BiOrbic, alongside EURDigital Village, is undertaking the preparation of a report on ‘Circular Bioeconomy in support of Climate Action, Sustainable Food and Biobased Systems’. This report will help shape policy and concrete measures by government departments and agencies for a successful uptake of Bioeconomy opportunities.
To prepare for this report, BiOrbic was interested to engage with stakeholders of the Irish Bioeconomy to discuss key areas which can influence the next Circular Bioeconomy strategy that will be drafted by the Government. A Stakeholder Engagement workshop was held by BiOrbic in UCD on May 3rd to connect with stakeholders and come up with recommended policy and enabling actions for the coming 1-3 years that will enable the Circular Bioeconomy to thrive on the ground.
The workshop opened with talks from Dr Kevin O’Connor, James Gaffey and Liz Gavin who spoke about the innovation potential of the bioeconomy to help address climate change and sustainability, what kind of enablers do we need in order to scale the bioeconomy and how do we fast track sustainable growth.
After this, stakeholders were split into groups to discuss issues affecting the implementation of the Bioeconomy in Ireland such as; What innovation supports would you like to see more of to enable the Irish bioeconomy thrive? What recommendations do you have to improve public perception and understanding of the opportunities the bioeconomy can bring for Ireland? Are there recommendations for how to improve our uptake and/or speed up our transition to a circular bioeconomy in Ireland?
Thanks to all for coming and giving their input. It was an insightful event, with lots of meaningful discussion. The report with all it’s recommendations will be out later this month.
