Europe’s bioeconomy: building the next generation of industrial leadership

This high-level session will open the forum by outlining how industrial bio-based innovation contributes to Europe’s broader competitiveness objectives. Speakers will reflect on the current geopolitical and policy context, including the recently updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy. The session will also focus on future outlook, the importance of industrial ecosystems and the role of the public-private partnership in scaling up and delivering solutions that benefit citizens, regions and all actors in the value chain.

• Nicoló Giacomuzzi-Moore, Executive Director of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking
• Eric Mamer, Director-General for the Environment, European Commission
• Harald Dialer, Executive Vice President, UPM Innovation and Next Generation Renewables

·      

From lab to fab: enabling scale up of bio-based innovations

This session will focus on the critical transition from research in the laboratory to industrial-scale demonstration. It will explore the technical, regulatory and systemic conditions that must be in place to allow promising bio-based solutions to reach first-of-its-kind industrial scale demonstration. CBE JU-funded projects will illustrate how the partnership has supported scale-up and deployment of innovations and what is needed to accelerate this progress.

• Sophie Roelants, Co-founder &  Chief Operating Officer of AmphiStar
• Nicolas Sordet, Chief Executive Officer of AFYREN
• Antonio Delgado, Chief Executive Officer of Natac
• Diego Canga Fano, Deputy Director-General and Director responsible for Outreach, Research and Geographical Indications, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
• Mary Maxon, Research Affiliate, The Linde Center for Science, Society and Policy, Caltech

From demonstration to market uptake: enabling replication and full-scale commercialisation

Building on real-world experiences, this session will examine how bio-based industrial actors move from industrial demonstration to full-scale commercialisation. It will address challenges linked to access to finance, market uptake and long-term investment predictability. The discussion will highlight practical solutions that can enable the European Union to strengthen its position as a leader in sustainable industrial transformation.

• Catia Bastioli, Chief Executive Officer of Novamont
• Tom van Aken, Chief Executive Officer of Avantium
• Felipe Ortega-Schlingmann, Head of the Bioeconomy Division, European Investment Bank
• Valère Moutarlier, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs
• Niklas von Weymarn, Chief Executive Officer of Metsä Spring

CBE JU role in the new EU bioeconomy vision: what is needed to boost Europe’s competitiveness?

This final session will bring together perspectives on how to better support the Europe’s bio-based sector in the current challenging global context. Building on the day’s discussions, from moving innovation beyond the lab to securing financing and creating the right conditions for market uptake, it will look at how existing tools can work better together, where gaps still remain, and what support should be considered.

It will also reflect on how the Joint Undertaking can continue playing a key role in strengthening Europe’s industrial base, driving sustainable innovation and supporting the implementation of the upcoming bioeconomy framework.

• James Morrison, Chair of the CBE JU Governing Board, Director Healthy Planet, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
• Rob Beekers, Vice-Chair of the CBE JU Governing Board, Business Development Director, Cargill’s Bio Industrial Group

An exhibition of bio-based materials, products and technologies developed by CBE JU-funded projects will showcase more than 50 market-ready prototypes from 22 projects.

The exhibition highlights tangible, innovative solutions already creating economic value and supporting Europe’s industrial transformation. The products are grouped into ten application areas, from cosmetics and packaging to construction and textiles, demonstrating how bio-based solutions are already integrating everyday sectors and value chains.