Workshops

The programme of workshops is now available.

Workshops form a key part of the Summit programme, enabling collaborative dialogue, knowledge exchange, and practical exploration of bioeconomy challenges and solutions. Importantly, workshops can explore bioeconomy issues at the intersection of research, innovation, policy, industry, finance, and society.

Three breakout sessions will be held across the two days of the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2026. These breakout sessions will facilitate the hosting of parallel workshops in which delegates can participate. 

You can select your preferred workshops during registration. If you have pre-registered, you will be sent a link to add your preferred workshops to your registration.

Beyond Science and Technology: Scaling the Bioeconomy in the Global South - Enabling Conditions, Regional Cooperation and Global Partnerships

This high-level workshop will explore how to scale science, technology and innovation into competitive, sustainable and inclusive bioeconomy solutions across the Global South, identifying key bottlenecks, priority actions and opportunities for national, regional and international cooperation.

Across the Global South, science, technology and innovation are opening unprecedented opportunities for the bioeconomy, yet many solutions remain at pilot or niche scale. This high-level workshop will explore what is needed to close this scaling gap. Drawing on experiences from Latin America, the Amazon, Africa, and European and global partners, it will examine the enabling conditions that turn innovation into impact: coherent policies and institutions, finance and investment, markets, trade and regulation, regional value chains, territorial capacities and inclusion. Participants will discuss what must be built nationally, the role of regional cooperation, and how international partnerships can support scale-up. Through short inputs and facilitated table discussions, the workshop will identify bottlenecks, priority actions and opportunities for South-South and EU-Global South cooperation. It will conclude with 3-5 actionable messages for scaling competitive, sustainable and inclusive bioeconomies.

Co-organisers: Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture; The South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation; The Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission.

Empowering Primary Producers: Creating Value through Circular Bio-based Value Chains and Nature-Positive Systems

This interactive workshop will explore how to empower primary producers as stronger partners in sustainable bioeconomy value chains, sharing practical experiences and identifying the policy, financial, business and advisory support needed to scale nature-positive solutions.

Primary producers are central to sustainable bioeconomy transitions, but they often remain too weakly positioned in bio-based value chains, business development and decision-making. This interactive workshop brings together two emerging European practice examples. The Action Plan developed by the CBE JU Working Group on Primary Producers, with the support of RootLinks, focuses on empowering farmers, foresters, fishers and aquaculture producers through business model uptake, knowledge sharing and collaboration, and stronger advisory support. ReFarm adds a complementary perspective on scaling nature-positive farming solutions, including the regulatory, policy and financial conditions needed to move promising practices beyond pilot level. Together, these inputs will open a global practice exchange on how primary producers can become stronger partners in bioeconomy value chains. Participants will contribute examples from their own regions, including what has worked, what has failed, and what should be considered when designing support actions. The session will generate practical lessons on primary producer empowerment.

Co-organisers: Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, CBE JU; BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Ireland Centre.

Beyond invisibility: The role of metrics and standards for global scaling-up of sustainable and competitive bioeconomy solutions

This workshop will explore how robust metrics and standards can strengthen credible bioeconomy claims, reduce trade barriers, build consumer trust and unlock investment by connecting national measurement with value-chain and firm-level performance.

Metrics and standards are the operational foundation of any credible bioeconomy claim. If standards for bio-based content, sustainability performance, and chain-of-custody are absent, not fit-forpurpose or not used, this can create trade barriers, undermine consumer trust, limit access to premium markets, and weaken the evidence needed to mobilize investment. Building on the GBS 2024 workshop on monitoring, G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy, COP30 Bioeconomy Challenge Working Group on Metrics and Indicators, and organisations such as FAO and IICA, IBF-standards has been developing a framework to address this gap by linking national-level measurement with value-chain and firm-level performance. This workshop translates the G20 High Level Principles and technical work into practical tools to scale implementation through a multi-stakeholder forum, connecting standards experts, value-chain actors and policy makers to identify who needs which data and in what form, so that metrics and standards support policy, investment decisions and practical uptake by market actors.

Co-organisers: International Bioeconomy Forum and The Directorate-General Research & Innovation, European Commission; Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

From Innovation to Impact: Financing, Scaling and Commercialising Marine-Based Solutions for a Resilient Future

This workshop will showcase Ireland’s blue bioeconomy ecosystem and explore how marine innovations can move from research and pilot stages to commercial scale and international markets through investment, collaboration, commercialisation and international cooperation.

This 90-minute workshop will showcase Ireland's blue bioeconomy ecosystem and explore how marine-based innovations can successfully move from research and pilot stages to commercial scale and international markets. Bringing together policymakers, researchers, funders, investors and industry leaders, the session will highlight the funding, partnership and commercialisation pathways that support the growth of sustainable marine enterprises. Through a combination of expert presentations, international perspectives and real-world business case studies, participants will gain insights into the supports available across Ireland and Europe, lessons from global leaders in the sector, and the practical challenges of scaling blue bioeconomy solutions. Featured examples will span marine biotechnology, seaweed-based products, sustainable packaging, marine ingredients and circular resource utilisation. The workshop will conclude with an interactive panel discussion and audience engagement session, providing opportunities to identify common barriers, share experiences & foster new collaborations The overall aim is to showcase Ireland's position as a leader in blue bioeconomy innovation, investment, sustainable coastal development, and international cooperation, enhancing engagement with international stakeholders to deliver economic, environmental, and societal benefits.

Co-organisers: Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM); Údarás na Gaeltachta and Nua Mara.

Building an enabling environment for place-based bioeconomies to succeed

This interactive workshop will explore how local governance, policy, collaboration, finance, skills and practical tools can turn global bioeconomy ambitions into successful, circular and regenerative transitions, drawing on international case studies and shared expertise.

Bioeconomy ambition is global, but its success is decided locally. This interactive workshop brings together different lenses that create the enabling environment to turn strategy into grounded, lasting action. Some of the possible lenses that could be included are:

• System transition, the 2-loop model
• Governance and Ecosystem orchestration,
• Policy frameworks,
• Implementation support and tools,
• Industrial symbiosis across sectors and
• Implementation insights from the Americas

A World Café format, rotates participants across facilitated tables exploring what enables bioeconomy transitions, pioneering practices, cross-sector collaboration, finance & skills, and governance. Case studies spanning a number of countries ensures a range of viewpoints are shared. Participants will leave with an appreciation for the complexity of accelerating a transition towards a circular bioeconomy future. This would include insights on transferable practices, approaches and expert networks, to support their work on implementation of a circular and regenerative bioeconomy.

Co-organisers: Climate KIC; Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn; Schmidt Sciences; Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences (IBG-2); Jaffe Policy Consulting LLC; European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN).

From Youth Priorities to Action 1: Co-creating Youth-Led Solutions for a Sustainable Bioeconomy

This interactive, youth-led and intergenerational workshop will explore future bioeconomy scenarios, using global youth insights, real-world cases and hands-on co-creation to identify inclusive, sustainable and practical pathways from ideas to action.

How do we translate bioeconomy concepts into real-world solutions across diverse global realities? 
Join this interactive, youth-led, and intergenerational workshop to explore possible bioeconomy futures, challenge standard assumptions, and co-create practical pathways for implementation. 

Grounded in findings from the Global Youth Survey on Bioeconomy and youth-led cases from different regions, participants will examine key barriers, opportunities, and trade-offs shaping bioeconomy transitions. Through scenario-making and hands-on 3D modeling, participants will cocreate future bioeconomy systems and identify the partnerships, support, financing, and actions needed to ensure they are inclusive, sustainable, and achievable. Whether you are a policymaker, researcher, practitioner, entrepreneur, young leader, or simply interested in shaping the bioeconomy, this workshop offers a space to connect and turn collective ideas into action, advancing socioeconomic transformation and climate action. This workshop is part of a three-part youth-led series jointly developed by the IACGB BYC, WFF Youth Assembly, and EU BYA for GBS2026.

Co-organisers: IACGB Bioeconomy Youth Champions.

Enabling the Global Bioeconomy Through Inclusive Digital and Regulatory Pathways

This workshop will explore how trusted digital infrastructure, data governance and regulatory pathways can support responsible innovation, compliance and market access across emerging global bioeconomy value chains.

The global bioeconomy is transforming how biological resources and their associated information are translated into innovation and impact, creating diverse new value chains, including those involving digital sequence information, biobased materials and their novel applications. This workshop will explore two illustrative pathways: from microbiome and Digital Sequence Information to application, and from biobased materials development to market access. Through these examples, the session will consider where compliance gaps can emerge across data and value chains, from the invisible DSI user to identifying and addressing regulatory requirements as novel applications evolve. It will also explore how digital infrastructure can enable trusted information sharing and regulatory readiness to promote a strong culture of compliance. The discussion will focus on how inclusive digital and regulatory pathways can strengthen collaboration among diverse actors, enabling responsible innovation across the global bioeconomy.

Co-organisers: International Bioeconomy Forum (IBF), The Directorate-General on Research and Innovation, European Commission; Deenamic Ltd.

From Bio-Based Innovation to Biomanufacturing Deployment: Bridging Barriers

This workshop will explore how policy, innovation ecosystems, research and technology infrastructures and regulation can help bridge the two “valleys of death” and accelerate biotechnology innovations from the lab to commercial-scale biomanufacturing.

Biotechnology provides the knowledge and tools to transform biomass to materials, chemicals, ingredients and other products. Despite this, many biotechnology-based innovations for the bioeconomy that are developed in research laboratories do not make it to commercial deployment. To succeed, innovations need to bridge two well-recognised valleys of death in the innovation pipeline: moving from lab to pilot; and from demo to commercial production. This workshop will explore the role played by policy frameworks, innovation ecosystems, and research and technology infrastructures in enabling this success. An expert panel will use case studies of success and failure to offer perspectives. Regulatory frameworks, for example the EU Biotech Acts ( I and II), are critically important and their contribution will be examined. Through panel discussion with robust audience interaction, this workshop aims to harness collective knowledge to propose routes to advance progress towards widespread deployment of biomanufacturing in the bioeconomy.

Co-organisers: IBISBA; BioChem Europe; BIO4 Ltd Belgrade.

The bioeconomy as a bridge-builder: Regional networks scaling innovation into impact

This workshop will explore how international connections, regional networks and innovation ecosystems can help bridge the gap between bioeconomy innovation and large-scale implementation by addressing shared challenges around finance, markets, policy, regulation and investment readiness.

The workshop aims at exploring how the bioeconomy can build connections between different countries and regions all around the world, and how regional networks and innovation ecosystems can help bridge the gap between innovation and large-scale implementation. It is focused on common challenges such as financing, markets, policy and regulation, territorial implementation, and investment readiness.

Co-organisers: Cluster SPRING – Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster; International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe); Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA); Catalonia Bioeconomy Hub (BioHubCat).

From Evidence to Policy: Enabling Competitive Integrated Biorefineries

This workshop will explore how integrated biorefineries can drive sustainable and competitive bioeconomy value chains, examining how policy, regulation, finance and partnerships can accelerate innovation, commercialisation and green transformation globally.

Integrated biorefineries have the potential to address major societal grand challenges while reducing environmental impacts. This workshop will examine the role of biorefineries as platforms for sustainable development of competitive value chains and green transformation of global bioeconomies. Drawing on international case studies - from Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and North America - in rural biorefineries, biofuel transition, and current biotechnology developments, the workshop will explore how policies, regulations, finance and partnerships can either enable or constrain research, development and innovation (RDI), and influence deployment and commercialisation of bio-based products. The workshop will position integrated biorefineries as practical bioeconomy platforms aligned with the G20 High-level Principles on Bioeconomy. The workshop is particularly relevant to stakeholders working on bioeconomy strategies, RDI, sustainable and circular biomass use and value chains, biotechnology and biomanufacturing, climate and biodiversity policy, and investment and market development.

Co-organisers: International Bioeconomy Forum (IBF) Biorefineries Working Group; International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research (ICABR); King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand.

From Resource to Value: Scaling a Circular and Resource-Efficient Bioeconomy 

This interactive workshop will explore how smarter use of biological resources, cascading biomass use and circular systems can retain material, carbon, nutrient and economic value for longer, identifying practical interventions to accelerate resource efficiency and bioeconomy circularity.

Scaling the bioeconomy is not only about expanding the use of renewable biological resources, but about using them more intelligently, retaining value for longer and avoiding unnecessary losses across systems.  

This interactive workshop brings together perspectives from forest-based construction, cascading biomass use and circular nutrient systems to explore where material, carbon, nutrient and economic value is currently lost, and what prevents better use. 
Short provocations will frame practical challenges from different parts of the bioeconomy, followed by participant-led discussion on policy, market, finance and governance barriers. The session will identify shared priorities for improving resource efficiency and circularity, with a focus on practical interventions that could accelerate implementation over the next few years. 

Co-organisers: PEFC International; Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gGmbH (DBFZ); Teagasc – the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority; 

Forests in the Bioeconomy: Building Integrated Pathways Across Sectors and Regions 

This multi-actor workshop will explore how forest resources can deliver greater value across competing bioeconomy uses while respecting ecological limits, identifying cross-sector synergies, trade-offs and practical actions to support sustainable, resilient and inclusive forest-based value chains.

Forests are the source of biobased resources in the bioeconomy, from timber and advanced lignocellulosic materials to non-wood products, energy, textiles and ecosystem services. Yet these products and value chains are often developed independently and compete for the same resource base. This multi-actor workshop enables dialogue between forest primary producers, industry, policymakers, researchers, finance, decision-makers and civil society from diverse regions to explore where forest resources can deliver greatest value while respecting ecological limits and regional realities. Short inputs, from forestry and other economic sectors, and facilitated roundtables examine synergies and trade-offs in forest resource use, cross-sector collaboration, barriers to moving innovation into implementation, and governance, research, investment, market and procurement conditions needed to scale sustainable solutions that can contribute to climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods. The workshop will produce practical messages on priority actions and responsible actors, supporting coordinated and resilient forest-based bioeconomy developments across sectors and regions.

Co-organisers: European Forest Institute (EFI); International Bioeconomy Forum (IBF): Forest Bioeconomy WG; Teagasc – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority; Eco-Innovation Foundation (EIF), Sweden; Thai-Nordic Innovation Unit, Thailand.

From Food Waste to Circular Bioeconomy: Aligning Policy, Research and Industry

This interactive workshop will explore how stronger research–industry collaboration can help prevent, reduce and valorise food processing waste, overcoming data, technological, economic and regulatory barriers to create more circular and resource-efficient systems.

Food waste represents both a major sustainability challenge and an untapped resource for the circular bioeconomy. This interactive workshop will focus particularly on food processing, where important data and knowledge gaps still limit our understanding of waste generation and the development of effective solutions. Bringing together industry, research and policy perspectives, the workshop will explore the continuum from food waste prevention and reduction to the valorisation of unavoidable and residual streams into higher-value products, ingredients, materials and energy. Particular attention will be given to how research–industry collaboration can be strengthened: how can companies be effectively engaged in sharing data, identifying waste streams, testing solutions and co-developing scalable valorisation pathways? Through expert inputs and interactive discussions, participants will discuss technological, economic, regulatory and organisational barriers and enabling conditions, and develop practical strategies for stronger industry engagement. The workshop will contribute to moving food processing from waste management towards more integrated, circular and resource-efficient systems.

Co-organisers: Wastewise & Folou Horizon Europe projects; Biomatec (Costa Rica); Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).

From Youth Priorities to Action 2: European Rural Youth as Drivers of Inclusive Global Bioeconomy Transitions

This workshop will explore how rural regions can move from bioeconomy strategy to action by sharing successful approaches, strengthening youth engagement and education, and identifying the conditions needed to replicate proven solutions across regions.

Rural regions face persistent challenges in Europe's bioeconomy transition: youth outmigration, limited access to funding and education, infrastructure gaps, and weak sectoral capacity. This workshop examines the regional dimension of the bioeconomy, exploring successful cases across rural Europe, analysing their success factors, the role of bioeconomy education, and the benefits for young people, to support regions in moving from strategy to action. A central focus is replicability: using validated multi-criteria assessment frameworks, the workshop explores which success factors can be transferred to underperforming regions and which structural barriers prevent replication. Knowledge exchange between best-performing and high-potential regions further enriches the discussion. Participants will co-create recommendations on youth engagement and regional bioeconomy development, ensuring no rural region is left behind. This workshop is part of a three-part youth-led series jointly developed by the IACGB BYC, WFF Youth Assembly, and EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors for GBS2026.

Co-organisers: EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors.

The Global Bioeconomy Innovation Sprint

This fast-paced, interactive workshop will challenge participants to develop and pitch bioeconomy solutions to real-world agri-food challenges, exploring the science, sustainability, regulation, commercial potential and scale-up pathways needed to turn ideas into impact.

What does it take to turn a promising bioeconomy idea into a solution that works in the real world? Join this fast paced, interactive 90-minute workshop and bring your knowledge to real challenges across six agri-food sectors: Meat, Poultry & Seafood; Dairy; Grains & Cereals; Fruits & Vegetables; Oils, Fats, Sugar & Sweeteners; and Brewing & Distilling. Working in cross-disciplinary teams, you’ll take on a real sector challenge, develop a potential solution and explore the pathway from concept to real-world application – considering science, sustainability, regulation, commercial potential and scale-up. You’ll then pitch your concept to a panel of industry and bioeconomy experts, who will select the strongest proposal. Whether you work in industry, research, policy, innovation or sustainability, come ready to contribute your knowledge, work with people from different sectors and countries, and build new connections around real bioeconomy challenges.

Co-organisers: ARISE Project at Technological University (TU) Dublin.

Supercharging a nature-positive blue bio-economy

This session will explore how nature-positive bioeconomy businesses can overcome critical financing gaps and attract private investment to scale sustainably, with a particular focus on global and Irish opportunities in the blue bioeconomy.

The EU Bioeconomy Strategy highlights that scaling bio-based technologies remains highly capital-intensive and risky. Many start-ups struggle to survive two critical “Valleys of Death”: the Viability Gap between demonstration and first commercial production, and the Industrial Scale Gap, where companies transition from market entry to full industrial-scale production. For bioeconomy enterprises seeking to balance profitability with environmental and social impact, attracting private investment is particularly challenging. This session will examine the importance and potential of nature-positive bioeconomy businesses, while addressing the barriers they face in securing finance for growth and scaling. A special emphasis will be placed on the blue bioeconomy, an area of major opportunity for Ireland given its extensive marine territory within the EU. Drawing on global and Irish examples, the discussion will explore financing pathways for sustainably scaling marine resources. 

Co-organisers: Trinity College Dublin (Trinity Business School and Trinity School of Natural Sciences).

Global Best Practices for Skills Development and Collaboration in University Bioeconomy Education

This workshop will bring together educators, policymakers, industry and young people to share best practices in bioeconomy education, co-create approaches to curriculum development and explore how global collaboration can better align skills and training with the needs of the evolving bioeconomy.

This workshop will provide a platform for an exchange on best practices in bioeconomy education. University educators from around the world are invited along with teachers and trainees keen to learn about the subject, enterprises, officials and policymakers and organisations interested in voicing their skills needs and finally ‘end users’ of education, including Bioeconomy Youth Champions. The primary workshop objective is to share experiences of bioeconomy curriculum development and of best practice examples for educational formats for training both bioeconomy experts and teachers and to consider how bioeconomy curriculum development can best meet the needs of global bioeconomy initiatives and stakeholders. Ultimately, the aim is to leverage these shared best practices to promote education collaboration at the global level. The workshop format includes three keynotes and moderated parallel co-creative workshops discussing curricula for training inter- and transdisciplinarity, entrepreneurship and teaching as well as education needs for global bioeconomy initiatives. 

Co-organisers: European Bioeconomy University (EBU); University of California, Berkeley; Wageningen University & Research (WUR).

Bioeconomy: Closing the scale-up gap between global frameworks and the ground level

This interactive workshop will connect global, continental and local approaches to scaling the bioeconomy, exploring how finance, collaboration and replicable models can overcome systemic barriers and translate discussion into practical action and investment.

Scaling the bioeconomy requires action at every level, from enterprise models to global policy. This workshop connects both: the Bioeconomy Challenge convenes international organisations tackling systemic barriers, while the African Bioeconomy Finance Hub (ABFH) drives continental‑scale solutions to mobilize capital and align stakeholders and the TRANSFORM project contribute more nuanced and locally oriented solutions. The session opens with a stocktake of progress under the Bioeconomy Challenge. A fireside chat then brings together the experiences of the ABFH and TRANSFORM, illustrating models that are being developed and could be replicated. Participants then work in groups to identify persistent barriers and draft practical recommendations. Outputs feed directly into the Bioeconomy Challenge, the ABFH investment pipeline and TRANSFORM's replication strategy, so the discussion translates into follow-up rather than ending in the room.

Co-organisers: Bioeconomy Challenge; NatureFinance; University College Dublin (UCD).

People and Biodiversity at the Heart of the Bioeconomy: From Local Territories to Global Impact

This workshop will explore how community-led socio-bioeconomy approaches can turn biodiversity, traditional and scientific knowledge, and territorial governance into inclusive economic opportunities while strengthening Indigenous and local livelihoods and conserving ecosystems.

How can bioeconomy center people and biodiversity, generating prosperity while sustaining ecosystems and livelihoods? What can diverse territorial experiences teach us about advancing socio bioeconomy globally? This workshop brings together experiences from Uganda, Colombia, and Brazil to explore how community-led approaches can turn biodiversity, traditional and scientific knowledge, and territorial governance into inclusive economic opportunities while conserving ecosystems. Cases will highlight access and benefit sharing of genetic resources and traditional knowledge with Batwa communities in Uganda, long-term forest-based value creation in Colombia, and women-led socio-biodiversity value chains in the Brazilian Amazon. Through short presentations and facilitated discussion, participants will explore what enables these approaches to create local value, strengthen the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and People of African Descent (IPLCPAF), and inform policy, finance, and markets. The discussion will also consider their contribution to a global understanding of socio-bioeconomy and debates on climate action, nature, women empowerment and territorial development.

Co-organisers: WRI Brasil, the Pan-Amazon Network for Bioeconomy; Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation | Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa); The Nature Conservancy (TNC); The Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute (NCRI) (Uganda).

From Feedstock to Market: Building the Value Chain for a Competitive Bioeconomy 

This workshop will explore how sustainable biomass can be scaled into competitive, circular bioeconomy value chains that support rural development and industrial decarbonisation, identifying the policies, finance, infrastructure, markets and partnerships needed from feedstock to end-of-life.

Scaling the bioeconomy is a shared challenge for many countries. This workshop will explore how sustainable biomass from agricultural, marginal and repurposed land can support strategic autonomy, rural development and industrial decarbonisation, provided the right enabling conditions are in place. Moving from feedstock to market requires enabling policies, sustainability standards, infrastructure, finance, demand creation, social acceptance and inclusion, and strong value-chain partnerships that can transform biomass into viable alternatives to fossil-based fertilisers, textiles, materials, and other high-value products. By addressing both environmental and socio-economic outcomes, the transition can create sustainable jobs, strengthen rural communities, and ensure that the benefits of the bioeconomy are shared across society. Drawing on case studies in anaerobic digestion, nutrient recovery, wool, bio-based and biodegradable materials, and the use of marginal lands, with examples from both the Global North and Global South, participants will discuss how promising projects can scale and reach commercially viable markets. The session will take a full lifecycle approach, stressing what is needed to build a competitive bioeconomy from sourcing feedstock to the end of the life of the final product. The workshop will identify practical measures to build circular, competitive and integrated bioeconomy value chains.

Co-organisers: Avantium; Munster Technological University; Novamont; Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy; Renewable Gas Forum of Ireland (RGFI).

The Global Bioeconomy in Times of Poly Crisis: Navigating Interdependencies and Trade-offs while insuring a just and inclusive transition

This workshop will explore how the global bioeconomy can build resilience to interconnected climate, ecological, geopolitical and market shocks, while ensuring that solutions are sustainable, inclusive and just across diverse regional contexts.

This workshop explores how the global bioeconomy can strengthen resilience to polycrisis. Building on SCAR Bioeconomy work on polycrisis resilience and complementary expertise from the Circular Bioeconomy Research Group (CircBio) at MTU, participants will examine recent examples where climate and ecological pressures, geopolitical shocks and market disruptions interact and cascade across bioeconomy systems. The workshop will stress-test proposed resilience solutions at global level, exploring their relevance under different regional conditions and considering trade dependencies, cross-border biomass flows and asymmetric capacities. As a second dimension, participants will examine whether these solutions are inclusive and just, including how their costs, benefits and risks are distributed and whether relevant stakeholders can contribute to decisions
affecting them. The discussion will identify additional challenges, adaptations and solutions from different world regions, generating insights for international cooperation towards a resilient, sustainable and inclusive global bioeconomy.

Co-organisers: Standing Committee on Agricultural Research, Bioeconomy Strategic Working Group; Irish EPA Research funded project JusTACE (Circular Bioeconomy Research Group at MTU).

From Youth Priorities to Action 3: Bioeconomy as a driver for Inclusive and Sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation

This interactive, youth-led workshop will explore how policy, finance and innovation ecosystems can better support and scale youth-led bioeconomy solutions across agrifood systems, strengthening youth participation in decision-making and multistakeholder collaboration.

Organised by the World Food Forum (WFF) Youth Assembly, this interactive workshop will highlight the role of young people in advancing inclusive, sustainable, and resilient bioeconomy pathways within agrifood systems. Young innovators are already contributing bio-based solutions across agrifood systems, including forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, but their perspectives are not often reflected in policy, investment and governance processes. The session will bring together youth innovators, policymakers, development partners, investors and researchers to examine how policy frameworks, financing mechanisms and innovation ecosystems can better support and scale youth-led bioeconomy initiatives. Discussions will focus on strengthening how policy coherence across agriculture and food systems, forestry and, fisheries and aquaculture, while identifying opportunities for more effective multistakeholder collaboration. This workshop is part of a three-part youth-led series jointly developed by the IACGB BYC, WFF Youth Assembly, and EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors for GBS2026.

Co-organisers: World Food Forum Global Youth Action Initiative.

Stuck in the System? Reversing Systemic Lock-ins and Avoiding Future Path Dependencies in the Bioeconomy

This workshop will explore how to dismantle systemic lock-ins in regulation, governance and decision-making, using real-world cases and practical tools to co-create more flexible, inclusive and transparent systems for a responsible bioeconomy.

The transition to a sustainable bioeconomy is hampered by ‘systemic lock-ins’—inherited regulatory frameworks, outdated incentives, and siloed metrics that favour established practices over innovative alternatives. In this workshop, we will explore how to identify and reverse these lock-ins while preventing future path dependencies. Through three thematic strands, the session will examine (1) regulatory hurdles in biological plant protection; (2) barriers in multi-stakeholder governance and value-chain development in peatland rewetting, paludiculture, and landscape management; and (3) the critical lack of integrated evidence for decision-making. Analytical frameworks like the Value Chain Collaboration Canvas (VC3) by KEM and the MODASYS decision-support tool will be integrated and demonstrated. By applying real-world case studies and leveraging participants’ insights, we will co-create practical principles for designing flexible, inclusive, and transparent systems. The outputs will then equip stakeholders for dismantling obstructive structures and shaping a responsible bioeconomy that delivers superior ecological and socio-economic outcomes without creating new systemic constraints.

Co-organisers: University of Greifswald, Germany Research Support Centre (ZFF); HOLOSEU Project Consortium in collaboration with University College Dublin (UCD); Biocontrol Coalition; Koalisi Ekonomi Membumi (KEM), Indonesia.

Scaling Circularity: Integrating Urban Waste Biorefineries (UWBs) into the Global Bioeconomy 

This interactive workshop will explore how urban waste streams can be transformed into high-value bio-based resources through innovative biorefineries, identifying practical pathways to scale circular, competitive and just waste-to-value solutions.

Scaling Circularity: Integrating Urban Waste Biorefineries into the Global Bioeconomy is an interactive, forward-thinking workshop designed to transform how cities handle mounting waste streams. Rapid urbanisation demands a swift shift from traditional waste disposal to advanced, sustainable resource recovery. This session bridges that gap by exploring how innovative, research-driven biorefineries can turn pressing urban liabilities into high-value bio-based assets, driving both economic growth and environmental resilience. 

The workshop involves: 

• Exploring three critical urban waste streams: textiles, food/food processing waste, and industrial digestate.
• Examining advanced research and waste-to-value strategies currently being developed through nationally funded research projects.
• Collaborating with experts to identify bottlenecks, evaluate economic competitiveness, and map out pathways for a just transition.
• This workshop moves beyond theory into actionable bioeconomy scenarios, offering participants a unique platform to design waste management strategies for a sustainable urban future. 

Co-organisers: University College Cork; Maynooth University.