Brussels, 14 May 2013

Today, EuropaBio launches a collection of new films on the key enabling role of industrial biotechnology in creating a more vibrant, sustainable and competitive EU bioeconomy.  The bioeconomy encompasses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, biobased products and bioenergy, via innovative and efficient technologies provided by industrial biotechnology.

EuropaBio produced the films in response to calls for tangible examples where biobased industries are working together to build new value chains across Europe. They show the benefits, first hand, of developing a smarter, more sustainable, more inclusive biobased economy for farmers, communities, consumers and the environment and were filmed in France, Denmark, Hungary and Germany.

The films were first premiered in February, at the EU Irish Presidency's conference on the bioeconomy in Dublin and, more recently, at an event in the European Parliament, on the Bioeconomy, hosted by MEP Vittorio Prodi. He noted: "One of the difficulties of communicating the great value and huge potential of the EU bioeconomy is that it means different things to different people. Ultimately, developing a more dynamic and competitive EU bioeconomy is about creating stronger symbiotic relationships between the valuable assets we have in our environment, agriculture, science and industry in order to use our resources more efficiently and to develop more sustainable products and processes.”

EuropaBio Secretary General, Nathalie Moll, concluded: “Biobased industries, using industrial biotech, are already making a major contribution towards tackling the big societal, environmental and economic challenges we face. There are so many more examples out there of how these new partnerships are bringing widespread benefits across the member states. Our hope is that these films will help inspire others to share their success stories to show how investments in biobased industries pay back big dividends for Europe and Europeans.”

To view the films please click here

For more information please contact:

Joanna Dupont-Inglis

Director, Industrial Biotechnology, EuropaBio

Tel: +32 2 739 11 84; GSM: +32 476 60 71 35 Email: j.dupont@europabio.org

Rosalind Travers

Communications Manager

Tel: +32 2 739 1173; GSM: +32 478 680 301 Email: r.travers@europabio.org