet, DG Research & Innovation at the European Commission, to learn more about Europe’s bioeconomy and the European Commission’s commitments to strengthen it.

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