Blue Bioeconomy Forum

Official launch, first stakeholder event, draft State of Play report, how to join the Community, working groups and pipeline of projects

The ‘blue bioeconomy’ sector was out in force at the recent EU-hosted conference dedicated to presenting a collective ‘European way’ to achieving a truly ‘sustainable and circular bioeconomy’.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This African proverb was borrowed by a panellist at the First Blue Bioeconomy Forum (BBF) Conference hosted by the European Commission to illustrate the importance of working together on a clear and robust roadmap charting Europe’s future in this diverse and dynamic sector. The scientists, entrepreneurs, policy-makers and financiers attending the 7 December event in Amsterdam needed no convincing that cooperation is vital, as the complexity of the task unfolded.

In crowded seas such as those around the European Union – including, for example, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Mediterranean – pressures on the environment are building and space is at a premium. In managing these areas, the interests of different economic sectors, including fishing, energy, shipping and tourism, must be considered.

From the bounties of the sea to the endless power of blue energy, awareness of the blue bioeconomy is growing by the day. But one promising sector struggles to establish its ‘blue’ credentials and faces unique challenges largely because of one detail … it is an ‘out of sea’ experience. That sector is fish farming and mixed agri- and aquaculture.

Microalgae, which play a vital role in ocean ecosystems, are being heralded as a sustainable raw material in food, supplements, animal feed, and a range of non-food uses including bioplastics.