Transition to a Sustainable Bioeconomy

Abstract

Exceeding planetary boundaries, and especially climate change, requires economies worldwide to decarbonize and to incorporate principles of sustainable development. Transforming a traditional economy into a sustainable bioeconomy by replacing fossil resources through renewable biogenic resources offers a solution to this end. However, seemingly opposing transition perspectives (i.e., technology-based vs. socio-ecological) lead to fragmented efforts, and the exact form of the transition pathway to the goal of a bioeconomy remains unclear. We examine the issue by involving an international expert sample in a Delphi survey and subsequent cross-impact analysis. Based on the experts’ views, we present a list of events necessary to achieve the transformation ranked by the experts to reflect their urgency. The cross-impact analysis facilitates combining the eight most urgent events to create an integrated model of the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. Our findings suggest that, rather than bioeconomy strategies, investment in the relevant sectors currently constitutes the main bottleneck hindering such a transition.

The bioeconomy transformation as an external enabler of sustainable entrepreneurship

“…Therefore, the framework is perfectly suited for explaining entrepreneurial activity in the context of the bioeconomy transition. The transition toward a sustainable bioeconomy involves a complex interplay of many factors (Hinderer et al, 2021), with innovation fostered by entrepreneurial activity being a central element (Kuckertz, 2020). However, we argue that the transition itself also serves as an external enabler of entrepreneurial activity.…”

Bioeconomic Entrepreneurship and Key Factors of Development: Lessons from Argentina

“…Börner et al [22] conceptualize the mechanisms of a bio-based transformation: besides underlying drivers such as population growth, economic growth, climate change, technological innovations and general policies, they point out the main mediators of such a change, which are divided into change mechanisms (policy incentives, markets/trade, and knowledge and innovation transfers) and context factors (natural resource endowment, governance effectiveness, and infrastructure). Hinderer et al [35] found in their expert survey that political strategies, programs and standards are considered as most important for the transition to the bioeconomy, followed by aspects such as competitiveness and investment in research. The supply of biomass, technical progress and consumer awareness were rated as less important by the experts.…”

New or Traditional Approaches in Argentina’s Bioeconomy? Biomass and Biotechnology Use, Local Embeddedness, and Sustainability Outcomes of Bioeconomic Ventures

“…<---------------> Different visions translate into various paths to follow for a transition to the envisioned bioeconomy: for example, a technology-based transition based on research and on techno-logical innovations that can be transformed into competitive bio-based products, opposed to a socio-ecological transition that follows sustainability concerns of the biosphere's supply and regeneration capacities. However, there is also a need and possibility to integrate the different perspectives of the transition [24,25]. The bioeconomic transition pathways proposed by Dietz et al [26] are not so much influenced by visions, but take into account the different roles that techno-economic mechanisms can play in the development of the bioeconomy, especially for factor substitutions and for efficiency gains, and differentiate the (1) fossil-fuel substitution, (2) primary sector productivity enhancement, (3) new and more efficient biomass uses, and (4) low-bulk and high value applications pathway.…”