On 24 March 2026, the CBE JU Stakeholder Forum 2026 will take place in Brussels, bringing together Europe’s bio-based community for high-level discussions on how to move from innovation to real market impact. The second edition of the forum will focus on a key question: what still needs to happen for Europe’s bio-based innovations to become competitive, large-scale industrial solutions? The forum will bring together CEOs from leading European bio-based companies, as well as key EU decision makers, to discuss what it takes to transform innovation into industrial reality.
The discussions will take place at a particularly timely moment, as the EU advances key policy initiatives shaping the future of the bioeconomy and industrial transition. The programme is built around the concrete steps that determine whether promising technologies succeed beyond the pilot phase. Firstly, participants will exchange on how bio-based innovations can move from research and development to first-of-a-kind industrial demonstration before debating on what is required to turn those demonstrations into viable, replicable market solutions for the benefit of EU citizens and businesses. These transitions are often where progress slows down. Therefore, the forum is designed to touch upon the technical, regulatory, financial and structural factors that influence them.
The day will open with a high-level exchange on Europe’s bioeconomy and industrial competitiveness, setting the broader context for the discussions that follow. From there, the focus will shift to real-world experience, drawing on lessons from industry and CBE JU-funded projects to examine what enables scale-up in practice and where barriers still persist. Discussions will look at access to finance, investment predictability, infrastructure and skills, as well as the wider conditions needed to support industrial deployment across regions and value chains.
The programme will also look ahead, reflecting on the strategic role of Europe’s bioeconomy in strengthening competitiveness, resilience and sustainable growth in an increasingly challenging global environment. In this context, the forum will provide space to discuss the role of public-private investment in supporting industrial transformation and in ensuring that innovation translates into tangible economic, environmental and societal benefits.
Participants will also have the opportunity to visit an exhibition showcasing more than 40 market-ready bio-based solutions developed by CBE JU-funded projects, offering a concrete view of how EU investment is already translating into industrial applications across different sectors and value chains. The forum will also provide space for networking, allowing participants to exchange perspectives and connect with others working across Europe’s bio-based community.
Registration is mandatory. In case of any questions regarding the event, please contact events[@]cbe.europa.eu. We look forward to welcoming the CBE JU community to Brussels for a discussion on scaling up Europe’s bio-based innovation.