52 M. M. Bugge et al.
patterns of changes in socio- technical systems unfolding over time that
lead to new ways of achieving specific societal functions. Transitions
pathways involve varying degrees of reconfiguration across technologies,
supporting infrastructures, business models and production systems, as
well as the preferences and behaviour of consumers.
(Turnheim et al., 2015)
In this chapter, we initially describe the concept of a circular bioeconomy
(section 3.2), before focusing on the role of waste in the bioeconomy (section
3.3). Here, we introduce key concepts such as the waste pyramid and the cascading use principle. In section 3.4 we focus on barriers to waste valorisation
and specify lock- in mechanisms that may hinder the transition towards a
circular bioeconomy. Conversely, section 3.5 describes drivers for innovation
in waste valorisation. Here, we introduce three generations of innovation
policies, which reflect different perspectives on the nature and dynamics of
innovation: science- driven innovation, systems of innovation and sociotechnical transitions. These perspectives on innovation are then applied to the
waste pyramid in order to distinguish between improving an existing system
and replacing it with another system higher in the pyramid. In section 3.6 we
discuss the roles of policy and governance in order to understand how to
avoid or overcome the barriers and challenges associated with the shift
towards the bioeconomy. Finally, section 3.7 summarises the chapter.
3.2 The circular bioeconomy
Parallel to the emergence of information technologies in the 1970s and 1980s
and their subsequent application into the information society, the development of biotechnologies over the last few decades has been an important
driver in the transformation of the economy and society towards the bioeconomy. This trend is influenced by, and indeed an important part of, the
growing societal emphasis on sustainable development. The emergence and
development of the bioeconomy create a potential for a return to (more)
circular modes of production and consumption. This implies taking an intersectoral perspective on different industrial activities, where the rest materials
from one industry process are utilised as an input in another. The notion of
industrial symbiosis encompasses such cross- industry integration, and is based
on the co- location and coordination of different industrial activities, which
facilitates the exploitation of side- streams and residues.
The bioeconomy is a very broad concept, which encompasses multiple
actors and resources and spans several sectors from health and the chemical
industry to agriculture, fishery and aquaculture, dairy, slaughterhouses, breweries, forestry and energy. This breadth reflects the generic nature of the
notion of the bioeconomy, and some of its potential transformational power.
The transition to the bioeconomy is often argued to play a key role in targeting grand challenges such as climate change, food security and renewable
patterns of changes in socio- technical systems unfolding over time that
lead to new ways of achieving specific societal functions. Transitions
pathways involve varying degrees of reconfiguration across technologies,
supporting infrastructures, business models and production systems, as
well as the preferences and behaviour of consumers.
(Turnheim et al., 2015)
In this chapter, we initially describe the concept of a circular bioeconomy
(section 3.2), before focusing on the role of waste in the bioeconomy (section
3.3). Here, we introduce key concepts such as the waste pyramid and the cascading use principle. In section 3.4 we focus on barriers to waste valorisation
and specify lock- in mechanisms that may hinder the transition towards a
circular bioeconomy. Conversely, section 3.5 describes drivers for innovation
in waste valorisation. Here, we introduce three generations of innovation
policies, which reflect different perspectives on the nature and dynamics of
innovation: science- driven innovation, systems of innovation and sociotechnical transitions. These perspectives on innovation are then applied to the
waste pyramid in order to distinguish between improving an existing system
and replacing it with another system higher in the pyramid. In section 3.6 we
discuss the roles of policy and governance in order to understand how to
avoid or overcome the barriers and challenges associated with the shift
towards the bioeconomy. Finally, section 3.7 summarises the chapter.
3.2 The circular bioeconomy
Parallel to the emergence of information technologies in the 1970s and 1980s
and their subsequent application into the information society, the development of biotechnologies over the last few decades has been an important
driver in the transformation of the economy and society towards the bioeconomy. This trend is influenced by, and indeed an important part of, the
growing societal emphasis on sustainable development. The emergence and
development of the bioeconomy create a potential for a return to (more)
circular modes of production and consumption. This implies taking an intersectoral perspective on different industrial activities, where the rest materials
from one industry process are utilised as an input in another. The notion of
industrial symbiosis encompasses such cross- industry integration, and is based
on the co- location and coordination of different industrial activities, which
facilitates the exploitation of side- streams and residues.
The bioeconomy is a very broad concept, which encompasses multiple
actors and resources and spans several sectors from health and the chemical
industry to agriculture, fishery and aquaculture, dairy, slaughterhouses, breweries, forestry and energy. This breadth reflects the generic nature of the
notion of the bioeconomy, and some of its potential transformational power.
The transition to the bioeconomy is often argued to play a key role in targeting grand challenges such as climate change, food security and renewable