People at the forefront of bioeconomy
Made of Courage - people at the forefront of bioeconomy is a short video series that tells about entrepreneurial spirit, disruptive innovation and those who challenge the use of fossil and artificial resources by creating viable options that already work.
- We believe championing innovator stories is key to inspire the next generations of professionals to join the bioeconomy sector, says Torfi Jóhannesson, Senior Advisor for Agriculture & Forestry at the Nordic Council of Ministers.
- In this series, we wanted to put the focus on the people behind the solutions to clarify the key role of their spirit across the innovation game, he says.
Absorbing cultural shocks
Beyond technological and environmental challenges, the bioeconomy space is particularly demanding, mainly because it requires innovators to transcend sectors and build relationships with unlikely partners. This often means absorbing cultural shocks, coming together around a vision that is long-term, and seeking equilibrium in a new value-chain where no previous reference was ever established.
- The area is more complicated, more sophisticated than others, highlights Dr. Christian Patermann in the series trailer.
Commonly known as ‘The Father of Bioeconomy’, Dr. Patermann insists:
- There is nothing more challenging than bio.
A diversity of approaches
The series also seek to illustrate the diversity of approaches to bioeconomy in the Nordic & Baltic region. From a small-scale mussel & algae farm supplying a local cosmetics brand, to a large forestry company seeking to boost Europe’s substantial biofuel market. Whether they are thinking big or “small and local”, bioeconomy heroes cannot help but position their approach in a global landscape where urgent challenges need to be addressed.
The tineist mussel farmer
The “small and local” is also often “highly replicable” - as illustrated by the thinking of mussel farmer Dr. Tim Staufenberger in one of the episodes of the series. This approach is a real opportunity for rural areas that suffer the consequences of centralised production systems in urban areas or abroad.
The four stories and the numerous solutions documented by the Nordic Council of Ministers are driven by bioeconomy heroes that are willing to put their career and reputation at stake to realise their vision. We already knew bioeconomy solutions are made of bio-materials. Let’s not forget they are also made of courage!
Jaakko Nousiainen, UPM Biofuels, shares his time between the forest, the control rooms and the lab where he oversees the production of the biofuel. The Nordic Bioeconomy Programme has released 15 action points to boost sustainable bioeconomy. Check out the stories of the people behind some of the most visible solutions in Nordic & Baltic states.
Elin Larsson, Filippa K, and Sigrid Barnekow, MISTRA Future Fashion, collaborate on exploring “speeds” of textile materials: How fast do garments move from the beginning to the end of their lifetime?
The Nordic Bioeconomy Programme has released 15 action points to boost sustainable bioeconomy. Check out the stories of the people behind some of the most visible solutions in Nordic & Baltic states.
Zaiga Gaile is a renown architect based in Riga, Latvia. She dedicated her career to renovating old wooden houses that are part of the region’s cultural heritage. The Nordic Bioeconomy Programme has released 15 action points to boost sustainable bioeconomy. Check out the stories of the people behind some of the most visible solutions in Nordic & Baltic states.
"I am the tiniest mussel farmer in the Baltic.” says Dr. Tim Staufenberger who is developing a local mussel and algae farm in Kiel, Germany. By taking up nutrients from the sea, his business is fighting eutrophication. The Nordic Bioeconomy Programme recently released, and these are the people behind some of the most visible solutions in Nordic & Baltic states.
