Berlaymont, European Commission’s Headquarter in Brussels
Today, the Commission adopted a new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy, charting a way forward to build a clean, competitive and resilient European economy. By using renewable biological resources from land and sea and providing alternatives to critical raw materials, the EU will move forward towards a more circular and decarbonised economy and can decrease dependence on fossil imports.
BASF and ExxonMobil have formed a strategic collaboration to advance methane pyrolysis technology, a next step toward delivering efficient, cost-competitive low-emission hydrogen solutions for industrial use. The companies have signed a joint development agreement to co-develop methane pyrolysis technology, including plans to construct a demonstration plant aimed at commercial readiness.
There is a new English partnership in the bioeconomy. York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Tees Valley Combined Authority, the University of York, Teesside University, and CPI, signed a partnership which aims to create around 5,000 skilled jobs across the two regions. The partnership will bring together universities, businesses and local government to drive innovation in sustainable materials and chemicals, helping to cut emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
CEO Tom Van Aken and Her Majesty Queen Maxima. Source: Avantium
Avantium, a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, signed a capacity reservation agreement for its plant-based, recyclable polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate), branded as releaf®, with Logoplaste Consultores Técnicos, SA., a global packaging manufacturer. Logoplaste and Avantium are collaborating as strategic partners within the Bottle Collective, a consortium dedicated to developing recyclable fiber-based bottles. This agreement further strengthens their partnership and supports the joint development of next-generation packaging solutions, extending beyond the paper bottle and into Logoplaste’s core business of high-performance bottles for beverages, food, pharma, home care, and personal care.
Computer-generated aerial view of the North Blyth biomass power station
The European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA) released a new expert paper by the nova-Institute, titled “Benefits of Using First-Generation Biomass for Food, Fuels, Chemicals and Derived Materials in Europe: Science-based Argumentation Paper.” According to EUBA, the research confirms that using first-generation agricultural biomass – such as cereals, sugar, and oilseed crops – to produce bio-based energy and materials delivers significant benefits for food security, biodiversity, agriculture and climate change mitigation across Europe.
Neste and United Airlines have expanded their existing partnership to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to three new major airports in the United States. The new agreement makes United the first commercial airline to purchase SAF for use on flights from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey, and Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington D.C.
Eni and the Bioenergy Association for Sustainable Development, affiliated with the Ministry of Environment of the Arab Republic of Egypt, signed in Cairo a cooperation agreement to prepare a comprehensive feasibility study for establishing biogas production units based on the treatment of animal and agricultural waste. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment.
Former EU Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn speaks to delegates during the Bioeconomy conference in Dublin on February 14, 2013.
The Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, the Department of Climate, Energy, and the Environment and the International Advisory Council of the Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) today announced that the fifth Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS 2026) will take place in Dublin, Ireland on 20 and 21 October 2026 at the Convention Centre Dublin, during Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The partnership project between Stora Enso, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Newcastle University that was initiated in early 2024 to advance positive impacts on forest biodiversity has been completed. The aim of this collaboration was to create a framework for the forestry sector to reach a net positive biodiversity impact with active forest management by reducing threats to species and conserving and restoring ecosystems.
Avantium, a Dutch leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, signed Memoranda of Understanding with Tereos, a global leader in sugar, starch, alcohol and bioethanol production, and with LVMH GAÏA, the scientific and environmental R&D division of LVMH Moet Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, the world leader in luxury. Together, the parties will establish a strategic collaboration to accelerate the industrial-scale production of PEF (polyethylene furanoate), Avantium’s 100% renewable and circular performance polymer known under the brand name releaf®. Releaf® is made from plant-based feedstocks and can be applied across food & beverage packaging, cosmetic packaging, fashion and industrial fibers. This alliance unites Avantium as the inventor of releaf® with trailblazers Tereos and LVMH to scale bio-based plastics from plant-based resources, contributing to the transition away from fossil-based plastics.