Biomanufacturing is positioned in the report as a crucial industry for Europe’s strategic autonomy. ‘If Europe wants to maintain its leading position in technology and sustainability, we need to close the gap between innovation and market introduction,’ argues Dirk Carrez, executive director of BIC. He points to the need for a strong policy framework that supports the sector and accelerates scale-up.
Back in March 2024, the European Commission gave a clear signal with the publication of the communication on ‘Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU’. BIC’s report calls for turning this vision into concrete policy measures, such as integrating biomanufacturing into the EU Biotech Act and the Clean Industrial Deal.
Overcoming barriers
Before this can be realised, there are still important thresholds to overcome. One of the biggest challenges remains the regulatory environment. A workshop organised by BIC in October 2024 revealed that the European legislative framework still relies heavily on fossil industries, making it difficult for biomanufacturing to scale up. BIC therefore proposes to set up an ‘EU defossilisation accelerator’ to speed up the transition to biomanufacturing with, among other things, harmonisation of legislation and increased investment from capital markets.
Another bottleneck is the availability of sustainable biomass. The report stresses the need for clear guidelines on sustainable biomass harvesting and deployment, in line with ‘food first’ principles and circular economy goals.
Making a difference
Several companies are already demonstrating how biomanufacturing can make a difference. The report shows some of them. L’Oréal is pushing for a more sustainable production chain with its ‘Sustainable Product Optimisation Tool’. Braskem’s ‘I’m green™’ bioplastics replace fossil plastics with renewable variants from sugar cane. And the SWEETWOODS project in Estonia succeeds in converting 90% of wood biomass into high-quality bioproducts.
In addition, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important in scaling up biomanufacturing. Jon Goriup, CEO of VCG.AI, sees AI as a means to achieve more efficient production processes and discover new circular business models.
Accelerating the transition
The report concludes that Europe needs to develop coherent policies to accelerate the transition to biomanufacturing. Walter Lutz, secretary-general of the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP), also argues for this. A coherent policy does require a clearer regulatory framework, increased investment and strategic use of renewable raw materials. The trend report therefore calls for international cooperation, drawing lessons from the United States and recent G20 agreements on bioeconomy.
Dirk Carrez summarises, ‘Biomanufacturing offers huge economic opportunities and can play a vital role in reducing CO2 emissions and reducing our dependence on fossil resources. But to realise this potential, we need to invest now in the right regulatory and market conditions.’
‘The time is ripe to seize this opportunity and put Europe at the forefront of the global biobased revolution,’ the BIC report concludes.
The Trend Report 2024-2025 can be downloaded from BIC’s website.
