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BIOFORE
Bell concedes that the EUmarket
remains fragmented and is not
innovation-friendly enough. A large
number of Europe’s best researchers
and innovators are moving to
other continents in search of more
favourable conditions.
One of the disadvantages faced
by Europe is that land and energy
costs are lower and political support
and incentives are higher in its peer
countries. Europe is spending 0.8%
of GDP less than the US and 1.5% less
than Japan every year on Research &
Development (R&D).
“Our challenges are interconnected
and require effective action inmany
sectors. To unlock our potential
we need to increase research and
encourage more innovations in new
technologies”, emphasises Bell.
“We are putting much effort into
further developing bio-based products
like bio-plastics, bio-chemistry as
well as bio-basedmaterials, which
“The bio-based economy
is going to play a key role
in replacing fossil fuels
on a large scale, but this
is not just about energy.
We are also seeing new
emerging sectors, such
as biomaterials and
green chemistry.”
– John Bell.
The next industrial revolution
Europe is on a mission to lead the
bio-economic revolution. The
European bioeconomy is already a
major economic sector accounting
for nearly 18 million jobs in various
well-established bio-based industries
ranging from agriculture to forest-
based industries.
“The bio-based economy is going
to play a key role in replacing fossil
fuels on a large scale, but this is not just
about energy. We are also seeing new
emerging sectors, such as biomaterials
and green chemistry,” Bell says.
Accelerating development will
offer important opportunities for
innovation, jobs and growth, helping
Europe to ‘reindustrialise’. This task
requires expanding political awareness
of the need for a coherent framework to
promote investment in the bioeconomy
globally.
An increasing number of EU
Member States are creating their own
bioeconomy strategies. “More than
ever we need new sources of growth in
Europe. We can benefit economically
and environmentally frommaking
better use of our biological resources.
Our industry needs to fully exploit
the business opportunities that
will be created in the transition to
a sustainable economy.
“There are talented and visionary
people taking advantage of these
opportunities all over Europe. The
change is happening at a national
level but also many EU regions are
focused on launching their bioeconomy
strategies.”
Bio-breakthroughs big and small
Europe holds the biggest share
in the total number of industrial
biotechnology patent applications filed
since 2000. Although Europe leads the
field in innovation, it has not succeeded
in commercialising its technologies as
well as international competitors such
as the US, Brazil, China and South East
Asia.
John Bell