EU project releases comprehensive policy brief to support European bioeconomy

In Belgium,the  EU-funded ShapingBio project has released a comprehensive policy brief outlining key recommendations to support the European Commission in creating an optimal framework for a sustainable and competitive European bioeconomy. The recommendations feed into the upcoming New EU Bioeconomy Strategy, expected to play a crucial role in advancing Europe’s transition towards a circular, climate-neutral economy.

The policy brief emphasizes the following urgent needs and provides practical recommendations on how to address them:

Stronger strategic coherence across Member States and regions to unlock the EU’s full bioeconomy potential, by improving horizontal and vertical coordination and intensifying quintuple helix stakeholder dialogues

Improved access to financing across the innovation chain, helping companies scale from “lab to fab,” with funding conditions better aligned to innovators’ needs, funding instruments for activities on higher TRLs, and the expansion of public-private partnerships

Harmonized market conditions and demand-side policies to accelerate the deployment of all segments of bio-based products.

A thriving bioeconomy is central to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and other major societal challenges. With its cross-sectoral scope, the bioeconomy provides sustainable alternatives to fossil-based systems and fosters innovation in areas such as food, materials, energy, and industrial processes.

The recommendations are based on extensive engagement with nearly 2,000 key bioeconomy stakeholders – including policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and civil society representatives – through surveys, interviews, and 45 events held between 2022 and 2025.