Key enabling factors in bioeconomy cluster development include: - Active cluster organizers who intensively network and keep the cluster progressing. - A cluster board that manages organization and communication. - The cluster leverages regional strengths and starts with one sector before expanding. - Early support comes from public funds, later adding private investment. - Biomass comes from local and external sources. The work aims to understand interactions among key assets that influence a biocluster's development stages, and provide general and specific lessons for European regional clusters.

1. Key enablingfactors in bioeconomy
development– biobasedclusters
20th October 2015
Dr Calliope Panoutsou (Imperial College) and Dr Ida Terluin (WUR-LEI)
c.panoutsou@imperial.ac.uk
FP7613671BioEconomy/RegionalStrategy/ToolkitKickoff
1

2. Contents
• Analysis
• Key enabling factors
• Aim of the work
• Key Assets
• Development stages
• General and specific lessons
FP7613671BioEconomy/RegionalStrategy/ToolkitKickoff
2

3. Analysis
• November 2014- June 2015; final revision end October 2015
• Forty seven interviews across nine countries- key stakeholders
from clusters and bioeconomy sectors
• Eight bioeconomy sectors: primary biomass, food & feed,
construction, chemicals & polymers, pulp & paper, textiles &
clothing, energy, R&D services
• Two research dimensions:
• key assets that influence the clusters performance and day to day
operation and their interaction
• time horizon and stages of development from outset to full
maturity of products and operations
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
3

4. Key enabling factors
• Active actors organize the cluster as a bottom-up process and keep
it moving by intensive networking
• Cluster board that takes care of the organization of the cluster and
communication
• Cluster makes use of the strong points of the region
• Cluster starts with activities in one economic sector and follows
with complimentary ones
• First, the cluster is mainly supported by public funds; later private
funds also become available
• Biomass resources may originate from both local and external
supply
FP7613671BioEconomy/RegionalStrategy/ToolkitKickoff
4

5. Aim of the work
• Understand the key assets that interact and influence the
development stages of a biocluster.
• Draw general and specific lessons for the development of
the clusters within European regions, and
FP7613671BioEconomy/RegionalStrategy/ToolkitKickoff
5

6. FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
6
Understand the key assets that interact
and influence the development stages
of a biocluster.

7. Key assets
Key assets of a biocluster analysed in the work include:
• Biocluster organisation structure
• Actors
• Entrepreneurs. A high level of entrepreneurial culture is a critical success
factor while a low level of entrepreneurship would be a cause for concern.
• Policymakers. Political leaders who are willing to support the development
of the bioeconomy, providing governance and institutional structures.
• Knowledge institutes. Organisations that provide technical know-how and
innovation for the development of bio-products.
• Biomass supply: Consistent provision of biomass resources is critical.
• Competitive bioeconomy product: commercially viable products such as
fine chemicals, medicines, food, chemicals, bioplastics, transport fuels,
electricity and heat.
• Funding: public and private sources, new funding resources and attractive
funding mechanisms for the entrepreneurs and investors.
• Policies and measures: legislative and policy framework conditions
affecting the introduction of products made from biomass including
measures relating to legislation, policies, standards, labels, certification
and public procurement.
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
7

8. Question1: Doyouagreethepresentedkeyassetsarethemost
importantintheformationofthecluster?
Wouldyouliketosuggestadditionalonesorrefinesomeofthe
existing?
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
8

9. Development stages
• Initial stage and take off (IS): Introducing the bioeconomy in the
regional planning agenda and creating the policy, socio-economic
and R&D landscape for its establishment and operation.
• Drive to maturity (DMS): The first competitive bioeconomy
products are sold at the market. The cluster grows with the setup of
new companies, cluster infrastructure (incubator, training centre
etc.) has been established, and the cluster is able to attract both
private and public funding.
• Age of mature production (MS): The cluster is able to produce
competitive bioeconomy products at an extensive scale.
The exact duration of each of these phases differs from region to
region; according to estimates of PwC (2011) the duration of the
initial stage and take off is about 5 years, that of the drive to maturity
5-10 years and that of the age of mature production 10-20 years.
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
9

10. Question2: Basedonyourexperiencewhatistheaverage
duration(arange)oftheunderstudydevelopmentstages?
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
10

11. Good practice bioeconomy sectors in the
under study regions
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
11
Bioeconomy
sectors
Central
Finland
Lowe
r
Bavar
ia
(DE)
Biobased
Delta
(NL)
IAR
(FR)
Matikem
(FR)
Westlan
d (NL)
North
Rhine
Westfalia
(DE)
Man-
chester
(UK)
GBV
(BE)
TWB
(FR)
Primary
biomass
    
Food and
feed

Construction 
Chemicals
and polymers
  
Pulp and
paper

Textiles and
clothing
 
Energy  
R&D services    

12. FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
12
Key assets importance in Good Practices
(High,Moderate,Low)
Key asset Development stages
Initial Drive to maturity Mature
Cluster Organisation
Actors
Entrepreneurs
Large industrial actors
Policy makers
Knowledge institutes
Biomass supply
Competitive bioeconomy product
Policies and measures
Funding

13. Question3: Doyouagreewiththeimportance rankingamong
keyassetsanddevelopmentstages?
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
13

14. Clusters performancein the variouskey assets and
developmentstages in the goodpracticesectors
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
14
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Low
Moderate
High

15. Question4: Centralorganisationrankstopintheperformanceof
GoodPracticeclusterswithactors(entrepreneurs,policymakers
andresearchinstitutions)followingclosely.Doyouagree?
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
15

16. FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
16
Draw general and specific lessons for
the development of the clusters within
European regions

17. Specific lessons for each development stage
INITIAL STAGE
• Cluster organisation: inspired and committed leadership, combination of academic and
industrial experience/ simplified and easy administrative procedures- flexible intellectual
property rights (IPR)
• Knowledge providers: strong research teams/ clusters of laboratories combining
universities and industrial R&D departments with long term collaborations and focus on
industrially driven innovation
• Embeddedness of the biocluster in an existing business site/ research park with easy
access, well-developed infrastructure and logistics.
DRIVE TO MATURITY STAGE
• Entrepreneurs: strong presence of entrepreneurial culture
• Policies & Funding: consistent policy and access to start up financing
MATURE STAGE
• Cluster organisation: consistency and continuous evolution of the cluster management
to follow developments and meet the requirements of entrepreneurs, suppliers,
technology providers, politicians, financiers, etc. is critical to the successful introduction
of the mature stage and for the future operation of the cluster
• Entrepreneurs/ Large industries: consistent presence of entrepreneurs in combination
with joint activities with large industries is an important factor for the successful
maintenance and operation of the clusters momentum.
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
17

18. General lessons per key asset
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
18
General lessons Key asset
Develop “triple helix” among knowledge institutes, entrepreneurs and
policy makers
Cluster organisation
Networking is of great importance; focus on bringing together
different target groups having the same targets/ visions
Actors
Both primary and secondary biomass have several usage paths
already. For long term supply carefully evaluate synergies, industrial
symbiosis and competition
Biomass supply
The development of competitive biobased products should meet the
requirements of industrial actors and be supported by them
Competitive
Biobased products
Policies with a long term orientation on bioeconomy are more likely to
be successful
Policy
Business development should not rely only on public funds Funding

19. Thank you
FP7613671BioEconomy/Regional
Strategy/ToolkitKickoff
19