Transformative change and policy-making: the case of bioeconomy policies in the EU frontrunners and lessons for latecomers

Abstract

European Union (EU) policies and initiatives have played an increasingly crucial role in the strategic development of bioeconomy across Europe, albeit in a widely uneven manner. This paper provides an overview of the system and policy changes that allowed some countries to become bioeconomy frontrunners in the EU and derives potential lessons for latecomers from the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. Theoretically, we rely on the conceptual ideas of sustainability transitions and transformative innovation policy to highlight the nature and challenges of a transition towards bioeconomy. Our results show that the requirements of systemic and policy-supported transitions towards bioeconomy are threefold: stable and long timeframes in policy-making and dynamic change agents (fitting particular systems); participatory processes in policy co-design to co-develop visions; and the societal legitimacy of and commitment to bioeconomy.

Keywords:

• Bioeconomy
• innovation policy
• legitimacy
• coordination
• change agents
• transformative change

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 See for the details, The Website of the Ministry of Education, Science and Research in Austria: Bioeconomy – A Strategy for Austria. https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/en/Topics/Research/Research-in-Austria/Strategic-focus-and-advisory-bodies/Strategies/Bioeconomy-Strategy.html (accessed 30.11.2020).

2 See e.g. The Website of Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia, https://www.norden.lv/en/whats-new/news/150217-bioekonomikas-forums-cela-uz-ilgtspejigu-un-inovativu-bioekonomiku-/ (accessed 30.01.2021).

3 See The Website of BIOEAST Initiative, https://bioeast.eu/home/ (accessed 30.11.2020).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Estonian Research Council and European Regional Development Fund co-financed project RITA1/01-18-13. “Analysis of the economic situation and perspective of the Estonia's bioeconomy and its sectors. Formulating business models in selected fields of bioeconomy” and partly funded by the Estonian Research Council Grants No. PUT1461 and No. PRG346.

Notes on contributors

Margit Kirs

Margit Kirs is a Researcher and Programme Director of Public Administration and Innovation Master Studies at the Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance at Tallinn University of Technology. Her research interests are related to the areas of innovation and high-technology policy, policy design and implementation with a particular emphasis on Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. She has been carrying out different policy-related projects to national governmental as well as international research-oriented organizations. Her latest research activity is related to analyzing governance structures and policy instruments facilitating transition towards bioeconomy.

Erkki Karo

Erkki Karo is an Associate Professor of Science and Technology Policy and Director of the Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance at Tallinn University of Technology. His research focuses on governance and public management of research and innovation policies in both developing and developed economies. He has worked on policy-related projects both for the local government and central government institutions in Estonia on different innovation policy issues. Currently, he is also a Member of the Innovation Policy Committee of the Estonian Government, a Member of the Advisory Council of the Strategy Unit of Tallinn City Government, and a Council Member of Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol. He has been a co-organizer of the permanent study group on Public Administration, Technology & Innovation at the European Group for Public Administration and a coordinator of the ETF grant Institutions and Economic Development in East Asia and Central and Eastern Europe.

Kadri Ukrainski

Kadri Ukrainski is a Professor of Research and Innovation Policy and Head of Chair of Public Economics and Policy at the School of Economics and Business Administration at the University of Tartu. Her research interests are related to science and innovation policies. Her latest research grants concern public funding of research (mission-oriented programs), research internationalization, and sectoral innovation policy. She has been involved as a member in several national and international advisory bodies to RDI such as the Horizon 2020 Programme Committee, the Estonian Science Policy Committee, the Expert Council on Economic Development of the Estonian Government, and of the Smart Specialization Expert Council convened by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Education and Research.