Commission announces bio PPP

A new €3.8bn public private partnership (PPP) for bio-based industries in Europe, aimed at ensuring smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth and at enabling Europe to become a world-leading Innovation Union, has been adopted by the European Commission.

The Bio-based Industries PPP, also known as ‘BRIDGE’ (Bio-based and Renewable Industries for Development and Growth in Europe) is a multi-sector initiative whose vision is that of a society and economy which increasingly makes everyday products (such as food, feed, textiles, chemicals and fuels) from locally sourced biomass and wastes, rather than from fossil fuels.

It’s hoped that the initiative will create jobs in a broad range of sectors in Europe, triggering rural growth across regions whilst placing sustainability and the smart and efficient use of resources at its heart. In doing so, it will also aim to overcome the EU’s so called ‘innovation valley of death’ by bridging the gap between excellence in technology and success through EU commercialisation of bio-based products.

The announcement of the proposal is part of a €22bn innovation investment package of new Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) under Horizon 2020. Nathalie Moll, EuropaBio secretary general, stated: “For far too long the EU’s industry leaders in Industrial Biotechnology, which is a key enabler of the broader bio-based economy, have had to seek support and investment overseas. Crucially this has meant that the benefits of cutting edge EU technology are reaped elsewhere.

“Today’s announcement is a positive sign that the EU is seeking to reverse this trend, through initiatives such as the bio-based industries PPP. It is now crucial that the European Parliament and member states support this proposal,” Moll added.