Articles

Speaker Q&A: Dr Jen Vanderhoven, CEO,  Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA)

As climate change, resource scarcity and pollution intensify, the industrial bioeconomy is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of global sustainability strategies. Ahead of her session at Rethinking Materials on EU & UK Bioeconomy Strategies: Scaling Bio-Based Materials, Policy & Textile Innovation Impact, Dr Jen joined us for a Q&A to share early insights. Her reflections offer a preview of the themes she’ll explore on stage, from policy alignment to the future of bio-based innovation, giving audiences a first look at the conversations shaping the modern bioeconomy.

1. The role of the bioeconomy

The industrial bioeconomy is increasingly positioned as a solution to climate change, resource depletion and pollution. From your perspective, why is this moment critical for accelerating the adoption of bio-based and biodegradable materials?

The modern industrial bioeconomy is emerging as a critical solution to climate change, resource depletion and pollution because it enables the substitution of fossil-derived carbon with renewable biological feedstocks, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and waste while fostering resource efficiency. Our recent White Paper ‘Growing the UK’s Modern Industrial Bioeconomy: Driving Economic Growth with Bio-based Solutions for People and Planet’ stresses that transitioning to bio-based and biodegradable materials can expand circular economic models, unlock new economic growth — with estimates of more than £204 bn annual revenue opportunity — and drive resilience in supply chains. This is a pivotal moment because coherent policy alignment and regulatory innovation can now convert scientific excellence into tangible industrial impact.

2. UK vs EU bioeconomy strategies

How do you compare the UK and EU bioeconomy strategies in terms of their effectiveness in driving adoption of bio-based and natural polymer materials across sectors such as packaging, textiles and cosmetics?

The UK and EU both recognise the bioeconomy’s strategic importance, yet their approaches differ. The EU’s 2025 Bioeconomy Strategy places the bioeconomy at the heart of circular, regenerative growth and industrial competitiveness, with actions to streamline regulation, mobilise investment, and build lead markets for bio-based materials. In the UK, while a comprehensive bioeconomy strategy is less fully realised at the national level, our work highlights the need for aligned policy across departments, clear definitions, and integration of bio-based innovation into national circular economy plans. The UK’s forthcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan offers an opportunity to embed such alignment; however, current policy fragmentation remains a barrier to consistent adoption across packaging, textiles and cosmetics sectors.

3. Performance, variation and end-of-life outcomes

Bio-based materials are often discussed as a single category, yet their environmental performance and end-of-life pathways can vary significantly. How should policy and market frameworks better account for these differences?

Bio-based materials are frequently lumped together, yet they have distinct environmental performances and end-of-life pathways. Our White Paper calls out the importance of clear differentiation — for example between bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable materials to avoid confusion in policy and markets. This means regulatory and market frameworks must move beyond one-size-fits-all categories by incorporating lifecycle assessments, science-based definitions, and criteria that reflect actual performance and disposal pathways. Doing so improves policymaking, reduces greenwashing, and helps investors and buyers differentiate between genuinely high-impact materials and those with limited sustainability benefits.

4. Public procurement as a market lever

Public procurement has the potential to accelerate innovation at scale. How could organisations such as the NHS play a more active role in supporting the uptake of high-performing bio-based and natural polymer alternatives?

Public procurement, especially by large buyers like the NHS, represents a powerful demand signal that can accelerate market uptake of bio-based and natural polymer alternatives. Our research shows NHS contracts (e.g., single-use items) include large volumes of products with high potential for bio-based substitution. Targeted procurement pilots could create predictable demand, helping suppliers justify investment and scale manufacturing capacity. Government leadership in bio-preferred procurement schemes — supported by sustainability criteria in the UK’s Procurement Act and social value requirements — could embed bio-based materials into public spend and unlock economies of scale.

5. Regulatory clarity and market confidence

From BBIA’s work with industry and policymakers, where do you see the biggest regulatory or policy barriers to scaling bio-based and biodegradable materials — and what would make the greatest difference in unlocking market confidence?

One of the biggest barriers identified by BBIA is regulatory complexity and inconsistent definitions, which undermine market confidence. Confusion around terms like “bio-based” and “biodegradable” slows policy implementation and investment. Clear, harmonised definitions, streamlined regulatory pathways, and predictable tax and standards environments would reduce uncertainty for investors and innovators. Aligning UK frameworks with science-based global standards — while maintaining regulatory agility — would significantly unlock market confidence and reduce the risk premium on novel bio-based materials.

6. The role of collaboration and collective advocacy

Why is cross-industry collaboration so important in advancing the bioeconomy, and how can collective advocacy help create more coherent and effective regulatory frameworks?

Cross-industry collaboration is essential because the modern bioeconomy spans sectors, regulatory domains and supply chains. Our White Paper itself exemplifies this approach, bringing together industry, academia, policymakers, regulators and NGOs to co-develop tools, metrics and evidence. Collective advocacy helps unify messaging to policymakers, align standards, and build coherent regulation that reflects diverse stakeholders’ needs. It also fosters shared investment frameworks and accelerates the translation of innovation into commercial success.

7. Standards, testing and credibility

Standards and certification are often cited as both essential and challenging in this space. How do standards, testing frameworks and traceability systems need to evolve to better reflect real-world performance and life cycle impacts of plant-based materials?

Standards and certification frameworks must evolve to reflect real-world performance and lifecycle impacts rather than simplistic or generic criteria. This means developing robust testing protocols, traceability systems and science-based standards that distinguish meaningful sustainability outcomes across applications. Such credible systems will help reduce greenwashing, enable market recognition of genuinely sustainable materials and support regulatory and procurement decisions at scale.

8. From innovation to scale

The UK has strong research and innovation capability in bio-based materials. What needs to change to move more solutions from pilot stage to commercial-scale deployment?

While the UK has world-class research capability, moving from pilot to commercial scale requires targeted support: patient capital, manufacturing infrastructure, translational research funding, and scale-up expertise. Research shows many startups relocate overseas due to more favourable scaling conditions; addressing this requires domestic investment incentives, shared facilities, and programs that bridge the gap between R&D and industrial deployment. Policies that preserve intellectual property, foster collaboration with industry and support workforce development are also key.

9. Investment and infrastructure

How important are investment mechanisms and scale-up infrastructure to the future of the bioeconomy, and what role can government play in de-risking this transition?

Investment mechanisms and infrastructure are foundational to scaling the bioeconomy. Governments can play a crucial role by de-risking investment through public funding, blended finance instruments, tax incentives, and co-investment vehicles. Strategic infrastructure — such as biorefineries, certification labs and processing facilities — lowers barriers to entry and supports domestic manufacturing. Public-private partnerships can catalyse the growth of supply chains and anchor commercial deployment.

10. Looking ahead

If we look ahead five years, what would success look like for the UK and EU bioeconomy strategies in terms of material adoption, policy alignment and environmental impact?

Five years from now, success for UK and EU bioeconomy strategies would look like:

· Significant adoption of bio-based materials across sectors including packaging, textiles and high-performance applications.

· Aligned policy frameworks and standards that reduce barriers and facilitate trade and innovation.

· Robust investment ecosystems and scaled manufacturing infrastructure that enable domestic scale-ups.

· Public procurement ecosystems driving early demand, and coherent definitions and labelling that build consumer trust.

· Measurable environmental impact, with reduced reliance on fossil feedstocks, lower waste and greenhouse emissions, and a vibrant, circular bio-based economy. Achieving these outcomes depends on cohesive strategy, cross-sector collaboration and sustained policy momentum on both sides of the Channel.

This conversation offers just a glimpse of the ideas Dr Jen Vanderhoven will expand on during her session. With the bioeconomy evolving at pace, her perspective brings clarity to both the opportunities and the challenges ahead. Audiences can expect an insightful, solutions‑focused discussion that sheds light on what it will take to scale bio-based materials across Europe and beyond. Join us in London at the Rethinking Materials summit to be a part of the conversation leading the charge in the materials sector.