CBE JU Stakeholder Forum 2023

• Over 50 renowned speakers representing the bio-based sector, including industries taking up bio-based solutions, brand owners, research and innovation providers, public sector, local and regional authorities, and other stakeholders shared insights on what drives the sector’s considerable contribution towards a sustainable future for Europe.
• Nine engaging panel discussions explored key challenges and opportunities in the bio-based sector across three themes:
  • How to stimulate demand for circular bio-based solutions?
  • How to facilitate access to finance to scale up circular bio-based production in Europe?
  • What R&I is needed to keep the European leadership in the bio-based sector in the medium-long term?
• The exhibition of 30 highly innovative bio-based solutions made by CBE JU-funded projects demonstrated the industry's commitment to pushing the boundaries of technological advancements and the maturity of these solutions for market uptake.
• Two workshops focussed on measures supporting a successful bio-based sector’s roll-out in Europe: providing the education and training that address the skills needed to unleash the potential of the sector and making the sector attractive for young professionals.
• 400+ participants from 30+ countries attended the event and its multiple networking opportunities.

• CBE JU is a success story in advancing the European bio-based sector, in terms of de-risking investments and engaging a fragmented stakeholder community around a common goal.
• Bio-based production must reach beyond the replacement of fossil-based products with bio-based ones: it has to be circular, minimise the use of natural resources and consider environmental, social and economic impacts.
• The regional dimension is key in the bioeconomy, since biomass is locally sourced and the bio-based sector is an important booster of local economies. Regions are also important drivers of innovation.
• The European bio-based sector needs to present a strong common narrative to support the take-up of bio-based solutions by both large industries and consumers.
• The shift from fossil-based to bio-based production and consumption requires consistency in legislation and policy objectives, supportive industrial regulation, access to finance, and adapted standardisation.
• The transition to a circular bio-based economy can only happen through true collaboration among all stakeholders, ranging from primary producers to researchers, to small businesses and large industries, as well as acceptance by consumers.

Consult the full event report.

Immerse yourself in the full session content: 

• Opening plenary
• Session 1.1. - Taking up bio-based products and solutions: consumer and business perspective
• Session 1.2. - Shifting industry towards bio-based production
• Session 1.3. – Facilitating the deployment of bio-based solutions across Europe: the role of the regions
• Session 2.1. - Attracting financing in the bio-based sector
• Session 2.2. - Overcoming the challenges of biorefineries
• Session 2.3. - Making bio-based companies and projects bankable
• Session 3.1. – Setting the bio-based sector’s R&I priorities for the next 30 years
• Session 3.2. - Innovating for competitiveness
• Session 3.3. - Innovating for a sustainable future
• Closing plenary