Bioeconomy is an economic approach that follows the principles of natural cycles of material and of efficiently using renewable resources, in order to become independent from fossil fuels on the levels of energy and material. In both scientific and policy or political strategy related discourse the focus is on technical and economic aspects.
Yet in order to achieve a sustainable development of bioeconomy its spatial and environmental impacts need to be taken into consideration as well. The fact that most of its natural resources come from agriculture and forestry could lead to a competition for land with food production. This is especially important considering the continuous loss of fertile soils, e.g. due to the conversion to building land and traffic area.
Against this background we have defined the task to highlight spatial aspects of a bioeconomy energy revolution on the global, national and regional level, to explain its impacts and to define spatial- and environmental planning strategies and solutions.
For further information please contact Dipl.-Ing. Franz Grossauer and Univ.Prof. Dr. Gernot Stöglehner