On February 10th, representatives from 14 bioeconomy clusters across 11 European Union member states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), officially establishing the European Bioeconomy Clusters’ Alliance (EBCA). The agreement marks a significant step towards fostering collaboration and driving innovation within the bioeconomy sector.
The newly formed alliance seeks to achieve several key objectives:
- Support R&D: Encourage scientific advancements and innovative solutions in biotechnology and bio-based industries.
- Facilitate scale-up & industrialization: Assist in transitioning promising bio-based solutions from research to industrial applications.
- Build strong value chains: Strengthen connections across sectors to create efficient and sustainable bio-based value chains.
- Develop new markets for bioproducts: Promote bio-based products as sustainable alternatives to fossil-based materials, promoting a green industrial transition.
The EBCA aims to promote a circular, biobased economy within Europe, supporting sustainable development and enhancing the competitiveness of its members.
Members of the European Bioeconomy Clusters’ Alliance include:
- Belgium: Flanders’ FOOD, Wagralim
- Slovakia: Bioeconomy Cluster
- Portugal: P-BIO – Associação Portuguesa de Bioindústria
- Greece: CluBE-Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia and Greek Bioeconomy Council (GBC) / ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΣ ΣΥΝΔΕΣΜΟΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΗ ΒΙΟΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑ (ΕΣΥΒ)
- Spain: CTA (Technological Corporation of Andalusia), FOOD+i – Cluster Alimentario del Valle del Ebro
- France: Bioeconomy For Change
- Ireland: Irish Bioeconomy Foundation
- Italy: SPRING – Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster
- Finland: World Bioeconomy Association
- Denmark: Food & Bio Cluster Denmark
- Germany: CLIB – Cluster Industrielle Biotechnologie
The formation of the EBCA signals the start of collaborative efforts to drive innovation, increase competitiveness, and promote sustainable development in the bioeconomy sector.
