The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) is a non-profit organisation set up in Brussels in 2013 to represent the private sector in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the European Commission, focused on strengthening the bio-based industries sector in Europe.
BIC’s industry members cover the whole value chain, from primary production to market.
Members represent multiple and diverse sectors, such as
- agriculture and agri-food
- aquaculture and marine
- chemicals and materials (including bioplastics)
- forestry, pulp and paper and technology providers
- and waste management and treatment.
BIC also has associate members such as research organisations, academia and trade associations.
From 2014-2020, BIC’s partnership with the European Commission was known as the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), with a total budget of €3.7 billion. It operated under Horizon 2020, and was set up as one of the pillars of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy (2012).
From 2021-2030, the new partnership is called the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), which has a total budget of €2 billion and aims to build on the success of the BBI JU and address current challenges facing the industry.
BIC is also a founding member of the European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA), a unique cross sector alliance dedicated to mainstreaming and realising the potential of the bioeconomy in Europe. The European Bioeconomy Alliance focuses on advocating for a favourable and coherent policy and investment framework to build a competitive, dynamic and sustainable bioeconomy in Europe.