What Is the Bioeconomy? A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Abstract:The notion of the bioeconomy has gained importance in both research and policy debates over the last decade, and is frequently argued to be a key part of the solution to multiple grand challenges. Despite this, there seems to be little consensus concerning what bioeconomy actually implies. Consequently, this paper seeks to enhance our understanding of what the notion of bioeconomy means by exploring the origins, uptake, and contents of the term "bioeconomy" in the academic literature. Firstly, we perform a bibliometric analysis that highlights that the bioeconomy research community is still rather fragmented and distributed across many different fields of science, even if natural and engineering sciences take up the most central role. Secondly, we carry out a literature review that identifies three visions of the bioeconomy. The bio-technology vision emphasises the importance of bio-technology research and application and commercialisation of bio-technology in different sectors of the economy. The bio-resource vision focuses on processing and upgrading of biological raw materials, as well as on the establishment of new value chains. Finally, the bio-ecology vision highlights sustainability and ecological processes that optimise the use of energy and nutrients, promote biodiversity, and avoid monocultures and soil degradation.

A Transition to Which Bioeconomy? An Exploration of Diverging Techno-Political Choices

“…We can thus distinguish-very much in line with recent findings by Bugge et al [10]-three broad types of narratives: a biotechnology-centred one; a bio-resource-centred one and an agro-ecological one. The biotechnology-centred vision of the bioeconomy was the first to emerge and closely tied to the agenda of the life sciences and biotech industry [12,18].…”

“…The three visions of the bioeconomy sketched so far (biotechnology, bio-resources and agro-ecology) roughly match the typology recently proposed by Bugge et al [10]. However, they are organised along socio-technical strategies and thus do not adequately depict the different socio-political trajectories that a transition to a bioeconomy might entail.…”

Integrating a Biorefinery into an Operating Kraft Mill

“…Valueadded products from marginal side streams that replace petroleum-based feedstocks meet the aims and objectives of sustainability and economic development (Bugge et al 2016). Fostering niche markets that arise out of underutilized or damaged forest resources will call for strategies of close collaboration and innovation across the value chain (McCormick and Kautto 2013;Lamers et al 2014;Hansen 2016;Van Lancker et al 2016).…”

Environmental and Ecological Aspects in the Overall Assessment of Bioeconomy

“…These hopes are aimed to be achieved by broadening novel science-based applications, yet scientific literature surveys indicate that the concept of bioeconomy is conceived rather differently from various stakeholder perspectives. The industrial biotechnology vision focuses on the rapid utilization and commercialization of biotechnology research in various sectors of the economy; the bio-resource vision emphasizes sustainable utilization of biological raw materials; while the more recent, and yet less prominent, bio-ecology vision promotes maintenance or improvement of biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as the avoidance of monocultures and soil degradation (Bugge et al 2016). Due to the complexity of the issues, the topic has been evaluated in detail by the Standing Committee of Agricultural Research (SCAR) of the European Commission (EC 2011(EC , 2015.…”

“…The bio-resource aspect of bioeconomy emphasizes cascading use of biomass and raw bio-materials in recycling, to maximize the efficiency of biomass use. Yet the various and often long-term, indirect environmental and economic impacts of increased industrial biomass-uses need to be better understood (Keegan et al 2013;Bugge et al 2016).…”