The BIOEAST Thematic working group Bioeconomy Education together with the network of bioeconomy universities from BIOEAST macro-region – BIOEAST UniNet held a policy expert discussion at Warsaw University of Life Sciences on 10th December 2025, bringing together representatives from the European Commission, national ministries, universities, industry and stakeholder organisations to examine how skills development and education can better support the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy.
Contributions from the European Commission and industry stakeholders underlined the strategic importance of education in unlocking bioeconomy potential. Giuseppe Pellegrino (DG RTD, European Commission) emphasised the need for customised regional actions and stronger coordination to translate EU policy ambitions into impact on the ground. Nelo Emerencia (Bio-based Industries Consortium) stressed that while the bioeconomy already employs around 19 million people in the EU, skills and education remain an insufficiently developed pillar, calling for more coordinated EU-level action, including a European bioeconomy skills framework and stronger links between education and industry.
The discussion highlighted that skills and education are a cross-cutting enabler of the bioeconomy, underpinning innovation, competitiveness, sustainability and regional development. Particular attention was given to Central and Eastern Europe, where abundant but underexploited biomass resources offer significant opportunities for sustainable growth, provided that education, research and innovation systems are adequately aligned with labour market and deployment needs.
National and regional perspectives showcased ongoing education reforms, practical initiatives and partnerships supporting bioeconomy skills development, including interdisciplinary approaches, lifelong learning, curriculum co-design with industry, and targeted support for farmers, rural areas and emerging bio-based value chains.
The discussion concluded with a shared understanding that skills and education constitute critical infrastructure for the bioeconomy transition.
Following the policy expert discussion, a meeting of BIOEAST UniNet members took place, focusing on network governance, priorities and next steps to strengthen cooperation on education, research and innovation across the BIOEAST macro-region.
About BIOEAST UniNet
BIOEAST University Network is a network of universities and higher education institutions from the BIOEAST macro-region. It was established in December 2022 as a structural part of the BIOEAST Thematic Working Group on Bioeconomy Education and Skills in Prague during the EU Czech Presidency by BIOEAST HUB CR. It works to strengthen education, research and innovation for the bioeconomy through cross-border cooperation, stakeholder engagement and alignment with EU policy priorities on sustainability, competitiveness and cohesion.
