The European Bioeconomy Strategy and its Action Plan promote the creation of public-private joint initiatives and the development of cooperation in terms of European Innovation. According to this framework, the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) is established for the implementation of the BIC Joint Technology Initiative (BIC JTI) whose members are the European Commission and the Bio-Industries Consortium (BIC). BIC is a non-profit organization including groups of industries supporting the BIC JTI, which includes members along the whole value chain of bioindustries, big companies, SMEs, regional groups, European sectorial associations and European Technological Platforms. Its aim is to ensure and promote the economical and technological development of bioindustries across Europe.
The objectives of the Bio-Based Industries (BBI) Joint Undertaking are to contribute to a more resource efficient and sustainable low-carbon economy and to increase economic growth and employment, in particular in rural areas, by developing sustainable and competitive bio-based industries in Europe, based on advanced biorefineries that source their biomass in a sustainable way and in particular to:
- Demonstrate technologies that enable new chemical building blocks, new materials, and new consumer products from European biomass, which replace the need for fossil-based inputs;
- Develop business models that integrate economic actors along the value chain from supply of biomass to biorefinery plants to consumers of bio-based materials, chemicals and fuels, including through creating new cross-sector interconnections and supporting cross-industry clusters; and
- Set-up flagship biorefinery plants that deploy the technologies and business models for bio-based materials, chemicals and fuels and demonstrate cost and performance improvements to levels that are competitive with fossil-based alternatives.
Horizon 2020 is the operating framework for BBI JU and its functions include the implementation of the Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA) developed by industries taking into account synergies with other parts of Horizon 2020, such as the Societal Challenge 2, Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies (LEIT), as well as to promote the use of industrial sustainable processes.
In order to contribute with the activities of the BBI JU, the Andalusia Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development is an associated member of the Bio-Industries Consortium since July 2017.