The factsheet was produced through the Climate-KIC Biohorizons and the Interreg IVB NWE Bio Base NWE projects.
BioHorizons
The Climate-KIC Biohorizons project was led by Dr Edward Hodgson, Aberystwyth University, UK and co-ordinated by NNFCC, UK. Project partners were Imperial College, UK, South Pole Carbon Ltd. Switzerland; University of Valencia, Spain; University of Bologna, Italy; PANNON Pro Innovation Services Ltd. Hungary; University of Kassel, Germany; INRA, France.
BioBase NWE
The Bio Base NWE partnership consists of seven European organisations, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, Belgium; Bio Base Europe Training Centre, The Netherlands; NNFCC, UK; Technology Centre for Biorefining and Bioenergy (TCBB), Republic of Ireland, CLIB2021, Germany; REWIN, The Netherlands and Gent Bioenergy Valley, Belgium.
The Bio Base NWE project has now come to an end. However, BioBase4SME is a new 3-year project launched in 2016, as a continuation of BioBaseNWE with additional support services for SMEs.
Factsheet Overview
This factsheet gives an overview of the UK's bioeconomy innovation technology system. It includes the key government interventions, research initiatives, networks and finance instruments.
Bioeconomy Governance
The key government bodies are:
- Department for Transport (DfT)
- Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC)
- Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
- Department of Environment, Food, Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- A joint-ministerial role champions the waste bioeconomy
Bioeconomy Strategies
A number of national plans and strategies have been published by public bodies to develop the UK bioeconomy:
- Building a High Value Bioeconomy: Opportunities from Waste (2015)
- Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy (2011)
- IB 2025 – Maximising UK Opportunities from IB in a Low Carbon Economy
- Synthetic Biology Roadmap for the UK 2012
- The High-value Manufacturing Strategy 2012
- A UK Roadmap for Algal Technologies 2013
- Anaerobic Digestions Strategy and Action Plan
- Biorefinery Roadmap for Scotland 2015
For more information about the UK's bioeconomy please download the factsheet above, or contact Dr Caitlin Burns, NNFCC.
Bioeconomy Factsheet Series
This factsheet series provides a concise summary of how different EU governments are supporting the growth of the bioeconomy through policy, strategy and research. Other Factsheets in this series include: