Innovative Bioeconomy – Future Strategies and Solutions
Video - Published 13.5.2022
A bioeconomy seminar by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment was arranged May 13th 2022 in Otaniemi, Espoo.
Bioeconomy is based on the sustainable and responsible use of renewable natural resources. A sustainable bioeconomy is an answer to many questions related to the climate and biodiversity. How do bioeconomy innovations provide Europe with better opportunities to move towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient society and a sustainable economy?
The high-level seminar on May 13th presented the significance of bioeconomy extensively as a cross-cutting enabler of industrial transition towards a green and climate-neutral economy. It brought together the most topical bioeconomy sectors and innovations as part of the European Green Deal and sustainable growth.
“Sustainable forest-based bioproducts go beyond plastic replacement. They offer significant carbon handprint benefits. To ensure that research scales up and opportunities open for our industry we need EU legislation to recognize their value and public investments in technology infrastructures for the piloting. EU R&D programs are needed to reach the full potential of lignocellulosic products”, said Atte Virtanen, Vice President, Biomaterial Processing and Products, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd.
“Solutions for innovative bioeconomy require seamless co-operation between private and public sector. Today´s legislation is hindering development of sustainable innovations and leading to prolongation of status quo. Sulapac is working internally and with both private and public partners to find solutions to the existing challenges, climate change, microplastics and effective recycling”, said Ami Rubinstein, Deputy CEO of Sulapac.
“Sustainable forest-based bioproducts go beyond plastic replacement. They offer significant carbon handprint benefits. To ensure that research scales up and opportunities open for our industry we need EU legislation to recognize their value and public investments in technology infrastructures for the piloting. EU R&D programs are needed to reach the full potential of lignocellulosic products”, said Janne Poranen, Chief Executive Officer of Spinnova.
“30 % of the climate impact due human action is due to what we eat. Solar Foods provides a new harvest for the humankind through sustainable technology. New food technologies are a win-win; they enable traditional agriculture to achieve fair pricing for products with special tradition and heritage, like meat. Meanwhile, new food technologies can serve as the backbone for dairy meals and nutrition”, said Pasi Vainikka, CEO of Solar Foods Ltd.
