Dr. Andreja Kutnar, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM’s department chair, was among the invited speakers of the High-Level Stakeholder Dialogue “From Strategy to Action: Accelerating Europe’s Bioeconomy Revolution”, which was held in Brussels in the presence of Jessika Roswall, the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy. The event provided an important opportunity for the University of Primorska’s expertise to be represented in the discussion shaping the future development of Europe’s bioeconomy. The meeting took place on 12 June 2026 and was organised as part of the New European Bauhaus Festival.

The discussion at the high-level meeting involved experts and representatives of European institutions, research organisations, industry and civil society, enabling an open and substantive exchange of views about the further implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the key steps needed to accelerate the development of a competitive and sustainable European bioeconomy.

Dr. Andreja Kutnar contributed to the discussion on the development of sustainable bio-based materials, circular economy and the role of research and innovation in the transition towards a climate-neutral and competitive Europe:

“This meeting offered a valuable opportunity to exchange perspectives and outline our ambitious goals. It is essential that wood, as one of Europe’s key materials, receives the recognition it deserves. The discussion clearly contributed to advancing the transition toward a sustainable bioeconomy.”

Key topics at the meeting included several European Commission initiatives related to bioeconomy, such as the European Bioeconomy Regulators and Innovators’ Forum, the European Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group, Biotech Act II and EU bioeconomy dialogues with Member States on the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. Particular attention was also given to the preparation of the Bio-Based Europe Alliance (BEA), a voluntary initiative of companies committed to collectively purchasing bio-based materials, products and applications worth 10 billion euros by 2030.

Throughout the participation in this high-level meeting University of Primorska further strengthened its role in European discussions on the development of the bioeconomy and in fostering cooperation between the research, industry, and policy sectors in shaping sustainable and circular solutions.

Image: European commission

Image: European commission

Image: European commission

Image: European commission