{"id":141931,"date":"2025-05-07T10:31:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T08:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/euro-funding.com\/blog\/circular-bioeconomy-strategic-convergence-between-the-circular-economy-and-the-bioeconomy\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T09:18:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:18:48","slug":"circular-bioeconomy-strategic-convergence-between-the-circular-economy-and-the-bioeconomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/euro-funding.wp2.rwdesarrollos2.es\/es\/blog\/circular-bioeconomy-strategic-convergence-between-the-circular-economy-and-the-bioeconomy\/","title":{"rendered":"Circular Bioeconomy: Strategic Convergence between the Circular Economy and the Bioeconomy"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Circular Bioeconomy: strategic convergence between the circular economy and the bioeconomy<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"<\/a><\/div>
Fernando G\u00f3mez<\/span><\/a>(<\/span> Technical Manager - European Funds )<\/span><\/span><\/div>

Fernando G\u00f3mez es Technical Manager \u2013 EU Projects en Euro-Funding<\/strong> desde 2020, con experiencia coordinando propuestas europeas de I+D+i. Especialista en financiaci\u00f3n europea<\/strong>, ha actuado como Technical Manager <\/strong>en programas como Horizon Europe, MSCA, ERC, EIC, LIFE, CBE, Eurostars, Clean Hydrogen, CEF o Innovation Fund<\/strong>, entre otros, y ha coordinado proyectos como REALIZE<\/strong> y ATM-EXCITE<\/strong>. Con m\u00e1s de 17 a\u00f1os de experiencia, ha desempe\u00f1ado funciones de R&D Project Manager<\/strong> en entidades de referencia como HM Hospitales, IMDEA y CIB-CSIC<\/strong>, adem\u00e1s de contar con una s\u00f3lida experiencia previa en bioenerg\u00eda y energ\u00edas renovables<\/strong>. Es evaluador experto<\/strong> para la Comisi\u00f3n Europea (H2020 y Horizon Europe) y para EUREKA<\/strong>, as\u00ed como mentor certificado de startups<\/strong> por la Fundaci\u00f3n Madri+d y asesor acreditado por ACCI\u00d3<\/strong> en los \u00e1mbitos de bioenerg\u00eda y econom\u00eda circular<\/strong>. Es licenciado en Biolog\u00eda Molecular<\/strong> y cuenta con m\u00e1steres en Energ\u00edas Renovables<\/strong> y Econom\u00eda Circular<\/strong>, adem\u00e1s de formaci\u00f3n especializada en gesti\u00f3n de proyectos de I+D+i.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Over the past decade, attention to both the circular economy<\/a> and the bioeconomy has increased significantly. So much so that, in recent years, a concept has emerged that combines the most important aspects of both realities: the circular economy. To better understand the links between the two, it is essential to understand the roots of the concepts from the perspective of European Union policies .<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Circular Economy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The EC unveiled its first circular economy<\/a> action plan in 2015. This package included a series of amendments to existing legislation on waste treatment and recycling, and a communication entitled <\/span>\u00abClosing the Cycle – An EU<\/a> Action Plan for the Circular Economy\u00bb.<\/span>. In this document, the circular economy was defined as an economy in which <\/span>the value of products, materials and resources is retained for as long as possible and where waste generation is minimized<\/span>. In the circular economy concept, the linear production model (take, make, use and dispose) is replaced by a circular model in which waste remains in the system cycle for as long as possible. The circular economy seeks to increase the proportion of renewable or recyclable resources and reduce the consumption of raw materials and energy while protecting the environment by minimizing emissions and secondary flows. In 2020, the EC adopted a <\/span>new circular economy action plan<\/span> as one of the main pillars of the European Green Pact<\/a>. The new action plan takes into account the entire life cycle of products. The plan focuses on the sectors that use the most resources and where the potential for circularity is greatest: electronics and ICT, batteries and vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction and buildings, food, water and nutrients. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bioeconomy: innovation and natural resources<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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In February 2012, the European Commission (EC) launched a communication entitled \u00abInnovating for sustainable growth: a bioeconomy for Europe<\/a>\u00ab.<\/em> This strategy provided a first framework to stimulate the development of knowledge, research and innovation<\/a> in this field. The document defines the bioeconomy as the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bioproducts and bioenergy<\/strong>. According to the updated Bioeconomy Strategy<\/em> that was published in 2018, the bioeconomy covers all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources (animals, plants, microorganisms and derived biomass, including organic waste), their functions and principles. <\/p>

The bioeconomy encompasses and links: terrestrial and marine ecosystems and the services they provide; all primary production sectors that use and produce biological resources (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture); and all economic and industrial sectors that use biological resources and processes to produce food, feed, bioproducts, energy and services (except biomedicine and health biotechnology).<\/p>

A 2020 publication<\/a> by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center<\/strong> that takes into account the premises of this updated strategy estimated that the size of the EU-28 bioeconomy in 2015 reached \u20ac1.46 trillion in value added<\/strong>, which is 11 % of GDP. This data can help us to grasp the importance that the sector already has and the road it still has to travel. <\/p>

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The birth of the circular bioeconomy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The circular bioeconomy occupies the intersection of two concepts that, as we have seen, have been worked on almost in parallel over the past decade. The two policy agendas have overlapping objectives and areas of intervention. It makes sense to create synergies to merge models and strategies, but it has to be done in a coherent and careful way to ensure that resources are used more productively and efficiently. <\/p>

Paul Stegmann et al. (2020)<\/a> have proposed the following definition based on elements highlighted in previous literature: the circular bioeconomy focuses on the sustainable and efficient valorization of biomass through integrated, multi-product production chains (e.g., biorefineries) while making use of waste and optimizing the value of biomass over time through cascades<\/em>.<\/p>

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The use of biomass as a resource is the key intersection between the bioeconomy and the circular economy<\/a>. Concerns about the disruption of food chains and other sustainability<\/a> issues have led to a shift towards the use of biomass categorized as co-products, by-products and residues (e.g., forest thinning residues or the organic fraction of municipal solid waste). <\/span> The use of waste biomass streams as feedstock for the generation of bioproducts can lead to a drastic reduction of waste on a global scale. And, it has clear overlaps with <\/span>the circular economy model<\/span>The aim is to: mitigate dependence on virgin materials, keep materials in the system longer, close loops and increase resource productivity. At the same time, the aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of renewable raw materials instead of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil and gas). <\/span>OECD, 2018<\/span><\/a>). Another important aspect is that the circular economy tends to focus on urban and industrial processes, while the bioeconomy focuses on innovation based on biological resources in a predominantly rural context. The circular bioeconomy concept merges these two trends and links urban and rural communities ( <\/span>Lauri Hetem\u00e4ki et al., 2017.<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Funding programs for the circular bioeconomy in the EU<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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