Berlin will be the world capital of bioeconomy. Around 800 experts from more than 70 countries are expected to participate in the second Global Bioeconomy Summit in the German capital city. High-ranking representatives from politics, science, civil society and the business sector will meet from 19 to 20 April to discuss the latest bioeconomy developments. In focus: opportunities and challenges for an increasingly biobased and sustainable economy.
For the second time, the German Bioeconomy Council, with the financial support of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has invited experts on bioeconomy, innovation and sustainability from all over the world to Berlin.
H.E. Anja Karliczek, the Federal Minister of Education and Research, will open the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2018 at the Telekom-Forum (HSR) on 19 April. More than 100 top-class speakers will join the event, among them ministers and government representatives from Asia, Africa, Europe, South and North America, international policy experts from the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission, as well as high-level representatives of science and industry.
In six plenary sessions and 14 workshops, the conference offers a broad platform for discussing the current societal and political challenges from a bioeconomy point of view.
“The creation of a sustainable, biobased economy is more urgent than ever, considering the growing environmental and climate problems. The great response to the summit is a clear sign that we need a global policy exchange, beyond national policy and research strategies,” said Joachim von Braun, co-chair of the German Bioeconomy Council, pointing out: “With this conference, we are creating an unparalleled global forum where key players of the bioeconomy can discuss future political actions, exchange best practices and learn from each other.” At the same time, the summit provides an opportunity to review the progress made since the first Summit in 2015.
On the first day, the German Bioeconomy Council will present its new study, which provides an overview of political bioeconomy activities worldwide. Around 50 countries have integrated the bioeconomy in their strategies to date. On the second day, the results of an expert survey on expectations and future visions for the bioeconomy will be published. This survey was commissioned by the German Bioeconomy Council and received contributions from 350 international bioeconomy experts. The 40 members of the International Advisory Council of the summit will also present key policy recommendations in a Communiqué.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 