What are biosolutions?

Biological industrial green solutions - or in short, biosolutions - offer a powerful pathway to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable, resilient and competitive future. ‘Inspired by nature’ is the principal concept of biosolutions. Evolution has given nature a head start of millions of years to find solutions to the problems that we face. They now hold the promise of solving major problems.

Biosolutions are nature's own tools

Biosolutions have been used for thousands of years, such as fermentation processes when we produce cheese or bread. They leverage the potential of enzymes, microorganisms, bacterial cultures, yeast and other biological tools, but recent advancement in biotechnologies have elevated their potential, giving them transformative power. 

The term “biosolutions” covers goods and services derived from combining biology and technology with the ambition of accelerating the green transition. 

 

 

  • 8% of our

    current global CO2 emissions can be reduced

    if existing innovative biosolutions are implemented, moving us significantly closer to climate neutrality.

  • Up to 60%

    of the world's raw materials can be produced or substituted

    using biological means. Over the next 10 to 20 years, such advances could amount to 180-280 billion euros in market growth.

  • 133 billion

    is the EU economic footprint of the biosolutions sector

    if we in Europe, by 2035, enact the right policies and a legislative, financial and regulatory framework with specific provisions for biosolutions.

  • 2.9 jobs

    can be created in the European labour market and overall economy

    every time we strengthen Europe with just one job in the biosolutions and biotechnology industry at large.

  • 4,7%

    is the biosolutions industry's average annual growth rate

    which in comparison to the total economy in the EU already outpaces it significantly. The total economy annual growth rage is 2.6%.

What can biosolutions do for us?

Biosolutions are not just a fleeting trend but a pivotal force in driving the biorevolution. This revolution promises to reshape industries, economies, and our relationship with the natural world. The factories of the future will not be mammoth coaldust-soiled structures with giant smokestacks. Instead, the most important factories of the future will be tiny yeast cells, bacteria and algae.

These microscopic powerhouses will produce everything from biofuels and bioplastics to pharmaceuticals and food ingredients by leveraging the natural processes in these organisms. The biorevolution can transform our industrial landscape, leading to greener technologies, less waste, and a harmonious coexistence with our environment. Biosolutions will be at the heart of this transformation, proving that the smallest organisms can have the biggest impact on our future.

Key Concepts

The industrial revolution was defined by huge factories. The biorevolution is defined by micro-factories: the combination of biology and modern technology lets us use natural microorganisms and processes such as fermentation as biosolutions. And we have known about them for thousands of years.

Biosolutions have held such prominence in our ways that they have long since lost their novelty. Fermentation and yeast have been used as the key processes in making beer, wine, cheese and bread. Enzymes make it possible to wash our clothes at low temperatures and bacteria are vital for our health, but also work for us in e.g. yoghurt.

When we speak of biosolutions, we refer to the use of living microorganisms, enzymes, bacteria cultures, yeast etc. which, through precision fermentation and bio-refinement, can address some of the most pressing global challenges. While they are not new discoveries, we continue to explore the field to allow us to maximize the benefits from the solutions that are already available to us, and from those we are yet to discover. And they are defined by a few key concepts.

Bacteria

With bacteria we can boost plant health and keep food products fresh and safe for longer.

Enzymes

All living things have enzymes. Enzymes are biologically active proteins found everywhere in nature.

Fermentation

Fermentation of food is an old technology used to safely preserve food for a longer period of time: for example in bread, cheese, wine and fish.

Microorganisms

Microorganisms encompass various kinds of microscopic organisms that are found all around us in the millions.

Precision fermentation

Precision fermentation uses microorganisms to produce specific molecules and functioning ingredients.

Yeast

Yeast consumes sugar and produces by-products such as alcohol, carbon dioxide that makes bread dough rise and other biochemical compounds.

Impactful biosolutions already exist

The potential of biosolutions is so enormous that it can be hard to fathom in its entirety. Applying biosolutions at scale can allow us to produce food for a growing global population with much less land usage, creating the opportunity to counter the current loss of biodiversity. With the help of biosolutions, we can minimize waste and our environmental impact while maximizing economic, geopolitical and environmental benefits. They can strengthen Europe in key areas, by developing sustainable supply chains and contribute greatly to achieving a circular and biobased economy. 

The future can be better for Europe. We can bolster our position and greatly strengthen our sustainability, resilience and competitiveness. And it all starts with biosolutions. 

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