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KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY

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Publication | 2018

Socio-economic insights into the bioeconomy in BIOEAST countries

Bioeconomy
  • The bioeconomy employs 7.4 million people in the BIOEAST countries, over 40% of the total bioeconomy employment in the EU. The BIOEAST countries have comparably high employment multipliers and an over-proportional concentration of jobs in the bioeconomy compared to the EU average.
  • Agriculture is the main sector, making up 65% of BIOEAST bioeconomy jobs. The production of major crops is expected to increase significantly, almost entirely through increased yields.
  • Estimates reveal that 9% of the turnover and 9.5% of the value added in the EU's bioeconomy correspond to BIOEAST countries.
  • The relatively low number of biorefineries in the BIOEAST area shows an untapped potential for further generation of higher value added biomass applications in rural areas.
  • The BIOEAST countries can be classified into two groups of countries according to the level of specialisation of the national labour markets in the bioeconomy and the apparent labour productivity. These indicators provide insights into potential future pathways for the bioeconomy of the BIOEAST countries.