Vision, Mission and Strategy

Our vision
Creating Europe’s leading intellectual institution for tackling the enormous environmental, economic and societal challenges of the 21stcentury, by:
- Covering the entire spectrum of bioeconomy dimensions
- Providing an internationally unique and competitive model for a theme-based, system- and future-oriented university that focuses on inter- and transdisciplinary as well as sectoral and European collaboration
- Taking university collaboration to a higher level of joint strategy development and to a new governance model, based on shared beliefs and longstanding cooperation
Joint understanding of the Bioeconomy
Our joint understanding of the bioeconomy reflects that of the Circular Economy Action Plan of the EC (2019). There it is described as follows: “The bioeconomy covers all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources (animals, plants, micro-organisms and derived biomass, including organic waste), their functions and principles. It includes and interlinks: land and marine ecosystems and the services they provide; all primary production sectors that use and produce biological resources (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture); and all economic and industrial sectors that use biological resources and processes to produce food, feed, bio-based products, energy and services. To be successful, the European bioeconomy needs to have sustainability and circularity at its heart. This will drive the renewal of our industries, the modernisation of our primary production systems, the protection of the environment and will enhance biodiversity.” (EC, 2018, p. 4).

The diversity of the knowledge-based bioeconomy extends from farmland and food production through forests to marine ecosystems, from biowaste through innovative products to new business models, and from urban to rural regions. The bioeconomy builds on cross-fertilizations and mutual understanding between various economic sectors, disciplines and governmental, administrative, industrial and societal stakeholders. It is an excellent example of how increased skills cooperation between sectors can link growth strategies, political commitment and involvement at regional, national and EU levels. It provides a valuable contribution to the goals of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, and to the setting of a new balance and improvement of relations between the diverse European regions. This is also in accordance with the revised Bioeconomy Strategy (2018) and Circular Economy Strategy of the European Commission.

Our mission
is the empowerment of the European knowledge-based bioeconomy
- educating a new generation of truly European experts
- fostering rigorous, relevant and responsible research
- transferring knowledge into society and the economy
European knowledge-based bioeconomy will be driven by necessity and accomplished by intellectual leadership. The European Bioeconomy University will work visibly and effectively to empower the European knowledge-based bioeconomy and accelerate this transition by
- educating a new generation of truly European experts: Our education and training will exploit the full potential of the future bioeconomy by attracting the best talents and training them as the best suited experts to meet the sector’s needs.
- fostering rigorous, relevant and responsible research: Excellence in multi- and trans-disciplinary research and innovation form the cornerstone of the European Bioeconomy University. This allows for rigorous, relevant and responsible research.
- transferring knowledge into society and the economy: The successful transfer of knowledge into the social and economic systems through technological and social innovations will provide evidence of the transformation towards a knowledge-based bioeconomy
Our strategy
Based on these shared convictions and our longstanding cooperation, our mission is to take university collaboration to a higher level of joint strategy development and to a new governance model. Our integrated strategy for bioeconomy education, research, knowledge transfer and innovation contributes to the development of a sustainable and competitive knowledge-based bioeconomy in Europe. The European Bioeconomy University provides an internationally unique and competitive model for a theme-based, system- and future-oriented university that focuses on inter- and transdisciplinary as well as sectoral and European collaboration. The EBU partners are best equipped for this task as, together, they cover the entire spectrum of bioeconomy dimensions:
- production of renewable biological resources, from land and sea
- value-adding conversion into feed and bio-based products
- economic and social implications of a widespread diffusion of the knowledge-based bioeconomy, including stakeholder engagement and communication
The European Bioeconomy University will thus produce a new generation of truly European graduates. Stimulated by state-of-the-art research, our innovative European curriculum will equip our graduates with sought-after skills for an ever-growing labour market. Continuous international exchange at an early career stage will provide first-hand personal experience of the heterogeneous European regions, each with its distinct characteristics. Our graduates will be trained to collaborate with researchers, professionals and decision-makers from different cultural, social and disciplinary backgrounds in order to cultivate entrepreneurial spirit and find innovative solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
