ShapingBio: Policy Brief - Recommendations for the New EU Bioeconomy Strategy

his policy brief is an output of the project ShapingBio, a HorizonEurope funded Coordination and Support Action. Its aims are to gain a deeper understanding of the EU bioeconomy innovation eco-system and to derive recommendations on which measures should be taken, by EU, Member States, and others to strengthen bioeconomy innovation systems. The findings and recommendations presented in this policy brief are based on the triangulation of different data sources, such as comprehensive desk research, surveys, in-depth interviews and intensive engagement throughout 45 events with around 2,000 key bioeconomy decision-makers, experts and stakeholders from all over the EU between 2022 and 2025. The ShapingBio project has developed recommendations for a more coherent and competitive bioeconomy across the European Union. The following recommendations are mainly targeted at the European Commission: For a globally competitive European bioeconomy sector, coherent strategic approaches to bioeconomy must be taken throughout the EU to exploit its diverse strengths synergistically. This requires improved coordination horizontally and vertically and intensified quintuple helix stakeholder dialogues. Access to financing has to be improved along all stages of the innovation chain to enable companies to move from lab to fab. Funding conditions should be better aligned to innovators’ needs. Funding instruments for activities on higher TRLs as well as Public-Private-Partnerships should be expanded. Better market conditions are essential for the deployment of bio-based products and to realize their potential to address sustainability challenges. Therefore, the EU bioeconomy strategy should anchor a coherent policy mix for bio-based products with additional economic demand-side instruments and more harmonized market conditions for bio-based products.