abstract
- A bio-based economy may be defined as one using “...production paradigms that rely on biological processes and, as with natural ecosystems, use natural inputs, expend minimum amounts of energy and do not produce waste as all materials discarded by one process are inputs for another process and are reused in the ecosystem.” The transition towards a more sustainable primary production and resource efficiency will certainly benefit the environment but also induce a number of significant economic benefits, such as stimulating the economy through encouraging innovation and building new and competitive industries through the emergence of new sectors such as biomaterials and green chemistry. The bioeconomy in Europe already exists, and has been estimated at 2.4 billion Euro for 2012, employing more than 22 million people2. The Commission’s bioeconomy strategy and action plan aims at further shifting the European economy towards a greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources; however the transition towards a true bioeconomy relies on a series of breakthroughs in technology and cost effectiveness, as well as the pure availability of biomass.