The CBE JU is a EUR 2 billion public-private partnership between the European Union, represented by the European Commission (EC), and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC). It is established under Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme, for the period 2021-2031. The CBE JU is not a direct continuation of the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking, but rather a programme that builds on its achievements and aims at addressing its shortcomings.
The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), adopted by the CBE Governing Board (GB), identifies the strategic priorities and the essential research and innovation actions required to achieve the objectives of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), as defined in the Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe.
The scope of CBE JU is underpinned by the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy (2018) and is in line with the European Green Deal objectives – to produce major contributions to the EU climate targets by delivering innovative bio-based solutions and paving the way for Europe to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050; protecting and enhancing biodiversity; combating pollution; reducing fossil resource dependence; and deploying a just transition.
CBE JU will, in particular, aim at strengthening the European bioeconomy primary sectors of the land and sea and its industries by combining the ‘public’ interests, pursued by the EC, and the ‘private’ interests of bio-based industries, such as: increasing the competitiveness of the EU economy, job creation, balanced regional development and economic cohesion, climate and environmental performance, creating better market conditions, removal of barriers, de-risking investment, increasing resource efficiency, improving circular technologies and operations while engaging all actors in the bio-based systems.
The SRIA will be the basis for the CBE JU Annual Work Programmes that will contain the call for proposals, developed jointly by both partners under the coordination of the Programme Office, and taking into account the recommendations of the advisory bodies. Six calls for proposals are foreseen during the lifetime of the partnership for a total indicative operational budget of EUR 976.5 million.
CBE JU will launch its first Call for Proposals in 2022 in which the following types of actions will be funded: research and innovation actions (RIAs), innovation actions (IAs) including Flagships, and coordination and support actions (CSAs).
Progress towards the achievement of the CBE JU objectives will be monitored through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The monitoring and reporting of CBE activities, including KPIs, will be undertaken on an annual basis and reflected in the Annual Activity Report (AAR).