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Five years following the publication of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, this article discusses the state of play of the bioeconomy in Europe. Placing specific focus on Industrial Biotech, it outlines ten pragmatic recommendations from BIO-TIC [BIO-TIC, A roadmap to a thriving industrial biotechnology sector in Europe, 2015], an EU FP7 funded project completed in 2015 and coordinated by EuropaBio, comprehensively examining the hurdles to the development of a bioeconomy in Europe, enabled by industrial biotech. These include improving opportunities for feedstock producers within the bioeconomy; investigating the scope for using novel biomass; developing a workforce which can maintain Europe’s competitiveness in industrial biotechnology; introducing a long-term, stable and transparent policy and incentive framework to promote the bioeconomy; improving public perception and awareness of industrial biotechnology and bio-based products; identifying, leveraging and building upon EU capabilities for pilot and demonstration facilities; promoting the use of co-products from processing; improving the bioconversion and downstream processing steps; improving access to financing for large-scale biorefinery projects; developing stronger relationships between conventional and non-conventional players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixing peculiar socioeconomic conditions and demographic contexts, urban decline in Mediterranean Europe was less extensively documented than in other regions of the continent. Urbanization without industrialization or, more frequently, a 'late and light' industrialization prevented a specific interpretation of metropolitan dynamics in Mediterranean basin according with the paradigm of 'industrial shrinkage'. For the first time in the recent history, the great recession was a factor leading to metropolitan decline in Southern Europe and, after more than one decade, its outcomes can be investigated considering sufficiently long time series of demographic indicators that assess natural population growth and migration rates. Benefiting from quantitative information derived from official statistics, the present study describes medium- and short-term demographic transformations in a large metropolitan region (Attica, Greece) in response to the great recession. After an uninterrupted growth lasting more than one century, the last decade (2010–2019) has provided a dynamic representation of regional population decline based on the interplay of long-term factors (aging, low fertility) and concomitant short-term disturbances (counter-urbanization and crisis-driven emigration). By delineating the most relevant socio-demographic mechanisms at the base of recent urban decline, our study contributes to (re)formulate short-term development scenarios in large metropolitan regions, shedding further light on crisis-driven shrinkage in Southern Europe. • Urban decline in Mediterranean Europe was poorly documented up to now. • The 2007 recession was a leading factor of metropolitan decline in Southern Europe. • Demographic indicators were used to test shrinkage in a representative Mediterranean city. • Both long-term and short-term factors were important drivers of shrinkage dynamics. • Our study contributes to (re)formulate short-term development scenarios in large cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes insights on differences in observed rates of substitution for fossil fuels across countries as measured by changes in the energy mix. If some countries are relatively slower in substituting for fossil fuels, climate change will be addressed less successfully. This paper specifically investigates the role of industrialisation and state-related institutions in the speed of energy substitution in 19 European countries from years 2011–2018 using panel data econometric methods, and has three main results. This paper finds evidence that (1) higher industrialisation levels in the economy increase the speed of energy substitution; (2) that changes in industrialisation levels, not the levels themselves, decrease the speed of energy substitution, but state-related institutions in support of green energy policy weaken this effect; and that (3) higher degrees of state control of the electricity sector slows down energy substitution, but state-related institutions in support of green energy policy likewise weaken this effect. These findings imply that higher industrialisation levels require more energy in absolute terms, implying greater energy portfolio diversification in order to satisfy such energy demand, and that a faster energy substitution can result from a more liberalised electricity sector. • A study on 19 European countries from years 2011–2018 using panel data. • Changes in industrialisation levels decelerates energy substitution. • More state control of the electricity sector decelerates energy substitution. • State-related institutions supporting green energy policies weaken these effects. • Higher industrialisation levels themselves however accelerate energy substitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is growing concern that biodiversity loss in European agricultural landscapes is having negative effects on functional trait diversity. Long-term studies examining vegetation changes from the period before agricultural industrialisation are however rare. Here, we ask how management intensification and increased nutrient input initiated in the 1950/1960s have altered grassland plant community composition, species diversity and functional trait composition using comprehensive datasets from five floodplain regions (plus one protected reference region) in northern Germany. Sites with available historical relevés and vegetation maps (1950/1960s, 1990s) were resampled in 2008 to facilitate the analysis of a period spanning four to five decades. Plant community composition changed tremendously in all study regions during the 50year period, which was related to increasing Ellenberg indicator values for nutrient availability. Species richness at the plot-level fell by 30–50% over the period, and losses in functional diversity were equally large. A non-formal comparison with the results from the protected reference study region indicates that the changes may mostly be attributable to local nutrient input rather than to supra-regional climate change. Our results indicate a consistent trend towards much more species-poor communities dominated by mow-tolerant, N-demanding competitive grasses, whereas species with more ruderal strategies, species flowering early in the season and, in particular, insect-pollinated herbs have all decreased. The substantial loss of nectar-producing grassland herbs is likely to have negative effects on the abundance of pollinating insects, with consequences for the grassland animal communities. This highlights the growing need for adequate grassland management schemes with low N input to preserve high-nature-value grassland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper explains how bioenergy education and training is growing in Europe. Employment estimates are included for renewable energy in general, and bioenergy in particular, to highlight the need for a broadly based education and training programme that is essential to build a knowledgeable workforce that can drive Europe’s growing bioenergy sector. The paper reviews current provisions in bioenergy at Masters and PhD levels across the 27 members of the EU (EU27) plus Norway and Switzerland. This identifies a very active and expanding bioenergy education provision. 65 English-language Masters Courses in bioenergy (either focussing completely on bioenergy or with significant bioenergy content or specialisation) were identified. 231 providers of PhD studies in bioenergy were found. Masters Course offerings have grown rapidly across Europe during the last five years, but where data is available, enrolment has been quite low suggesting that there is an oversupply of courses and that course organisers are being optimistic in their projections. Existing provisions in Europe at Masters and PhD levels are clearly more than sufficient for short term needs, but further work is needed to evaluate the take-up rate and the content and focus of the provisions. To ensure talented graduates are attracted to these programmes, better promotion, stronger links with the research community and industry, and increased collaboration among course providers are needed. Short Courses of two to five days are an excellent way of meeting post-experience training needs but require further growth and development to serve the needs of the bioenergy community. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Industrial symbiosis (IS) emerged as a self-organizing business strategy among firms that are willing to cooperate to improve their economic and environmental performance. The adoption of such cooperative strategies relates to increasing costs of waste management, most of which are driven by policy and legislative requirements. Development of IS depends on an enabling context of social, informational, technological, economical and political factors. The power to influence this context varies among the agents involved such as the government, businesses or coordinating entities. Governmental intervention, as manifested through policies, could influence a wider range of factors; and we believe this is an area which is under-researched. This paper aims to critically appraise the waste policy interventions from supra-national to sub-national levels of government. A case study methodology has been applied to four European countries i.e. Denmark, the UK, Portugal and Switzerland, in which IS emerged or is being fostered. The findings suggest that there are commonalities in policy instruments that may have led to an IS enabling context. The paper concludes with lessons learnt and recommendations on shaping the policy context for IS development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Rybinsk Reservoir (Russia) is the largest artificial waterbody in Europe (4550km2) and provides drinking water for population of the cities located along the coast line. Industrialization in Cherepovets at the northeastern portion of the reservoir, including one of the largest metallurgical facilities in Europe, has resulted in chemical contamination of the reservoir. The extent of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination in bream liver, a common fish species, taken from six locations in the Rybinsk Reservoir and Volga River, and biochemical and morphometric biomarkers of fish health were investigated. Liver PCB concentrations ranged from non-detected to 3.4μg/g wet wt of liver, with the greatest concentrations found in fish taken near the industrialized area in Sheksna Reach of Rybinsk Reservoir. The source of the bream contamination is the PCB pollution of bottom organisms and sediments conditioned with industrialization facilities of Cherepovets. The patterns of the PCB congeners in the livers of bream taken near Cherepovets were similar at all of the stations that were sampled around the reservoir and Volga River. Among the common fish health biomarkers used only liver total ChE activity and liver-somatic index in bream near Cherepovets can reflect environmental pollution. Other morphometric (FCF, Clark’s condition factors, and spleen-somatic index) and biochemical (protein content and acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain) biomarkers related with fish health varied among locations, but were not correlated to the concentrations of PCBs in the bream livers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]