The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) released a policy brief warning Europe must act quickly to scale biomanufacturing and stay competitive globally. The brief titled “Financing the bio-based revolution: crossing Europe’s valleys of death” highlights urgent challenges facing Europe’s bioeconomy. It stresses that rapid industrial growth in biomanufacturing is essential for Europe’s green and industrial transition.
The global bioeconomy is valued at €2.3 trillion, with potential to reach over €27 trillion by 2050. Yet, despite Europe’s strong research capabilities, the continent struggles to transform innovation into large-scale production. Biomanufacturing is identified as a strategic opportunity to enhance Europe’s competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience.
The report points out two major financing “valleys of death” slowing industry progress. The first occurs when moving from pilot projects to demonstration scale, and the second when scaling from demonstration to full industrial production. Overcoming these barriers is critical for Europe to lead in sustainable manufacturing.
BIC emphasizes that Europe has a limited window to secure its leadership in biomanufacturing if investment is unlocked quickly. The policy brief outlines concrete, ambitious actions needed to close financing gaps and accelerate deployment. Without immediate measures, Europe risks losing the economic and strategic benefits of its innovations.
“Biomanufacturing can be Europe’s next major industrial success story,” said Dirk Carrez, BIC’s Executive Director. “We need urgent investment to keep innovative projects within Europe and realize their full potential.”
The policy brief calls for enhanced access to finance and supportive regulations to help Europe capitalize on this industrial opportunity.
