Knowledge Based Bio-Economy towards 2020

The Knowledge Based Bio-Economy towards 2020 conference will take place in Brussels on 14 September 2010. The conference is organised by the Flemish Department of Economy, Science and Innovation in close collaboration with the European Commission.

The Knowledge Based Bio-Economy can deliver biological solutions and benefits for everyone and will have (and already has) far-reaching implications for the whole of society. This conference will be the meeting place for all stakeholders within the bio-economy field in Europe.

The aim of this high level conference is twofold

1. A stocktaking exercise of the progress made since 2005 by looking at the results of the implementation of the KBBE, in European and national research activities and industrial output, issues highlighted by the bio-economy related Technology Platforms, and by other stakeholder associations. The debate will be fed by a constructive analysis and synthesis of published studies and reports such as the Becoteps White Paper, the OECD report ”The Bio-Economy to 2030” or the WWF study on Industrial Biotech.
    
2. Looking towards the future and providing input for the new vision and action plan of the European Commission for a sustainable and innovative bio-economy, given the huge challenges our planet is facing. This could take the form of a Commission Communication in autumn 2010*. Although the knowledge base in Europe is outstanding, we have to ensure that Europe not only keeps this comparative advantage in the future, but keeps on growing more competitive and innovative, especially with new emerging economies building up their capacities in biotechnology education and science.

   The bio-economy will be part of the EU 2020 Strategy for “a new sustainable social market economy, a smarter, greener economy, where our prosperity will come from innovation and from using resources better, and where the key input will be knowledge.”

This strategy should enable the EU to make a full recovery from the crisis, while speeding up the move towards a smart and green economy. EU 2020 will build on the successes obtained by the Lisbon strategy since its 2005 relaunch, which focused on growth and jobs, but will also address some of the Lisbon strategy's shortcomings.

* Commission Communication on a new vision and action plan for a sustainable and innovative European bio-economy.