Second Bioeconomy Workshop of the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy

The International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (www.iacgb.net) invited guests from around the world to a two-day workshop in Hanover on January 15 and 16. The council is co-chaired by Christine Lang, one of the two heads of BIO Deutschland's Industrial Bioeconomy Working Group, Elspeth MacRae, and Julius Ecuru.

In addition to the international exchange on the development of the bioeconomy in various nations and regions, the meeting in Hanover served to prepare for the Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS) from October 20 to 21 in Dublin, Ireland. Viola Bronsema, Managing Director of BIO Germany, presented the technological aspects of the industrial bioeconomy in Germany in an international context to the approximately 40 participants at the beginning of the event. National efforts and international partnerships as ways to transition to a sustainable society and economy against the backdrop of global developments were then presented and discussed from different national perspectives. Representatives from the federal and some state ministries of research and technology, agriculture and food, and economy and energy presented details of their bioeconomy programs. The EU's Life Sciences Strategy and Biotech Act I and II were also discussed on the first day. On the second day, the hosts and organizers of GBS2026 presented their plans for discussion. The conference, with around 800 participants, will provide an opportunity in the fall to take stock and at the same time reshape the vision of the bioeconomy as an important step toward resilience, technological sovereignty, and solutions for a healthy environment.