What is the bioeconomy?
The bioeconomy, as described in the updated EU bioeconomy strategy, covers all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources (animals, plants, micro-organisms and derived biomass, including organic waste), their functions and principles.
It includes and interlinks: land and marine ecosystems and the services they provide; all primary production sectors that use and produce biological resources (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture); and all economic and industrial sectors that use biological resources and processes to produce food, feed, bio-based products, energy and services.
- National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy
The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs and Action Plan for Rural Development called for an assessment of the potential of Ireland’s bioeconomy to further contribute to economic development and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The National Development Plan – Project Ireland 2040 the Government’s €116 billion development plan which is underpinned by a 20 year planning framework, highlights the potential of the circular bioeconomy in promoting the more efficient use of renewable resources while supporting economic development and employment in rural Ireland.
As part of Project 2040 the Government published on 12 March 2018 the first National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy. Through this commitment the Government recognises that the bioeconomy is crucial for sustainability and circularity while also providing an impetus to rural and regional development and employment.
- Bioeconomy Implementation Group
The Government has mandated an implementation group jointly chaired by the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Marine and Communications, Climate Action and Environment to address a number of major actions, in close collaboration with bioeconomy industries and other partners, and report back to Government within a year.
Implementation Progress Report
Bioeconomy Implementation Group First Progress Report (pdf 16,513Kb)
Minutes
The Bioeconomy Implementation Group held 4 Meetings (pdf 269Kb) throughout 2018 and one meeting in 2019.
Bioeconomy Ireland Day 2018
The Bioeconomy Implementation Group coordinated Bioeconomy Ireland Day 2018, an information-sharing & networking event, which attracted over 250 attendees at the National Bioeconomy Campus in Lisheen in October 2018 to highlight bioeconomy activity and national and EU supports.
This event brought together stakeholders and leaders from industry, research & innovation and policy engaged in bioeconomy opportunities.
The event included a workshop to harvest common insights, themes and ideas expressed by stakeholders during Bioeconomy Ireland Day 2018. This feedback has been summarised in the following report (pdf 7,084Kb)
For more information:
- EU Commission – Research and Innovation – Bioeconomy
- EU Bioeconomy Strategy – Innovating for Sustainable Growth – A Bio-economy for Europe
- EU Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy
- EIB – Circular Bioeconomy Thematic Investment Platform
- EU Research & Innovation Funding – Biobased Industries Joint Undertaking – Public Private Partnership
- Private Sector engagement in EU Bioeconomy – Biobased Industries Consortium
- Teagasc – BioEire Results
- Science Foundation Ireland – Beacon Bioeconomy Research Centre
- Enterprise Ireland – Lisheen Bioeconomy Biorefining Pilot Facility
- Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) – The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) published a paper (2019) on Realising the opportunities for enterprise in the bioeconomy & circular economy. This aims to ensure DBEI’s response to issues arising from the transition to a low carbon circular economy and bioeconomy is informed by a clear evidence-based understanding of the potential enterprise opportunities.
- Irish Bioeconomy Development – irishbioeconomy.ie – join the Irish bioeconomy stakeholder network