European Bioeconomy Scientific Forum discussed global bioeconomy processes, innovation skills, and multi-level collaboration networks.
The European Bioeconomy Scientific Forum (EBSF) 2025 took place from 11 to 13 June at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu and in Koli. The forum addressed essential matters when advancing the bioeconomy: regional and international collaboration, knowledge exchange across geographical and domain boundaries, the roles of youth and universities, and the necessary innovation skills.
EBSF2025 brought together over a hundred participants from 26 countries across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia – international experts, professors, researchers, students, policymakers, government representatives, and young professionals.
From high-level policy to education, careers, and entrepreneurship
The Forum’s keynote speakers covered various topics, such as the bioeconomy in the new European Commission´s agenda, the status of the global bioeconomy and its perspectives and challenges, regional and national bioeconomy initiatives and platforms.
The speakers at the Young Professionals session shared their visions of the bioeconomy and career stories in entrepreneurship, investment, and sustainability management. Several speeches focused on bioeconomy education and research carried out by universities.
Young talents on stage
Young and enthusiastic researchers and innovators delivered pitch presentations. The pitching session featured three groups: biotechnologies and bio-businesses, bioresource management and governance, and bioeconomy policies and stakeholders. Thus, the forum offered a platform for 38 young professionals to showcase their projects and improve their public speaking skills. Furthermore, all pitching presenters participated in a competition, with the top selections awarded based on the audience’s and jury’s preferences.
“This research started in the Vienna EBSF session that took place in 2023, where I met a researcher with whom I shared interests. We decided to bring forward this idea and here, again at EBSF, I was able to present our research and be able to be awarded with that,” describes one of the happy awardees, Lorena Díaz Fernández de Quincoces, who presented her research conducted in collaboration with the University of Hohenheim.
Furthering bioeconomy collaboration interactively
Three workshops were held in Koli National Park alongside the main Forum programme. The workshops focused on Horizon Scanning for Bioeconomy, Empowering Youth in the Bioeconomy, and Universities and Global Collaboration in the Bioeconomy. These engaging workshops and a brief walking trip through the park’s forested hills provided an excellent conclusion to the Forum.
The European Bioeconomy Scientific Forum is the official biennial event of the European Bioeconomy University Alliance (EBU). The EBU consists of eight European universities and aims to contribute to the establishment of Europe’s leading intellectual institution for education, research, and innovation in the bioeconomy.
This alliance strengthens the connection between academia, policy, and practice to enhance a sustainable and competitive European bioeconomy while collaborating with European and global networks and partners. University of Eastern Finland holds the EBU’s Presidency 2025-2026, and Rector Tapio Määttä serves as the current Chair of the Presidency. Next EBSF will be hosted by AgroParisTech in Paris in early autumn 2027.
