Monitoring the Bioeconomy

Project Information

BioMonitor

Grant agreement ID: 773297

DOI

10.3030/773297

Project closed

EC signature date 3 May 2018

Start date 1 June 2018

End date 30 November 2022

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 5 983 857,52

EU contribution

€ 5 983 857,50

Coordinated by

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - BioMonitor (Monitoring the Bioeconomy)

Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2022-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

During the last twenty years, EU policymakers have placed high priority on the expansion of bio-based value chains based on indigenous feedstock to reduce use of petrochemicals, mitigate climate change, reduce import dependency and promote local economies. This is evident from a multitude of EU policy initiatives and research programmes. While data and methods measuring the contribution of the bioeconomy to the societal objectives is relatively well developed for traditional sectors and products (i.e. food, feed, pulp & paper, and bioenergy chains), the same is not true for emerging innovative industries, such as chemistry and materials sectors that process biomass into bio-based intermediate and end products.

To understand the development of the bioeconomy and trade-offs caused by different (often conflicting) policies, it is important to monitor its economic, environmental and social impacts; measure the different kinds of biomass used and needed; and develop future scenarios with adjusted conditions.
To achieve this, we need appropriate data and ways to analyze them. Therefore, the overall objective of the BioMonitor project was to establish a statistics and modeling framework for the bioeconomy that would be supported by a stakeholders and be compatible with and implementable in existing systems of statistical and customs offices, laboratories, and industries. The BioMonitor framework enables the quantification of the bioeconomy and its economic, environmental, and social impacts in the EU and its Member States via various indicators.

We successfully built the BioMonitor Model Toolbox that contains newly developed (BioMAT) and enhanced analysis tools (e.g. MAGNET, AGMEMOD, EFI-GTM, and EFISCEN) for bio-based materials and bio-chemicals. In addition, we completed a number of case-studies that provided important inputs into the quantitative models and helped contextualize their results.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The first half of the project was dedicated to developing a theoretical framework for the EU bioeconomy (i.e. what is it and which sectors belong to it) as well as mapping what data and data sources are out there and what their quality is. We also took a stock of the existing models dealing with the bioeconomy. We paid attention to building awareness of the project among policymakers and stakeholders (e.g. private sector, customs offices, research institutes, ministries) in the European Union. In the second half of the project, we built on the qualitative work from the first period. More specifically, the focus was placed on the modeling work, the development of possible future scenarios, lessons learned from case studies, and dissemination of the project results.

The BioMonitor Model Toolbox was enhanced based on the identified gaps in development needs for bioeconomy modeling and the BioMonitor Toolbox Design via newly developed and enhanced analysis tools for bio-based materials and bio-chemicals. Some results related to monitoring of the EU bioeconomy have been stored at the JRC-managed DataM platform and are updated based on data availability.

A BioMonitor Reference Scenario for the EU bioeconomy was developed and analyzed. In this respect, the objective was to develop narratives for the future development of the bioeconomy in Europe. We looked at three scenarios i) Go-it-alone (EU pursuing its vision of a sustainable bioeconomy); ii) Hand-in-Hand (EU not acting alone but instead many of the initiatives of the Go-It-Alone scenario are implemented globally); iii) BioEcoResilience (explores the resilience of, and opportunities afforded to, the bioeconomy resulting from a greener world order not only considering material uses of biomass but also considering larger use of biomass for energy applications).

We conducted a comparative analysis of the conducted case studies to identify common and diverging challenges encountered when attempting to monitor the bioeconomy. We produced case study factsheets which, in an accessible form, presents the main finding of each study. We also conducted a Delphi study among experts to help investigate the most common data gaps and needs. The results were used to formulate a consensus on data collection strategies and priorities for the bioeconomy.

To generate a stronger impact, the project results have been effectively disseminated during the whole project’s duration across Europe and in the relevant professional communities. The dissemination activities included (but were not limited to):
- Production of information materials
- Communication with wide audience online and via social media
- Organization of stakeholder events and activities

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The BioMonitor project has advanced the previous knowledge about the measurement and monitoring of the bioeconomy in several important dimensions.

First, we established input- and output-based methodologies to quantify the size of bioeconomies of individual EU member states (and the EU as a whole). We provided empirical estimates of their sizes using data from publicly available sources. The results can be viewed in the JRC DataM in the form of easy-to-use dashboards.

Second, we have developed a new analytical framework to assess the development and dynamics of bioeconomies in the EU using data provided by Eurostat. An advantage of our framework is that it can take any number of well-defined quantitative bioeconomy indicators. The results are presented in a consistent form, and policymakers can use them to assess the direction of development of the bioeconomy in individual EU Member States.

Third, we have developed a brand new economic model to analyze bio-based materials in the EU (BioMAT). In addition to that, we have advanced the existing (economic) models (e.g. MAGNET, EFI_GMT) both in the direction of splitting the most important sectors and using newer data. These activities will prepare to make these models ready for future analyses in the field of bioeconomy.

Fourth, we have conducted a set of diverse case studies in various aspects of the bioeconomy (e.g. novel products, data collection methodology), which provide unique and new information that helps to portray a better picture of the EU bioeconomy.

Last but not least, we have engaged diverse bioeconomy stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, researchers, and businesses) to raise their awareness about the new methodologies to monitor and measure the EU bioeconomy. Our results have served as an important input for the discussions at the national level in EU Member States that develop their bioeconomy strategies and would like to manage the development of their bioeconomies more efficiently.

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