What Does Bioeconomy Offer For Long-Term Strategic Cooperation Between Europe And Russia?

Bioeconomy is a concept that relates to the use of renewable biological resources to produce food, medications, materials and energy. It is relatively new concept for Russia as well as for some European countries which at the same time has a great future potential globally.

Moscow School of Management SOLKOVO together with the European Forest Institute held an open lecture with the Former Prime-Minister of Finland Mr. Esko Aho and expert discussion on the topic “What Does Bioeconomy Offer For Long-Term Strategic Cooperation Between Europe And Russia”. The event took place at the campus of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO on December 15. The man idea of the event was to raise the awareness on bioeconomy in Russia and contribute to multilateral public debate of all issue. The event gathered more than 70 participants from international business community, public authorities, academia, universities, NGOs, associations and students.

The event started with the opening speech from the president of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Andrei Sharonov, who welcomed all the guests, experts and the keynote speaker Mr. Esko Aho. He mentioned the long-standing friendship with the Former Prime Minister and the importance of bioeconomy for Russia as well as an opportunity for cooperation with Europe.

Mr. Esko Aho’s lecture was dedicated to the bioeconomy concept and opportunities for cooperation between Europe and Russia.

The lecture was followed by a panel discussion with participation of high profile experts from different fields related to the bioeconomy i.e.:

• European Forest Institute;
• SKOLKOVO Institute for Emerging Market Studies;
• Huhtamaki Molded Fiber Russia;
• Forest Program of the World Wide Fund for Nature Russia;
• Technology Platform «Bioindustry and Bioresources» (TP “BioTech2030”);
• Scientific Council on Forests of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
• Institute for Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms.

The event was moderated by Elena Kulikova who is a senior expert from the European Forest Institute.

The discussion was focused on the following questions:

• How the concept of bioeconomy is interpreted in Russia and in Europe? Is it of strategic importance?
• What are the new opportunities for Russian sustainable business in the bioeconomy?
• Who are the key players and what are the most effective mechanisms in building a long-term cooperation between Russia and Europe in the area of bioeconomy?
• What are the key barriers for implementation of bioeconomy in Russia?

The key points have been identified as the most important for building a long-term strategic cooperation between Europe and Russia:

• The context of the changing world requires the right concepts for companies, government, etc. to be built around key trends – technological revolution, globalization, demography and sustainability – should be considered to build the right concept.
• There is a strong need for leadership in government that would help to consolidate action for the development of bioeconomy in Russia and cooperation with Europe in this regard.
• The development of young talents that could be able to face global problems which include climate change and scarcity of resources. Bioeconomy should become a part of a future leader mindset.
• Ability to take risk is crucial for business and government. Implementation of innovation promises high profits, but also implies high risks. At the same time there is always another option: use international experience and best practices in order to adapt them to local conditions.