Knowledge Based Bio-Economy towards 2020

The European knowledge based bio-economy (KBBE) has been growing continuously. In its main sectors of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food, energy and chemicals, it today employs around 22 million people. The bio-economy is estimated to be worth € 1.5 trillion a year.

The KBBE concept was launched by the European Commission in 2005 through its first conference, after which it was made an integral part of the 7th Framework Programme with the theme ‘Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology’ accounting for a total funding of € 2 billion. This has been complemented by Member State resources via Joint Programming initiatives. Other important existing mechanisms in the European bio-economy-landscape are: Member State initiatives via ERA-NETs, the 10 bio-economy related European Technology Platforms providing strategic research agendas and improving the link between research and industrial needs, the SCAR foresight activities setting research priorities and the KBBE-NET coordinating Member States’ EU research policy.