In the United Kingdom, there is no strategy supporting the development of the bioeconomy. Despite the fact that, potentially, it could be the world-leading country, there are still several political, economic and social barriers hindering innovation in this field. As Caitlin Burns, Adrian Higson and Edward Hodgson write in a document published in January 2016 entitled “Five recommendations to kick-start bioeconomy innovation in the UK,” “practical measures are needed to close the existing gap with the United States, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany and Scandinavian countries.”

Burns and Higson are two consultants fro NNFCC, a York-based company established by the UK government in 2003, specializing in the bioeconomy; Hodgson is a researcher at the Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Their recipe to make the bioeconomy thrive across the Channel is simple, at least on paper. Here are the ingredients: a cross-sectoral and long-term approach; supporting a clustering process on the model of what has been done in Yorkshire with BioVale; technological transfer, from the laboratory to the pilot plant and up to marketing; a system of green public procurement. Lastly, raising public awareness and acceptance of bio-based products.