Bio-based products and processes

Bio-based research and innovation

Bio-based products are derived from biological resources (urban bio-waste, organic residues or wastes from primary production and industrial processes, dedicated industrial crops, biogenic CO2, etc.) and they cover a variety of sectors and uses, such as textiles, home and personal care, furniture and construction, chemicals, plastics, fertilisers etc. 

These products can replace fossil-intensive ones, potentially saving up to 2.5 billion tons of CO₂ equivalent per year by 2030, and may have better environmental and technical performance. They contribute to reducing Europe’s dependency on fossil resources and help accelerate the transition to a green and circular economy. Bio-based products and processes may also bring economic and social benefits e.g. by establishing new markets and creating new jobs opportunities, both in innovative sectors and in rural and coastal areas, where the production of biological resources mainly happens.

Circular bio-based innovative solutions have the potential to drive the EU towards zero pollution and climate neutrality by 2050, and along a just and inclusive transition, in line with the European Green Deal objectives.

EU funds for research and innovation contribute to supporting the development and deployment of bio-based products and processes and to enhancing their economic, social and environmental benefits.

What the Commission is doing

Research at EU level is critical to enable, establish and deploy innovation in the bioeconomy. In particular the bio-based innovation covers:

• sustainable biomass sourcing, logistics and production systems, with focus on high-value applications and uses and overall resource efficiency, including water
• life sciences and their convergence with digital technologies for understanding, prospecting and sustainably using biological resources
• bio-based value chains, materials, including bio-inspired materials, chemicals, products, services and processes with novel qualities, functionalities and improved sustainability; replacing current production of unsustainable products by outperforming biobased solutions for innovative market applications
• biotechnology for application in competitive, sustainable and novel industrial processes, environmental services and consumer products;
• circularity through innovation to radically increase the value generated per unit of biological resource, keeping their value in the economy for longer, supporting the principle of the cascading use of sustainable biomass
• inclusive bio-based systems with different actors participating in the creation of value, maximising societal impact and public engagement;
• increased understanding of the ecological boundaries, metrics and indicators of the environmental sustainability of the bio-based industry, and its synergies and trade-offs with a healthy environment, and with the other sectors of the bioeconomy

In parallel, the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (established between the EU and the Bio-based Industry Consortium) has the objective to accelerate the innovation and the market uptake of bio-based innovative solutions, while ensuring their environmental performance.

Its strategic innovation and research agenda sets out the technological and innovation challenges to developing sustainable and competitive bio-based industries in Europe.

One of the key aims is to develop new biorefining technologies to sustainably transform renewable natural resources into bio-based products and materials.

Policy focus

• Bio-based plastics