The recent digital Advisory Board meeting brought together representatives from industry, academia and policy to discuss how current EU developments are shaping the conditions for the Swedish bioeconomy.

A shared message from the meeting was that the EU’s new bioeconomy strategy creates important opportunities for bio-based value chains, while at the same time an increasingly complex regulatory landscape affects planning and investment conditions.

Several presentations highlighted how new rules related to forests and land use may influence the availability of biomass in Sweden, with implications for both industrial development and the climate transition. A research perspective also pointed to the importance of considering market-based harvest leakage and of taking a broader international, system perspective in climate policy.

The discussions also highlighted opportunities for stronger collaboration and better use of EU research and innovation funding. Test and demonstration facilities, strong partnerships and well-prepared projects were described as key factors for scaling innovation in the Swedish bioeconomy.

Overall, the meeting showed that a successful bioeconomy needs long-term and predictable framework conditions, and close cooperation between research, industry and policy, if Sweden is to remain a frontrunner in sustainable and competitive bioeconomy development.

Thank you to all speakers and participants for a very valuable and engaging meeting.

Speakers

• Gölin Gerken Christiansen, North Sweden European Office
• Anna Törner, Svebio – Svensk Bioenergi
• Torgny Persson, Skogsindustrierna
• Robert Lundmark, Luleå University of Technology
• Johan Börjesson, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden Processum
• Katarina Buhr, Formas – a Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development