The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense human loss and dramatic declines in incomes globally. It has also created new opportunities for rebuilding a more sustainable and resilient bioeconomy. Crises lead to innovation – new firms, new technologies, new government policies and new resources. These opportunities are particularly large for the bioeconomy which is based on the advances in the biological sciences.
The challenge is how to develop policies to stimulate the development and adoption of these technologies. This is the type of challenge the ICABR was established to address. The past 24 ICABR conferences have provided a forum for biological scientists, engineers and social scientists from governments, private firms and academia to come together to present and discuss technological opportunities and government policies to build a better bioeconomy.