216 E. J. Iversen et al.
knowledge about the ‘circular bioeconomy’ (Rørstad & Sundnes, 2017,
p. 12) as ‘knowledge that contributes to the efficient utilisation of bio- based
resources, products and residual- inputs so that they remain in the economy
through multiple stages (of production and utilisation)’ (translation by the
authors).
The R&D study illustrates that roughly 120 actors carried out R&D for
the circular bioeconomy for 485 million NOK in 2015. The private sector
accounted for 60% of this activity, the research institute sector for 1/3 and
the rest was carried out by the higher education sector. Activity is not evenly
distributed through the RD&I system. Instead, there are a handful of
dominant actors that account for the lion’s share in each sector. Although
seven institutions in the higher educational sector and 17 research institutes
performed R&D in this field, the clear majority was carried out by organisations located at or close to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
Compared to the total R&D volume in Norway, the circular bioeconomy
is a minor field and accounts for less than 1% on average and varies from
0.2% in the HES to around 1% for both the institute sector and industrial
sector. However, the bioeconomy R&D volume is not negligible compared
to the agricultural R&D. In total, bioeconomy accounts for 20% of total agricultural R&D, but the shares vary across the sectors. The highest share of
bioeconomy is in the industrial sector, with 27%, followed by the research
institutes with a share of 16%, while only 9% of HES agricultural R&D
occurs within the bioeconomy. These findings imply that R&D within bioeconomy is a type of applied research that is likely to be conducted at firms
and research institutes rather than at universities. Moreover, the research performers in each sector are not evenly distributed. Around 80 firms conducted
R&D in this field, while the numbers of research performers in the other
sectors were 17 research institutes and 16 university departments.
11.3.2 Population frame: establishing the NIoBE inventory of active
bioeconomy actors
This R&D expenditure data provides a valuable starting point from which to
take stock of the actors that are active in the circular bioeconomy in Norway.
The effort to create a stable and robust population that can be used in
different empirical exercises is dubbed the Norwegian Inventory of Bioeconomy Entities (NIoBE). It was initiated at NIFU in 2015 (Iversen, 2018). An
earlier iteration of NIoBE is presented in Iversen and Rørstad (2017). A
current version is now being finalised as a reference tool. NIoBE is designed
to address the overriding question, ‘Who is involved in bioeconomy innovation in Norway?’, from which it can focus on more specific areas of the
circular economy.
We go on to outline the identification procedure behind NIoBE before
presenting some key dimensions of the resulting population. This stage is then
used as a population frame for the questionnaire- based exercise carried out by
knowledge about the ‘circular bioeconomy’ (Rørstad & Sundnes, 2017,
p. 12) as ‘knowledge that contributes to the efficient utilisation of bio- based
resources, products and residual- inputs so that they remain in the economy
through multiple stages (of production and utilisation)’ (translation by the
authors).
The R&D study illustrates that roughly 120 actors carried out R&D for
the circular bioeconomy for 485 million NOK in 2015. The private sector
accounted for 60% of this activity, the research institute sector for 1/3 and
the rest was carried out by the higher education sector. Activity is not evenly
distributed through the RD&I system. Instead, there are a handful of
dominant actors that account for the lion’s share in each sector. Although
seven institutions in the higher educational sector and 17 research institutes
performed R&D in this field, the clear majority was carried out by organisations located at or close to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
Compared to the total R&D volume in Norway, the circular bioeconomy
is a minor field and accounts for less than 1% on average and varies from
0.2% in the HES to around 1% for both the institute sector and industrial
sector. However, the bioeconomy R&D volume is not negligible compared
to the agricultural R&D. In total, bioeconomy accounts for 20% of total agricultural R&D, but the shares vary across the sectors. The highest share of
bioeconomy is in the industrial sector, with 27%, followed by the research
institutes with a share of 16%, while only 9% of HES agricultural R&D
occurs within the bioeconomy. These findings imply that R&D within bioeconomy is a type of applied research that is likely to be conducted at firms
and research institutes rather than at universities. Moreover, the research performers in each sector are not evenly distributed. Around 80 firms conducted
R&D in this field, while the numbers of research performers in the other
sectors were 17 research institutes and 16 university departments.
11.3.2 Population frame: establishing the NIoBE inventory of active
bioeconomy actors
This R&D expenditure data provides a valuable starting point from which to
take stock of the actors that are active in the circular bioeconomy in Norway.
The effort to create a stable and robust population that can be used in
different empirical exercises is dubbed the Norwegian Inventory of Bioeconomy Entities (NIoBE). It was initiated at NIFU in 2015 (Iversen, 2018). An
earlier iteration of NIoBE is presented in Iversen and Rørstad (2017). A
current version is now being finalised as a reference tool. NIoBE is designed
to address the overriding question, ‘Who is involved in bioeconomy innovation in Norway?’, from which it can focus on more specific areas of the
circular economy.
We go on to outline the identification procedure behind NIoBE before
presenting some key dimensions of the resulting population. This stage is then
used as a population frame for the questionnaire- based exercise carried out by