‘The bio-economy doesn’t stop at national borders, and neither does climate change.’ That was what Henk Staghouwer, Groningen’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Nature and Water among others things, said at last week’s international ECOinnovations from Biomass congress held in Papenburg, Germany.

If the circular and biobased economy are to be successful on a large scale, then everything in the chain needs to be correct, from raw material to final product. All the parties are essential to these new, still vulnerable chains. The good news is that the end users are becoming increasingly active. This is contrasted by a complex logistics chain and an impending lack of capacity. Time for a rethink?

Natural fibers are getting more and more attention. For example as an insulation material, as a matrix for biocomposites or for their aesthetic and additional properties. This became apparent on 18 April during the annual Natural Fibertastic congress. The well-attended event in the monumental "Great Arsenal" in Bergen op Zoom attracted the interest of at least 175 visitors from home and abroad. Many examples were discussed here.