Bioeconomy

Bioeconomy is a quickly emerging sector and dedicated strategies for a biobased economy have recently been developed by the European Commission and other countries, such as the US, Canada, and Australia. Bioeconomy is seen as a chance to switch from an economy, that is based on the use of fossil raw materials to a new, innovative and sustainable economy that is based on biogenic resources. For this emerging sector already today experts are needed.

Bioeconomy includes the primary sectors agriculture, forestry and aquaculture as well as the sectors that use and process biogenic materials. The production of as well food, feed, fibre (standing for any material or chemical use of biomass) and (bio)fuels are included. Questions of competing claims for biomass as well as consumer preferences and acceptance and the marketing of biogenic products are addressed in research and education on Bioeconomy. The very broad scope of aspects relevant to bioeconomy calls for joining expertises and educational efforts at a European scale to educate specialists that can deal with the challenges of a European and global bioeconomy. Therefore, the objective of this recently founded subject area “Bioeconomy” is the building of a co-operation between important European Universities dealing with above mentioned bioeconomic sectors and to use the synergetic potential for educating bioeconomists in and for Europe