The World BioEconomy Forum and partners are launching a survey on the formation of a global hub to serve the bioeconomy sector. The aim of the hub is to encourage dialogue relating to all important matters concerning the global bioeconomy as well as its challenges and opportunities. The survey will allow stakeholders across the globe to advise and inform as to what the topics and subjects the hub should be comprised of. The bioeconomy is set to become a major economic stream in the future, and therefore will require growing international collaboration between the various parties.
Last year was remarkable for the bioeconomy. There were several new biostrategies launched and we have now seen the superpowers of the USA and China moving forward on their commitments. Both countries launched biostrategies last year. Globally there are already close to 60 national biostrategies worldwide.
There are estimates that the global bioeconomy value will account for one third of all economical activities by 2030 representing $US30 trillion. At the same there are more and more voices proclaiming that we are moving into what is the fourth industrial revolution; the biorevolution. In order keep up the pace for the future, more international collaboration is needed in the bioeconomy sector.
The bioeconomy does have its challenges as it is not yet a well-known entity when it comes to a large audience. In a sense the bioeconomy is everywhere but is nowhere. And this is why the World BioEconomy Forum, with its partners, are launching a survey on a global hub for the bioeconomy.
The digital survey will explore the following topics:
1) What issues of the bioeconomy should be discussed at a global level
2) How a potential global hub should be manged and arranged
3) How should it be financed
The survey will be launched on 15 February in the World BioEconomy Roundtable on “Biorevolution is knocking on the door”, and it will be open until end of September. During the season 2023 the Forum will revisit development of the survey with its upcoming Roundtables, for instance on the 25 April in the “Witnessing a new era for the BioEconomy in Africa”
Honourable Chair of the World BioEconomy Forum, Dr. Christian Patermann describes the status of the global bioeconomy, “There is an unbroken dynamism worldwide in the development of national and regional bioeconomy strategies in particular during the last years: from Colombia and Uruguay to Namibia, and from the region of Queensland/Australia to Egypt, and from China to the Brazilian state of Para. There is, however, no mechanism worldwide existing to systematically identify in which states or regions such strategies are in the pipeline, with what kind of priorities in content and financing, in which format (dedicated strategy, action plan, platform, embedded into Sustainability Programmes or a Circular Economy Programme , or the so-called Green Economy. Such a survey as now proposed, the first of its kind ever undertaken, might turn out to be a tremendous helper for all those who seriously strive at making this planet more sustainable and worthwhile to live and work in a bio-circular green way. It will not be reasonable to reinvent the Bio-Wheel because of simply not knowing what is already done!”
Muyambi Fortunate, Deputy Executive Secretary (Projects and Programme) at East Africa Science and Technology Commission emphasises importance of the survey for Africa, “The East African Community has developed a Regional Bioeconomy Strategy that will create a vibrant, inclusive and innovative bioeconomy contributing to sustainable economic growth and development in East Africa. The strategy will catalyse and support innovative and sustainable use of bioresources as the major driver of inclusive sustainable economic growth and job creation in East Africa through innovation. The World Bioeconomy Forum global hub will contribute to the implementation of the East African Community Regional Strategy.”
Founder of the World BioEconomy Forum, Jukka Kantola commented on the survey, “We are hearing more and more voices on the question on forming a global hub for the bioeconomy. One just cannot make a decision on this subject, so we thought that it would be better to explore this topic holistically trough a digital survey. This will provide us all some guidance on potential arrangements for the future. We are asking help from the bioeconomy stakeholders to provide their insights on the topic. As the importance of the bioeconomy is emerging everywhere, more international collaboration is needed to enhance developments of the bioeconomy.”
The Forum engages with participants from 90 nations of the UN during each season. All Forum activities are organised according to the FOUR-PILLAR Structure.
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