The EU’s leadership in technology and biomanufacturing innovation is transformative and enables Europe’s long-term competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The next five years will be crucial for the EU bioeconomy and its industries. With its links to biotech and biomanufacturing, the bioeconomy can contribute to a stronger overall EU economy.

However, a global technology race is underway in the technology and manufacturing sectors, with the winners leading global manufacturing and trade. Europe is in danger of being left behind if it does not capitalise on its assets in the bioeconomy.

Building up on the European Commission’s 2024 Communication on Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, it is now time to take ambitious and bold actions to make the bio-based industries sector a strategic pillar for biomanufacturing in Europe. Scaling-up innovation and expanding and creating markets for bio-based solutions like bio-materials will be key.

The BIC Trend Report aims to show concrete examples of what can be done and how by:

• Looking at the current situation and possible future of biomanufacturing regulations in Europe, with input from EU bioeconomy stakeholders, including representatives from the European institution, NGOs, think tanks and private sector companies.

• Providing case studies from companies effectively using biomanufacturing.

• Seeing what results can be achieved by better combining biomanufacturing with artificial intelligence and also with the textile industry.

• Comparing how biomanufacturing is treated other parts of the world.

• Making policy recommendations for improving and increasing biomanufacturing based on best practices and commercial needs.

BIC Executive Director Dirk Carrez says, “Europe urgently has to reinforce the industrial dimension of the bioeconomy to strengthen long-term competitiveness and resilience, and maintain its leadership in innovation. Other regions appear more strident in their approaches to the bioeconomy. We believe that to foster growth and innovation in Europe, it is essential to accelerate the pathway to technology including biotechnology and biomanufacturing at scale. There is no lack of good and cutting-edge business cases to be scaled-up, so that these innovations can reach the market. With its innovative power and by creating new industrial ecosystems, the bio-based industries sector is a strategic pillar for biomanufacturing in Europe today.”

Read the BIC 2024-2025 Trend Report