Today the European Commission adopts a new proposed €3.8 billion Public Private Partnership for Biobased industries in Europe, aimed at ensuring smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, and at enabling Europe to become a world-leading Innovation Union . The proposal comes as part of an innovation investment package of new Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) under Horizon 2020.

At the announcement, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: "These initiatives not only strengthen our economy, they are an investment in a better quality of life. Working together will enable us to tackle issues that no one company or country can deal with alone."

The Biobased Industries PPP, also known as ‘BRIDGE’ - Biobased and Renewable Industries for Development and Growth in Europe - is a multi-sector initiative whose vision is that of a society and economy which increasingly makes everyday products, such as food, feed, textiles, chemicals and fuels, from locally sourced biomass and wastes, rather than from fossil fuels. The initiative will create jobs in a broad range of sectors in Europe, triggering rural growth across regions whilst placing sustainability and the smart and efficient use of resources at its heart. In doing so, it will also aim to overcome the EU’s so-called ‘innovation valley of death’ by bridging the gap between excellence in technology and success through EU commercialisation of biobased products. 

Nathalie Moll, EuropaBio Secretary General stated: “For far too long the EU’s industry leaders in Industrial Biotechnology, which is a key enabler of the broader biobased economy, have had to seek support and investment overseas. Crucially this has meant that the benefits of cutting edge EU technology are reaped elsewhere.  Today’s announcement is a positive sign that the EU is seeking to reverse this trend, though initiatives such as the biobased industries PPP. It is now crucial that the European Parliament and Member States support this proposal”

DSM’s Stephan Tanda, Chair of EuropaBio’s Industrial Biotechnology Council concluded:  “The proposal put forward today for a biobased industries PPP is a major milestone on the journey towards a smarter, more sustainable, more innovative EU economy. It underscores the commitment of both the Commission and of Industry to work together with a broad community of European stakeholders, from farmers to foresters, to scientists to citizens in the development of a world leading EU biobased economy.” 

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BRIDGE website

SPIRE website

European Commission Announcement

European Commission factsheet on biobased industries JTI

Videos explaining the Bioeconomy

For further information, please contact:

Rosalind Travers

Communications Manager, EuropaBio

Tel: +32 (0) 2 739 11 73

GSM: +32 (0) 478 680 301

Email: r.travers@europabio.org

Or

Joanna Dupont-Inglis

Director, Industrial Biotechnology, EuropaBio

Tel: +32 (0) 2 739 11 84

GSM: +32 (0) 476 607 135

Email: j.dupont@europabio.org

About EuropaBio:

EuropaBio is the European Association for Bioindustries and was created in 1996 to represent the biotech industry in Europe. EuropaBio's mission is to promote an innovative and dynamic biotechnology-based industry in Europe. We represent 55 corporate members,15 associate members and Bio regions, and 17 national biotechnology associations, who in turn represent more than 1800 small and medium sized biotech companies in Europe. Members of EuropaBio are involved in research, development, testing, manufacturing and commercialisation of biotechnology products and processes. Our corporate members have a wide range of activities: human and animal health care, diagnostics, bio-informatics, chemicals, crop protection, agriculture, food and environmental products and services EuropaBio also welcomes associate members such as international commercial, financial, asset management and other service-providing companies, regional biotechnology development organisations and scientific institutes. The common denominator among all our members is the use of biotechnology at any stage of research, development or manufacturing. www.europabio.org