Fourteen cluster from eleven different European countries will launch today in Brussels the European Bioeconomy Clusters Alliance (EU Bioeconomy Clusters Alliance), a new European network that unites efforts to boost the growth of a circular and sustainable bioeconomy across Europe.
More European clusters with an interest in bioeconomy are expected to join the alliance throughout 2025. The launch event gathered key European Commission representatives, industry leaders, and circular bioeconomy stakeholders. Among the experts present were Astrid Ladefoged, Head of the Green Transitions Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (DG R&I), Catia Bastioli, CEO Novamont and President Cluster SPRING (Italy), Nicolò Giacomuzzi-Moore, Executive Director of CBE JU, and Dirk Carrez, Director of the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC). The event featured discussions on the role of the circular bioeconomy in the European Green Deal, the Clean Industrial Agreement, and the importance of bioeconomy clusters in fostering innovation.
Circular bioeconomy is an essential tool within European strategies and policies to combat climate change and enhance Europe’s competitiveness. To enable the transition to a circular and regenerative bioeconomy, bio-based products must be used as key tools to “do more with less,” overcoming resource overexploitation, pollution issues, and closing the carbon cycle.
To achieve this, the members of the new alliance will explore and coordinate joint activities and initiatives. Based on the key elements of national and regional bioeconomy strategies, the European Bioeconomy Clusters’ Alliance members have decided to explore collaborative partnerships to accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of bio-based innovations, enhance innovation, competitiveness, and resilience in Europe through circular bioeconomy.
This initiative aligns with the ongoing revision of the European Bioeconomy Strategy and aims to strengthen the role of European clusters as facilitators and key stakeholders, both regionally and nationally, in achieving the set objectives.
Founding Members of the EU Bioeconomy Clusters Alliance:
• Bioeconomy Cluster, Slovakia
• Bioeconomy For Change (B4C), France
• CluBE, Western Macedonia, Greece
• Cluster industrielle Biotechnologie e.V. (CLIB), Germany
• Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía (CTA), Spain
• Food & Bio Cluster, Denmark
• Cluster de Alimentación del Valle del Ebro (Food+i), Spain
• Flanders Food, Belgium
• Greek Bioeconomy Council, Greece
• Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (IBF), Ireland
• P-bio, Portugal
• SPRING, the Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster, Italy
• Wagralim, the agri-food innovation cluster of Wallonia, Belgium
• World Bioeconomy Association, Finland
IL BIOECONOMISTA 