“The real question is where Europe can lead. To answer that, we need a sharper understanding of end markets and stronger market-pull policies to drive uptake of bio-based products. Scaling innovation requires demand, and demand must be actively supported through policy. Ultimately, the bioeconomy is not just about replacing fossil carbon. It is about redefining Europe’s place in the global economy.” To say this – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Philippe Mengal, the new executive director of BIC (Biobased Industries Consortium).
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
First of all Philippe, welcome back to the bioeconomy world. How does the sector look to you after a few years of absence?
Indeed, I feel like I’m back home, just in a different room. What stands out immediately is how much the bioeconomy has climbed the European agenda. With the revised Bioeconomy Strategy and its 2040 ambitions, the sector is no longer peripheral. It is central to Europe’s vision of sovereignty.
The narrative has clearly evolved. Today, a competitive bioeconomy is not just about sustainability; it is about resilience, autonomy, and industrial leadership. The growth of the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) reflects this momentum. From 100 industry members a few years ago to over 400 today, including a strong base of SMEs, BIC has significantly strengthened its credibility and influence.
This expanded role is visible: BIC is now shaping discussions around initiatives like Biotech Act II and leading task forces to define future lead markets for bio-based products. That said, structural challenges persist. Access to finance – particularly across the two “valleys of death” – remains a bottleneck, as does the need to de-risk investments. Regulatory complexity and insufficient market pull mechanisms continue to slow progress
Still, I remain optimistic. Consumer demand is rising, technologies are maturing, and if we apply the lessons learned, focusing on scalable, market-driven solutions, the sector is poised for significant growth. However, the next five years will determine whether Europe leads the bioeconomy, or imports it.
Last year, the European Commission presented the new Bioeconomy Strategy. What are your thoughts on this strategy and what do you think are the necessary measures today to move from strategy to action?
The updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy provides a strong and honest diagnosis of the barriers to investment and market uptake. The inclusion of an Action Plan with timelines is a welcome step, because it shows intent.
Europe has clearly and ambitiously articulated where it wants to go by 2040. But intent is not enough. The current measures lack the boldness required to fully deliver this vision. The real challenge now is execution at scale and speed. In a global race, timing is everything, and today, Europe risks moving too cautiously.
One priority is continuity: extending the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is essential to bridge the first innovation “valley of death”, but also the second one. Europe has no shortage of high-quality, scalable projects, but too many fail to reach the market.
Equally critical is to fully addressing the second valley of death, moving from demonstration to industrial production. This requires targeted financial instruments, stronger support for scaling, and the creation of real lead markets. Without demand-side measures, innovation alone will not translate into impact.
Europe must also invest decisively in biomanufacturing capacity. If we want to lead, we need to produce, not just innovate.
We live in an unstable and threatening geopolitical context, where the EU appears weak and still overly dependent on fossil fuels. What role do you think the bioeconomy can play in this context and what is needed to make it a priority in EU policies?
The bioeconomy is one of the few areas where Europe can turn vulnerability into strength.
Today’s geopolitical instability has exposed a simple truth: dependence is risk. The bioeconomy offers a pathway to reduce that risk by anchoring production in local, renewable resources. It allows Europe to move from extraction-based dependency to regeneration-based sovereignty.
Bio-based industries directly contribute to Europe’s strategic autonomy by reducing dependence on fossil imports and critical raw materials. They can enable a “Made in Europe” model, using our own resources, such as agriculture, forestry, and biowaste, to build resilient value chains.
This is not theoretical. There is solid evidence that Europe has sufficient sustainable biomass to support this transition, including the responsible use of first-generation feedstocks without compromising food security. The key is ensuring access to all sustainably sourced biomass. Therefore, Europe already has the biomass, the knowledge, and the industrial capacity to build this model. The challenge is to mobilize it coherently and at scale.
At the same time, the global race is accelerating Countries like Brazil and China are not just investing. They are building ecosystems designed for speed and scale. Europe must respond with the same level of strategic clarity. We risk losing ground if we do not act decisively.
The real question is where Europe can lead. To answer that, we need a sharper understanding of end markets and stronger market-pull policies to drive uptake of bio-based products. Scaling innovation requires demand, and demand must be actively supported through policy.
Ultimately, the bioeconomy is not just about replacing fossil carbon. It is about redefining Europe’s place in the global economy.
How do you see the future of CBE JU and BIC in the coming years?
Europe’s bioeconomy works because public-private collaboration works – and CBE JU is the engine behind it. CBE JU plays a critical role in bridging the gap between research and industrial deployment. It turns innovation into reality.
This model is globally recognised, with other countries looking to us for inspiration on how to replicate its success.
Few regions can match the leverage that the Joint Undertakings have created: for every euro of public funding, the private sector invests more than three. This private investment rises to five euros for flagship biorefineries. That is a powerful signal of confidence.
The leverage it creates is not just financial – it is systemic. It aligns innovation, industry, and policy toward a common goal.
Europe needs a platform capable of orchestrating the transition from innovation to industrial ecosystems and a renewed CBE JU could be that platform. Renewing this partnership is essential if Europe wants to stay a global leader.
BIC will continue to play a central role in this ecosystem. From 30 founding members to over 400 companies today, with 80% of them SMEs, it has become the industry’s collective voice and a key interface with policymakers.
Beyond representation, BIC actively supports companies in navigating complex regulations, aligning funding with real industry needs, and accelerating investments. Through roadmaps, data-driven analyses, and foresight studies, BIC helps shape both policy and strategy.
A major focus going forward is overcoming the second valley of death, scaling from demonstration to commercial production. Initiatives such as revising EIB eligibility criteria to include primary biomass for biochemical and material production are concrete steps in the right direction. Similarly, progress on an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) for bio-based industries shows that Europe is beginning to align its industrial policy with its ambitions.
Many European countries and regions still lack a bioeconomy strategy with a related action plan. European fragmentation is an obstacle to innovation and competitiveness. How do you think Brussels can overcome this fragmentation in the bioeconomy?
It is indeed striking that, even in 2026, some European countries still lack a bioeconomy strategy, despite clear evidence that every region has untapped potential.
Bridging this fragmentation starts with continued advocacy and demonstration. Together with the European Commission and other stakeholders, we must clearly show the value of national and regional strategies, not just for sustainability, but for economic development and strategic autonomy.
The priority now is to ensure full implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy’s Action Plan, including a successor to CBE JU. At the same time, the Commission must actively monitor progress and be ready to introduce corrective measures where needed to stay on track for 2040 objectives.
At the same time, regions must be empowered to act. They are where the bioeconomy becomes tangible. Regions are closest to feedstock, innovation ecosystems, and industrial deployment. Tools like BIC’s regional funding platform help map opportunities and improve access to funding.
We should also embrace more flexible and innovative approaches, such as regulatory sandboxes at regional level, to accelerate experimentation and deployment.
The real vision is a connected European bioeconomy, where regions specialise, collaborate, and scale together. If we achieve that, Europe will not just overcome fragmentation – it will turn diversity into a competitive advantage..
IL BIOECONOMISTA 