Publication date:
The Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group met yesterday in the Netherlands for its inaugural meeting, bringing together around 30 investment organisations committed to strengthening investment across Europe’s bio-based industries. The group has a clear mission: to turn Europe’s bio-based potential into bankable reality by de-risking investment, scaling up bio-based solutions and unlocking the private capital needed for a competitive European bioeconomy.
Convened by the CBE JU Programme Office, the European Commission and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), the meeting gathered the group's appointed members to define the scope of their work and agree on the road ahead.
The kick-off marked the start of the platform's activities under the Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy adopted by the European Commission in November 2025. During the meeting, the appointed members shaped how the group will operate, including its structure, governance and priorities for the 2026–2027 work plan. The following outcomes were defined:
- The group was formally established and its leadership elected, appointing Michiel Strijland of Invest-NL as Chair and Michael Brandkamp of the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) as Vice-Chair.
- Members agreed on a work plan with clear deliverables and responsibilities, ensuring ownership and accountability.
- Dedicated working teams were formed, providing a strong operational basis for collaboration.
The group is now ready to begin addressing the investment gap needed to scale bioeconomy solutions.
Mandate, objectives and role of the group
The Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group is composed by financial institutions, such as national promotional banks, private commercial banks, venture capital, private equity funds and other institutional investors. As defined in the Terms of Reference, the main objectives of the group are to:
- Facilitate the mobilisation of private investments for scaling up and deploying bio-based solutions to the market.
- Further develop and deploy the suite of financial instruments (e.g. blended finance, risk sharing instruments, simplify investment regulations, etc.) that are tailored to the sector’s needs.
- Optimise access for financing opportunities by innovative companies, especially SMEs.
- Advise on policy measures and regulatory improvements needed to de-risk bioeconomy investments.
Representatives from the European Commission and BIC, both founding partners of CBE JU, recalled the group's mandate and objectives for the next 18 months, while the European Investment Bank outlined the part it will play in channelling investment into the bioeconomy.
The European Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group marks a new way of aligning public and private actors around shared investment priorities. CBE JU looks forward to working closely with all members as the group enters its initial phase of work.
Nicoló Giacomuzzi-Moore, CBE JU Executive Director
Established following a scoping event held in Brussels on 22 April 2026, where the need for a more coordinated approach to scaling up investment in the bioeconomy at European level was highlighted, the group will serve as a platform for cooperation between public and private stakeholders involved in financing and supporting the market adoption of bio-based solutions in Europe. The initiative aims to boost the scale-up of these innovations by addressing investment challenges, reducing risks for investors and facilitating access to private capital.
The high level of engagement and enthusiasm demonstrated by all attendees contributed significantly to the success of the event and highlighted the strong interest in the group’s objectives. The group also remains open to other financial institutions that would like to join. Expression of interest are to be sent by email to Deployment.Group[at]cbe.europa.eu with ENV-BIOECONOMY-STRATEGY[at]ec.europa.eu in copy.