Under the Horizon Europe 2021-2027, the EU has already invested approximately €284 million in projects advancing the bioeconomy and circular economy sectors.
Introduction
The amount of waste produced globally is still increasing, with the European Union alone generating over 2 billion tonnes annually, which translates to 4.8 tonnes per person1. This waste mainly comes from industries such as construction, mining, and manufacturing. On average, each European produces about half a tonne of municipal waste annually, of which less than half is recycled2. The impact of this waste on the environment, biodiversity, and health is significant, along with considerable management costs and inefficiencies in resource use.
Globally, human activity uses over 100 billion tonnes of materials every year, and more than 90% of these materials end up as waste3. The idea of a circular economy is seen as a strategic solution to these challenges, focusing on completely eliminating waste. This transformational approach involves extending the life and usefulness of resources, materials, and products, rethinking product design and business processes, encouraging innovation in solutions and service models, and promoting sustainable consumption practices.
The role of EU Funding
In this context, European funding efforts are playing a pivotal role in accelerating the transition towards a sustainable and circular bioeconomy. The European Union (EU) has invested robustly in bioeconomy and circular economy sectors, with a significant portion of funding coming from the Horizon Europe programme. Beyond the €284 million directed specifically towards projects focused on bioeconomy and circular econom, the EU has allocated close to €9 billion under Cluster 6 of the Horizon Europe programme. This cluster focuses on Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment, and represents a comprehensive investment in advancing these sectors4.
Highlighting these efforts is essential to understand the scope and impact of current EU investments in bioeconomy and circular economy related fields. This article provides a snapshot of diverse projects, showcasing their impacts and promising results as they contribute to Europe’s sustainable future.
Facts and figures – EU Funding for the Bioeconomy and Circular Economy
Figure 1 shows the total amount of EU funding for bioeconomy projects in the Horizon 2021-2027 programme so far, broken down by sector. The majority of funded projects are related to Circular solutions and Bioeconomy. Other notable thematic areas supported by the funding include by-product processing, textiles, and waste valorization.
Figure 1. EU funding for bioeconomy-related projects by sector.
The thematic areas cover a wide range of topics, but they all have a common goal: creating a greener and more resilient EU industry and ecosystem through bioeconomy.
These include finding innovative solutions to convert CO2 emissions from bio-based industries into valuable bio-based chemicals, developing strategies to enhance regional and local bio-based economies through industrial symbiosis and business model generation, creating circular solutions from bio-based waste in industries like textiles, and establishing research programs to build sustainable and replicable bio-based value chains locally.
Figure 2. Percentage of bioeconomy-related projects and EU funding per type of activity of the leading coordinator.
Projects funded under Horizon 2021-2027 are mostly led by Research Organizations, followed by Private for-profit entities and Higher or Secondary Education Establishments such as Universities.
Figure 3. Percentage of bioeconomy-related projects and EU funding per country of the leading coordinator
Figure 3 shows the percentage of projects funded per country according to the main coordinator entity.
Conclusion
As seen, the EU has a significant commitment and a robust funding to foster a circular and bio-based economy. These investments not only drive innovation and sustainability in various sectors but also pave the way for a greener future in Europe. As we continue to face environmental challenges, the emphasis on circular economy principles and bioeconomy solutions will be critical in achieving long-term ecological balance and economic resilience.
References
Important: The information in this article is based on data gathered through metadata search and text related to the bioeconomy and circular economy keywords found in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal database in July 2024. Only highly relevant projects were taken into account, so the results are closely tied to the provided keywords.
1 Zanetti, M., & Panepinto, D. (2023). What is Waste, and How We Manage in Europe. En M. Tribaudino, D. Vollprecht, & A. Pavese (Eds.), Minerals and Waste (pp. 21-37). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16135-3_2
2Tsimnadis, K., & Kyriakopoulos, G. L. (2024). Investigating the Role of Municipal Waste Treatment within the European Union through a Novel Created Common Sustainability Point System. Recycling, 9(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling9030042
3Marín-Beltrán, I., Demaria, F., Ofelio, C., Serra, L. M., Turiel, A., Ripple, W. J., Mukul, S. A., & Costa, M. C. (2022). Scientists’ warning against the society of waste. Science of The Total Environment, 811, 151359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151359
4European Commission. (2023). Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment. https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/horizon-europe/cluster6
