In facilitating Europe’s transition towards a sustainable economy, innovations in the bio-based sectors, i.e., agriculture, food production and bioeconomy, are important elements.

The bio-based sectors will contribute to reducing the dependency on non-renewable, namely fossil resources. At the same time natural resources will be managed sustainably. This will ensure food security and help us not only to limit but also to adapt quickly to the challenge of climate change.

Modern biology and chemistry, interdisciplinary research and digitalization form the basis for novel products, technologies and business models. Examples range from digital farming, over microbial factories to novel bio-based materials. Furthermore, circularity instead of linearity will generate wealth within the planetary boundaries. Avoiding, reducing, valorizing and recycling waste streams are key elements for sustainability. Most of our food is lost at end of the value chain, where it is most valuable - financially, but also from a resource perspective. What, if we could save such resources and direct them elsewhere?

Today, the European bioeconomy is blessed with scientific excellence and a great ecosystem fostering innovations. The EU’s Green Deal creates demand for more sustainable products across various industries. In addition, new regulations create more transparency with regard to sustainable investments.

All of this generates tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Our economies need bio-based innovations to scale to tackle environmental challenges and generate value.

Especially, entrepreneurial creativity and agility are needed more than ever to spot to shape the opportunity and take the risks. Today, we can only hypothesize what in future the successful solution would look like. We only know it needs to be more sustainable and therefore renewable - it will be bio-based.

In this sense I wish all participants an exciting and inspiring Techtour event to make bio-based sectors thrive.