There will be no “one-size-fits-all concept” for bioeconomy education. For the specification of the different job profiles of the bioeconomy human resource base the diversity of circumstances and requirements in different regions and macroregions in developing, emerging and developed economies have to be considered. Educational curricula provided by universities and vocational institutions have to meet the demands of the employers in the various bioeconomy sectors. For universities, this requires research-based training with an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes systems thinking, strategic planning, economic performance, and evaluating environmental, ethical and social issues. For vocational training and training on the job, the diversity of practical needs is huge and efficient solutions need to be built into existing approaches. In addition to focusing on the natural, technical, economic and social sciences, the curricula should also develop innovation and entrepreneurial skills in preparing graduates for management roles to promote changes in existing industries, but also to develop and grow new ventures in the bioeconomy. There is also the need to raise awareness of bioeconomy in primary and secondary education.

These developments require collaboration between universities, vocational training organisations, industry and policy and governance stakeholders. International cooperation can bring additional momentum and requires accepted standards in order to benchmark and sustain these initiatives for the future. It is important to understand, which are the optimal instruments (e.g. qualifications, quality assurance, mobility, accreditations, fellowships, grants and scholarships, etc) that need to be put in place for an effective workforce for the bioeconomy sector.

In addition to targeting curricula at university and vocational training level, there is also a need to create hubs or centres of excellence/competence in bioeconomy which can represent desired models of operation. Here, the triangle of research, education and training can grow in a way which is fostering integrative approaches by addressing the relevant stakeholders representing the different fields of the bioeconomy; whether this is in the production of biomass (e.g from agriculture, aquaculture, forestry), and its use in the food value chain or in the non-food value chains (e.g. energy, pharmaceuticals, health).Concomitant with these efforts, a campaign raising the awareness is needed to reach out to educational and training activities in the entire life-long training cycle to showcase the objectives of the bioeconomy and what it entails.

Key topics of the workshop were (i), the demands for knowledge, skills and competences for the bioeconomy, (ii), the need for innovation in the current concepts of bioeconomy education and (iii), the need to increase and/or strengthen the cooperation between educational institutions. Therefore, a further aim of the workshop was to provide a basis for the development and implementation of a “European/International Bioeconomy Education Platform”, representing stakeholders from academia, industry, society and public administration. International measures need to define the knowledge, skills and competencies required for developing a bioeconomy that enhances the sustainable use of bio-based materials in manufacturing and in consumer products.

The results from all workshops will be presented soon on the GBS homepage (http://gbs2018.com).