On 20 September, the Fraunhofer EU Office in Brussels will hold a workshop entitled Sustainable and Competitive: the Bioeconomic Future of the EU.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity and increasing global population all pose huge challenges for humanity. The bioeconomy can provide solutions.

This workshop will discuss Fraunhofer's Roadmap for the Future Development of the Circular Bioeconomy. It will explore the scientific and technological potential and challenges of the bioeconomy up to 2035, how applied research can promote market ramp-up of the bioeconomy with a view to meeting ecological and socioeconomic needs, and the policy framework needed to achieve this.

Participants will help identify solutions for the four application areas of bioeconomy: nutrition, biomass material utilisation, CO₂ value creation and socio-economic aspects of the bioeconomy.

AGENDA

• 12:00 Registration and lunch

• 12:45 Introduction: Roadmap for the Future Development of the Circular Bioeconomy - Markus Wolperdinger, Director Fraunhofer IGB, Alexander Böker, Director Fraunhofer IAP

• 13:15 Bioeconomy in the EU - a key strategic priority - Peter Wehrheim, Head of Unit "Food Systems and Bioeconomy", DG Research, European Commission

• 13:30 Parallel workshops - Part I

           - Workshop A: The sustainability transition in the food sector

           - Workshop B: Circular (Bio)economy – how can biobased plastics contribute? [in-person participation closed - online only]

• 14:30 Coffee break

• 14:45 Parallel workshops - Part II

           - Workshop C: CO₂ - a sustainable raw material for the bioeconomy?

           - Workshop D: Governance of bioeconomy: a socio-economic transition

• 15:45 Plenary discussion

• 16:00 End of the event

The workshop will take place on 20 September at 12:00 - 16:00 CEST in Brussels and online. Register.