Support to the EU Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative: scoping action

Expected Outcome:

Successful proposals should contribute to a clean, competitive, safe, fair and circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy, through the integration of biotechnology and biomanufacturing, supporting the innovative, circular and climate-neutral bio-based sector.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• improved uptake of the solutions in the context of the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing initiative^[1], as related to the bio-based sector (e.g. by SMEs, and start-ups) and broader bioeconomy including by ensuring consumers' rights and needs (e.g., increased transparency, co-creating solutions that have high potential for uptake by consumers and stakeholders);
• higher environmental sustainability, including of biomass uses for the development of new bio-based materials and products, replacing fossil- or less environmentally - friendly bio-based ones, and overall innovation capacity, enabled by the technical solutions and stakeholder engagement. This will focus on sharing best practice and inclusive participation across the EU and society;
• improved awareness on the level of EU, national and regional policy making, based on scientific excellence and inclusive co-creation process with relevant stakeholders;
• development of an EU vision and strategic research and innovation agenda to foster biotechnology and biomanufacturing solutions to address EU economic security risks and global challenges like climate change or biodiversity protection.

Scope:

The action will first take stock of the large number of funded actions on biotechnology and biomanufacturing (EU – including European Partnerships (in particular, under Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)), EU Missions, and European research infrastructures programmes in the area of biotechnology such as EU-IBISBA, as well as others on the national, regional, and international level), related to industrial, environmental, marine and agri-food biotechnology (note: in line with the current definition of the EU bioeconomy strategy, health biotechnology is not in scope), as well as parallel broader scientific advances on the same topics.

Areas of interest could cover CRISPR-Cas gene editing, synthetic biology, digital technologies, including as advanced under the EU-funded projects, e.g. project GENEBECON, funded under topic HORIZON-CL6-2021-ZEROPOLLUTION-01-08: New genomic techniques (NGT): understanding benefits and risks – focus on bio-based innovation, projects DETECTIVE and DARWIN, under topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-11: New detection methods on products derived from new genomic techniques for traceability, transparency and innovation in the food system etc., as well as social developments (trust-building measures, evidence-based policy making, social innovation (e.g. project B-TRUST, funded under topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-6: Co-creation and trust-building measures for biotechnology and bio-based innovation systems). Also, the action may take into consideration the outputs from the parallel topics, such as HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-02: Environmental impacts from the production of agricultural crops for bio-based industrial systems, or HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-13: Raising citizen awareness on alternative proteins, including those derived from biotechnology, as well the results of the European Commission study on “Supporting the green transition via the EU Industrial Strategy: opportunities and challenges for bioeconomy, through bio-based industrial systems and biotechnology in the EU”.

The action will then provide scientifically robust assessment of the social, economic and environmental benefits and risks of biotechnologies and biomanufacturing and deliver recommendations in form of a consolidated EU vision and research and innovation agenda, on future trends and main innovation avenues. This action will contribute to the implementation of the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing Initiative, in particular by developing guidance to stakeholders, such as SMEs, start-ups or civil society.

It should also explore the role of biotechnology and biomanufacturing in terms of knowledge needs around the potential positive impacts and potential risks of biotechnology, including on biodiversity and ecosystems, e.g., resource efficiency, sustainable biomass management, impacts on air, water and soil quality or capacity of bio-based systems to enable a sustainable carbon management and better understanding of the carbon removal potential of bio-based economies.

Furthermore, the action should inform the policy makers on national level, as an input to new or updated national bioeconomy strategies or roadmaps. Given that biotechnology has been identified as a critical technology from the economic security perspective^[2] , due to its cross-cutting nature, and also as one of the technologies prioritised in the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Regulation^[3], such aspects should be covered by the present action.

Proposals should take into account the findings of the Global Resources Outlook 2024 of the International Resource Panel. The proposals under the topic should ensure best use of outcomes from previous projects on biotechnology (some of which are already referenced in the topic), for building consumer trust regardless of regulatory status of the products. To promote this, mapping use cases from past projects should be included. Furthermore, synergies with projects on biotechnology/biomanufacturing pilot infrastructure, such as projects Pilots4U and Copilot (under BBI-JU and CBE-JU, respectively) is encouraged, given they may enable the accessibility to pilot infrastructure to bring biotech/biomanufacturing initiatives to the market.

International cooperation is encouraged, e.g. with countries mentioned in the communication on the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing initiative, such as the United States of America, Japan, South Korea, and India, for win-win outcomes and mutual benefits.

This topic should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.

[1] Nature-based solutions - European Commission (europa.eu) COM(2024) 137 Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU

[2] Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/2113 of 3 October 2023 on critical technology areas for the EU’s economic security for further risk assessment with Member States.

[3] Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) and amending Directive 2003/87/EC, Regulations (EU) 2021/1058, (EU) 2021/1056, (EU) 2021/1057, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) 2021/1060, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697 and (EU) 2021/24, COM/2023/335 final.