Understanding bioeconomy systems: Integrating economic, organisational and policy concepts

The bioeconomy is recognised as a major area of development of current economies. Though defined in different ways and focusing on different sectors depending on countries and areas of the world, a key qualifying feature of the bioeconomy is the sustainable use of biological resources building on a wide range of modern technologies. Biotechnology is the leading type of technology in this context, but attention is much wider. This paper develops a conceptual approach on the development of the bioeconomy based on the integration of three perspectives: investment in biological capital, organisational trends and configuration of policy.