European Biosolutions Coalition

Good news if you're looking for a good friday read in the spring sun: there's a European Biotechnology Magazine! ☀️🌿 And in it, you'll find everything from insights into the European market, economical perspectives on the biotech sector, regional news and a miscellaneous pick and mix sector 📖 And do you know what the best part is? In the spring edition of 2025, you can even find our director Sofie Carsten Nielsen cited in the article "Fighting for the EU's crown jewels" on page 16-17 👑🇪🇺 🗣 “Europe is a world leader in the R&D of biosolutions, but currently we are losing pace to the US, China and others when it comes to investments in and market access for these solutions", she says If you'd like to read the rest of Sofie's quote, the article or perhaps the entire magazine over your next cup of coffee, you can find your copy right here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ecjTxiid

📢 Call to Action: Make Your Voice Heard in EU's Future Biotech Legislation! 🌍 The European Commission has just launched a consultation on the regulatory framework for biotechnology and biomanufacturing. 📅 The deadline for input is April 14. 💡 This consultation will inform the impact assessment and preparatory work for the upcoming Biotech Act. Your input is crucial to ensure better regulation and the advancement of biotechnological innovations in the EU! #biotechact #biosolutions #futurefitregulation

Biotechnology is now a critical economic asset for Europe. 📊 This was stated this week in a newly updated study from WifOR Institute for Europa Bio. The study, released this week, highlights several key findings, supported by data: 🚀 Gross value added (GVA) from biotechnology activities has nearly doubled since 2008. Healthcare biotechnology remains the dominant contributor, reflecting the sector's maturity, but industrial biotechnology is the fastest-growing subsector in terms of GVA, with a growth rate of 5.3% – more than double that of the overall EU economy. 💹 Biotechnology is one of the most economically productive industries. 💼 Biotechnology outputs deliver a significant trade surplus for the EU with its global trading partners. 📈 Employment growth in biotechnology is six times higher than that of the overall EU economy, with industrial biotechnology developing the fastest, growing over 7.5 times the EU average. For uplifting weekend reading, see the link to the full report in the comments. Claire Skentelbery #biosolutions #EU #competitiveness

Fruitful days in sunny Brussels where our meetings in the Commission and other EU representatives are coinciding with the significant announcement from the USA on March 14th, that the White House Executive Orders for Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing were rescinded. While this development presents promising opportunities for European Biosolutions, seizing these opportunities is imperative. The competition remains fierce, and investments outside of Europe are substantial. Therefore, it is crucial that we act now to secure access to capital, testing and scale-up facilities, and ensure that our regulations are future fit. This is vital not only for European competitiveness and security but also for maintaining planetary boundaries and ensuring future food security globally. #EuropeanBiosolutionsCoalition #Biotechnology #EU #Biomanufacturing #Brussels #Policy #Resilience

What’s better than discussing 75 pages of EU legalese? Doing it with smiles! Sofie Carsten Nielsen, Mikael Wraae Valsted, and Pernille Rype Elley rocked our morning (and we hope yours too 🥳) with engaging presentation from Prof. Timo Minssen. You all know the background: Europe stands at a pivotal crossroad. We are home alone, and we suddenly need to lock the doors when away. So what does the smart European do? Yes, we look to where we are actually leading the world, and the answer is biosolutions. We need to massively invest in our sector, while making time-to-market for innovative products significantly shorter, if Europe is to transform itself into a resilient and competitive bioeconomy. Therefore, as Timo Minssen and his fellow authors of the study: “Emerging Biotechnology in Europe. Foresight for policy” suggests, European authorities must: ✅ Move beyond current EU GM & bio-innovation legislation to a science-based and future-proof product-based approach that focuses on the safety of products and organisms, not the techniques to develop and produce them. ✅ Accelerate the overall revision of the GM framework across all impacted sectors such as NGTs & microbial biotechnology. ✅ Prioritize the swift enactment of a new regulation alleviating the requirements for the marketing authorization of plants obtained through certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) within the European Union (EU). ✅ Promote the establishment of regulatory sandboxes – similar to those required by the AI Act and proposed for certain therapies under the reform of the EU pharmaceutical legislation - that allow testing of novel solutions in a controlled environment for a limited time under the supervision of regulators. ✅ Commission further studies on the legal and regulatory implications of such sandboxes with a focus on how these comply with broader legal and societal frameworks and how they should be designed and implemented. ✅ Make full use of existing structures such as the European Enterprise Network to work towards establishing an EU Biotech Hub, an operational tool for biotech companies to navigate the regulatory framework and identify support to scale up. Thank you to Prof. Timo Minssen for presenting his valuable research to members of the European Biosolutions Coalition and DI Bio. We are excited to continue the dialogue with you. Thank you to all guests – coming from all over Europe – for participating in the conversation. We need a bold and broad Biotech Act. 👊 #Biotechact #Bioeconomy #Innovation #EU #RegulatoryFramework #EuropeanBiosolutionsCoalition

"We are home alone in Europe, and it is crucial to enhance our self-sufficiency and competitive edge. We have a unique position within biosolutions, but we need to act now to maintain it." That was one of the messages from the European Biosolutions Coalition today, where director Sofie Carsten Nielsen delivered an inspiring keynote at MIT Technology Review's EmTech Italy conference at the UCBM in Rome on new emerging technologies. 🌍 Under the theme "Navigating Biotech in the Green Transition: Policy, Innovation, and Sustainable Solutions," Sofie shared her visions on how biosolutions can play a pivotal role for Europe in the current global situation and for the green transition. She emphasized the importance of adjusting regulations and policies - and the importance of pace: "We have excellent research in Europe, but we are not efficient enough in bringing that knowledge to market as solutions quickly. We start the biosolutions companies, but they grow up elsewhere and we need to do something about this now," she said. Following her keynote, Sofie participated in a panel with our valued coalition partner Assobiotec, discussing "Emerging Tech Driving Breakthroughs in Biotech." The conversation focused on how cutting-edge technologies are transforming the biotechnology landscape, from gene editing of plants to enhance climate resilience to transformative therapies. Panel participants: 👤 Elena Sgaravatti, Founder & CEO, PlantaRei Biotech Srl 👤 Pierluigi Paracchi, CEO, Genenta Science (Nasdaq: GNTA) 👤 annalisa polverari, EDIVITE S.R.L. 🔷 Moderator: Fabrizio Greco, President of Federchimica Assobiotec Thank you so much to our partner and MIT Technology Review for having us. It was a pleasure meeting so many engaged researchers, companies, and investors in this field. We look forward to continuing to shape the future of biosolutions alongside our talented partners and industry pioneers! 🚀 #Biotech #GreenTransition #Innovation #SustainableSolutions #EmTechItaly #EuropeanBiosolutionsCoalition #Assobiotec

🚀 A Call to Action: Driving Deep Biotech Through Policy 🌍 The British partner in the Coalition, BioIndustry Association (BIA), published their policy recommendations in February. Their term, deep biotech, refers to the subsector of biotechnology that tackles environmental pollution 🌱, waste ♻️, food security 🍽️, and the climate crisis 🌍. These biosolutions bring significant upsides yet remain hindered by what the BIA identifies as three key areas: ⚖️ Regulation 💰 Finance 🏗️ Infrastructure In Europe, the situation mirrors that of the UK—regulatory complexities, limited access to finance, and scaling challenges continue to hold back the sector. It is the case across Europe and the UK that the time for biosolutions and deep biotech is now. That makes their policy recommendations all the more important. We are proud to have BIA as a central partner in the Coalition and to share their work. If you wish to learn more or download their policy asks, you can find it on their website 👉 https://lnkd.in/duA4w-f3

THE FUTURE OF EU AGRICULTURE AND FOOD INVOLVES BIOSOLUTIONS🍽️   The European Commission has put forward its 'Vision for Agriculture and Food', and there are some good promises throughout:   🌱By Q4 2025, the Commission will accelerate EU market access for biopesticides, opening doors for sustainable farming solutions. 🌾The Commission sees the possibility of New Genomic Techniques (NGT) in yielding microorganisms with positive impact on agricultural production, e.g. by reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.   🙌Moreover, we are thrilled to see this quote in the Vision: “We must accelerate the commercialization of bio-based and circular solutions, scale up breakthrough biotechnologies, capture emerging market opportunities and bridge investment gaps. This will be particularly beneficial for the farming community by enabling diversification of value streams, valorisation of farm residues, strengthening the role of primary producers in the value chain and generating new jobs in the rural areas.”   However, there are still gaps that need to be addressed to complete a just and green transition of EU agrifood systems. At the European Biosolutions Coalition, we've provided our insights and recommendations in our position paper on the Vision for Agriculture and Food📄   Our key recommendations are: 🌾A Just and Green Transition: Make bio-based plant and NGT products available to European farmers, increasing yield and safeguarding our environment. 🫘Diversifying EU Agrifood Systems: Embrace diversity to meet current and future challenges in protein shortages and nutritional challenges. 🏘️Green Reindustrialization of EU Rural Areas: Foster collaboration between the agricultural and biosolutions sectors to create new income streams and revive rural communities.   We have no time to waste when it comes to achieving our green ambitions in the agrifood sector – and we need biosolutions to get us there!🔬🌱

Making Europe’s Biorevolution happen with Koppert🌿 Meet Koppert. They're one of the companies that can make Europe's biorevolution happen. That's why they're part of our case catalogue from 2024 📖✨ A global leader in biological crop protection and pollination, partnering with nature, they help growers to support, protect, and strengthen their crops with natural solutions. Using natural enemies for pests, bumblebees for pollination, microbials, and biostimulants for crop health🌾🌱   Growers and farmers worldwide use their products and knowledge to restore the natural balance in their crops, improving plant health both above and underground.   Founded over 55 years ago, Koppert is dedicated to making agriculture healthier, safer, and more productive. Their vision is clear: the world needs 100% sustainable agriculture. To achieve this, innovative biological solutions must become available to farmers and growers more rapidly ⏩ Koppert, however, also suffers from barriers to the biorevolution. An important step for them in the right direction would be to accelerate this process by defining biocontrol within the scope of the Biotech Act. This definition would provide much-needed clarity and recognition for biocontrol, enabling farmers to access sustainable alternatives more quickly and ensuring the supply of healthy food and food security 🥦   The future of farming is sustainable. Let’s work together to make this happen 🌿🌎

A BOLD UNION NEEDS A BOLD BIOTECH ACT 🚀 Yesterday, the Commission officially announced their work programme for 2025. The plan for Europe is headlined by a simple message: A bolder, simpler, and faster Union⚡ And with its analysis, the Commission is exactly right: Our companies still suffer from unfair competition, obstacles to accessing capital, and structural brakes on European competitiveness 🏢💶🚧 In their work programme, there are indeed many reasons to be optimistic: ✅ A simplification agenda, reducing administrative burdens by at least 25% 📉 ✅ Multiple initiatives to support Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness 🌍💡 ✅ Simplification of REACH 🔬 The revised Bioeconomy Strategy is expected to land in the last quarter of 2024, promoting circular production and the use of biological resources. 🔄 However, there is a notable omission: A European Biotech Act. ❌ Such a Biotech Act in 2025 was first promised by President von der Leyen in her Political Guidelines. However, the omission from the work programme is not necessarily a bad thing—if it’s simply being delayed until 2026. If that is the case, then there is time to build a bolder, broader, and better Biotech Act, and we would welcome such a prioritization from the Commission 🏆 We have repeatedly called for a bold Biotech Act to ensure that we lead the biorevolution that will shape our future. And with the Commission calling for a bolder, simpler, and faster Union, a bold Biotech Act is a logical step. After all, it’s more important than ever that the Commission and EU take action to secure a better ecosystem for biotech and biosolutions. We know they can strengthen Europe’s sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness. So let them—hopefully with a Biotech Act in 2026? 🤞🇪🇺