Politics

IFIB 2026 will be held on October 1-2 in Rome. The Eternal City will be the world capital of circular bioeconomy

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On October 1-2, Rome, Italy, will be the center of gravity of world bioeconomy. The Italian city capital will host the International Forum on Industrial Biotechnology. IFIB will be held at the WeGil hosted by Lazio Innova and Lazio Region.  With more than 200 delegates in attendance from approximately 25 different countries from all around the world, also thanks to a partnership with the Italian Trade Agency, the conference truly succeeds one more time in its ambitions aim to be one of the leading bioeconomy events at global level.

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Thailand’s Minister of Industry, Varawut Silpa-archa, visited NatureWorks’ new manufacturing facility at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex

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A high-level delegation led by Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry of Thailand, visited NatureWorks’ manufacturing site at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC). The visit – the American company claims – follows the successful inauguration of the site on April 29, 2026, and highlights the role of public-private collaboration in advancing Thailand’s sustainable industrial development and bioeconomy ambitions.

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EIT invests €70 million to boost innovation skills in universities and deepen cooperation with the European Universities Alliances

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Berlaymont, European Commission’s Headquarter in Brussels

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has selected 35 projects to receive €70 million in funding to help higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe turn research into real-world innovation, strengthen entrepreneurship education and deepen collaboration with businesses. Awarded through the 2025 EIT Higher Education Initiative’s Call for Proposals, the funding will support 552 organisations from 49 countries, including universities, businesses, research centres and public authorities. This investment marks a major step towards achieving the goal of equipping Europe’s future innovators with the skills needed to launch startups, bring new technologies to market, and drive Europe’s competitiveness.

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CBE JU published its 2025 Annual Activity Report: the EU bioeconomy is alive and well

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Virginia Puzzolo, Head of Program at CBE JU at IFIB 2023 in Florence

CBE JU has published its 2025 Annual Activity Report, presenting a year of strong demand, broader participation and tangible progress in supporting Europe’s circular bio-based sector. From record interest in the call for proposals, strong SME and newcomer participation to industrial deployment milestones, progress towards KPIs and wider engagement of new organisations and underrepresented countries, the latest results underline CBE JU’s contribution to the EU’s strategic goals. 

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EU Commission steps up action on Europe’s bioeconomy

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Berlaymont, European Commission’s Headquarter in Brussels

The European Commission is stepping up the implementation of the EU’s Bioeconomy Strategy by launching three complementary initiatives. This includes the Bio-based Europe Alliance (BEA) to support market scale-up, the Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group (BIDG) to improve access to finance, and the Expert Group on Bioeconomy to support implementation by Member States. As part of this, a new call for expression of interest to participate in the BEA was launched on Wednesday 10 June. It aims to address gaps across the value chain that prevent companies from scaling up and reaching full market deployment of bio-based materials and products. 

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Today the second edition of the BioINSouth Forum get started in Seville

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Seville in Spain is hosting the second edition of the BioINSouth Forum. The Andalusian city is for a couple of days the Mediterranean capital of bioeconomy, thanks to the forum that is bringing together leaders and experts from various sectors and disciplines from South Europe and beyond. Today they are discussing and outlining the R&I priorities in bioeconomy, in conjunction with the particularities of the South European regions, asking for a new political EU Initiative: BioSouth. If there is a BioEast it’s also needed a BioSouth to enlarge and boost the European bioeconomy.

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FAO event showcases practical bioeconomy approaches across Europe and Central Asia

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Fountain of Trevi in Rome (headquarter of FAO)

A virtual event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 28 May showcased practical, scalable solutions from across Europe and Central Asia, highlighting how circular bioeconomy approaches in agriculture can drive innovation, support sustainable development and help translate commitments into concrete action on the ground.

The event marked the launch of the publication “Case studies promoting bioeconomy through agricultural practices in Europe and Central Asia”, which presents examples of sustainable and circular agricultural practices already being implemented across the region.

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EESC: “The EU needs a strong and coherent bioeconomy strategy”

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The EU needs a strong and coherent bioeconomy strategy grounded in strict sustainability safeguards, circular design, and reduced resource use, ensuring competitiveness and climate goals remain within planetary boundaries. It must also clearly define the societal value of the bioeconomy. In its opinion, ‘EU Bioeconomy Strategy: Towards a Circular, Regenerative and Competitive Bioeconomy’, adopted on 29 April, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) emphasised that Europe is a resource-constrained and highly import-dependent continent. It relies on fossil fuels and raw materials in an increasingly tense geopolitical situation. At the same time, overexploitation of natural resources is one of the main causes of ongoing biodiversity loss.

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Bangladesh secures support for Asia-Pacific bioeconomy transition

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A Bangladesh-sponsored resolution on sustainable bioeconomy has been adopted by consensus at the 82nd session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The resolution, titled “Supporting the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy in countries in Asia and the Pacific”, reflects strong support from member states across the region, according to a press release issued by the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok.

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Europe’s new platform to help unlock funding for a bio-based future

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Berlaymont, European Commission’s Headquarter in Brussels

A new Bioeconomy Investment Group is being set up to help Europe’s sustainable industries secure the funding they need to grow. The group aims to reduce financial risks for investors, create clear funding standards, and bring together public and private money. Despite already supporting 17 million jobs and generating up to €2.7 trillion in economic value, many innovative bio-based projects struggle to secure financing at critical stages, such as moving from small-scale testing to full industrial production. This funding gap risks holding back Europe’s ability to turn scientific breakthroughs in biotechnology and sustainable materials into real-world industries.  

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