When the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) was founded, it was a modest initiative involving some thirty companies, intended to serve as the private partner in a new European public-private partnership focused on biobased innovation. Nearly fourteen years later, the consortium has hundreds of members from industry, science and innovation. Under the leadership of Executive Director Dirk Carrez, BIC has grown into a key player in the European bio-economy. As he steps down, the Flemish bio-engineer looks back on the network’s growth, cross-sector collaboration and the challenges still facing Europe.

Dual use has been an uncomfortable side issue in European innovation policy for years, but is now rapidly moving to the centre of attention. Technology that has both civil and military applications is no longer seen as an exception or a legal problem, but increasingly as a strategic tool. This applies not only to digital technology, AI and biosafety, but also to industrial biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

Europe’s packaging sector is under mounting pressure to become more sustainable. Brand owners and retailers face tighter regulation, higher consumer expectations, and growing scrutiny of the environmental footprint of packaging materials. Against this backdrop, interest in fibre-based packaging is accelerating rapidly. Once seen as a niche alternative, it is increasingly viewed as a core component of the wider bioeconomy and of Europe’s circular-economy ambitions.