The concept of European Technology Platforms (ETPs) was developed by the European Commission starting in 2003, with the first ETPs emerging in 2004. The aim of ETPs is to contribute to European competitiveness, boost research performance, concentrate efforts and address fragmentation across Europe. The nine ETPs that focus on the Knowledge-Based Bio-Technology (KBBE) join forces in this support action ‘BECOTEPS’. The main objectives and the respective activities were:
- Achieve closer and more coordinated collaboration between the Knowledge-Based Bio-Technology (KBBE) ETPs.
- Develop recommendations for better interaction between KBBE ETP stakeholders along the project chains and the sustainability issue regarding multidisciplinary research, application and policy issues.
- Encourage discussions among public research initiatives – European and national – and between the public and the private research initiatives to foster implementation of the Strategic Research Agendas based on the recommendations developed between the ETPs. In addition, BECOTEPS will promote the KBBE concept with the European Commission, European Parliament and national ministries in the member states including the relevant European Research Area Networks (ERA-NETs).
BECOTEPS helped to link science and application by addressing synergies and gaps i) between the Strategic Research Agendas of the ETP and ii) with respect to the research preparedness of the scientific community by topical workshops on cross-cutting KBBE issues. The first workshop addressed trust and collaboration in the food and feed chain, the second the integration of the non-food chains, and the third cross-cutting sustainability issues. The workshop recommendations on research and policy were summarised in a White Paper.
The primary focus of the White Paper “the European Bioeconomy in 2030 - Delivering Sustainable Growth by addressing the Grand Societal Challenges” is to elaborate common themes and joint priorities across the widely diverse sectors relevant for the European Bioeconomy. Bioeconomy means sustainable production and conversion of biomass into food, healthy fibre, industrial products and energy. Over the coming decades Europe wishes to ensure a safe, healthy and prosperous environment for current and future generations. Bioeconomy can make a change for the better in this – provided that its potential in sustainable production and conversion of biological material is fully exploited.
Read the White Paper here: http://www.plantetp.org/system/files/publications/files/the_european_bioeconomy_brochure_web_final.pdf (last visited 25/1/2018)
The project website is no longer available but some of the materials may be found at http://www.plantetp.org/