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Europe's Bioeconomy: The Business of Nature

  • Text
  • Food
  • Nature
  • Environment
  • Union
  • Agriculture
  • Forestry
  • Science
  • Biotech
  • Bioeconomy
EUobserver's 2018 Business in Europe magazine takes a closer look at Europe's bioeconomy and how "the business of nature" is changing the way people look at waste and natural resources.

Nokia is synonymous with

Nokia is synonymous with mobile phones, but the world-famous Finnish company was in fact started as a paper mill, on the banks of the Nokianvirta river over 100 years ago - hence the name. Paper is a typical bioeconomic based production, using water and wood as prime resources. GSM call was made in 1991 and the company Nokia's tax revenues paid for a large share of Finland's generous social model, but Nokia lost its dominance and was sold to Microsoft in 2014. In that same year, Finland turned back to nature and launched a bioeconomy strategy to help create future jobs and wealth. The bioeconomy comprises those parts of the economy that use renewable biological resources animals and micro-organisms – to produce food, materials and energy. "What are the big problems in the world? Lack of resources and lack of bio-diversity. So, when a country is dependent on exports, like Finland is – we have to think what kind of solutions we can offer to these big problems in the entire world," environment minister Kimmo Tiilikainen explains in an interview with EUobserver. It is not all about making Finland better, he says. It is a win-win strategy. "Our government wanted Finland to be a frontrunner in bioeconomy, circular economy and clean-tech solutions for two reasons. We can solve the huge environmental problems in the brings markets for our companies and sustainable employment," he said. BUSINESS IN EUROPE MAGAZINE 2018

GLOBAL SCARCITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES In 2030, the world will need 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water than today, the government estimated when Finland formulated the bioeconomy strategy. The growing demand will result in a scarcity of natural resources and push their prices up. It was thought that availability of raw materials and the competitive advantage for Finland. The yearly output of the Finnish bioeconomy currently exceeds €60bn, and more than 300,000 people are employed in the sector. The bioeconomy strategy aims to create as many as 100,000 additional jobs in Finland by 2025. "We are investing in research and innovation, creating new materials, new kinds of chemicals based on biomass and, of course, in the energy sector and transport, and new opportunities in water and waste," Tiilikainen said. Tiilikainen represents the Centre Party, a centrist, liberal and agrarian political party in Finland. He is also an organic farmer and forester himself. "We have also learnt a lot during the process and new aspects are being added. The concept and thinking of the circular economy must be adapted into the bioeconomy," he says. "In the circular economy the target is to improve consumption - reuse and recycle. It can create new types of business models and this kind of new economic thinking must be applied, no matter if the materials are renewable or non-renewable." REPLACING PLASTIC WITH BIOMASS "Most promising is the development of new biobased material," Tiilikainen said, adding that "it potential as commercial solutions, but research, development and innovative work has created new kinds of opportunities". Plastic is one example. BUSINESS IN EUROPE MAGAZINE 2018

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