Bioeconomy in Romania - Aim for an Innovative Economy?

In the world, population growth phenomenon is accentuated, being estimated an increase of 30% over the next 40 years, leading to more than 9 billion people by the year 2050. In this period, mankind will face a exploitation without preceding of its natural resources, them being finite. There will be significant climate change, loss of biodiversity, increasing pressures on the environment, threatening, thus, the stability of living systems. In this context, Europe needs to change the manner of approaching to production, consumption, processing, storage, recycling and disposal of biological resources. Bioeconomy is the key element for smart growth in Europe, aspect pointed out in the Europe 2020 strategy adopted by the European Commission. This strategy is based on the Seventh Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP7) and the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020). Bio-economy represents a cost savings in using the soil and sea biological resources, including the production of renewable biological resources and conversion of those resources and waste to value-added products (food, feed, bio bioenergy). Bioeconomy include sectors like agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food industry, as well as parts of chemical industry biotechnological and energetic. Bioeconomy relies on life sciences, agronomy, ecology, food science, social sciences, biotechnology, information and communication technologies and engineering. The bioeconomy support granted in the European Union offers many opportunities for Romania. Through bioeconomy specific approaches, the bioresources production potential in Romania could be exploited. Developing and implementing new solutions for better exploitation of this Romanian potential requires a significant investment in education and research. For Romania, the bioeconomy is a chance, an objective for a more innovative economy, smart, low emissions and with more sustainable use of renewable resources.