Established in 1887, NC State is the largest public university in North Carolina and is widely recognized for its excellence in research, innovation, and interdisciplinary education. With more than 40,000 students and a comprehensive academic structure, the university offers expertise across a broad range of disciplines, including Agriculture and Life Sciences, Engineering, Natural Resources, Veterinary Medicine, Sciences, Textiles, Design, Business, the Humanities and Social Sciences, among others.

NC State University is a major force in the U.S. bioeconomy, with world-leading strengths spanning agricultural biotechnology, plant sciences, forest biomaterials, biomanufacturing, and sustainable natural resource management. Through its College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, researchers drive innovation in crop improvement, biotechnology, food systems, and agricultural sustainability, while transferring discoveries directly to industry and farming communities.

NC State also leads in forest bioeconomy research, advancing renewable biomaterials, bioenergy, wood biotechnology, and climate-resilient forestry solutions that support a circular, low-carbon economy.

Another key strength is biomanufacturing, where NC State’s Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) trains talent and develops bioprocess technologies for the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sectors. By integrating agriculture, biotechnology, renewable materials and industrial innovation, NC State is helping shape the future of a sustainable and globally competitive bioeconomy.

NC State’s membership in the Global Bioeconomy Alliance reflects its strong commitment to addressing global sustainability challenges through collaborative research, education, and innovation. The university’s strengths in agriculture, forestry, biotechnology, engineering, and natural resource management provide an excellent foundation for contributing to interdisciplinary bioeconomy initiatives. Through the Alliance, NC State’s researchers, faculty, and students will have new opportunities to develop international collaborations, exchange knowledge, and advance innovative solutions that support environmental sustainability and economic resilience.

The Global Bioeconomy Alliance is pleased to welcome North Carolina State University to its growing global network. Together, GBA and NC State look forward to expanding international cooperation, fostering scientific excellence, and promoting bioeconomy solutions that contribute to a more sustainable future.

🗓️ Mark Your Calendar:
July 15: Deadline for abstract submissions ⏳
July 30: Notification of acceptance ✅
July 30: Deadline for travel grants ✈️
Sept 1: Early bird registration ends 🎟️

CNPEM integrates four National Laboratories in biosciences, biorenewables, nanotechnology, and synchrotron science, providing unique open-access facilities that combine large-scale instrumentation with high-level scientific expertise. This integrated environment enables the development of solutions that bridge fundamental research and real-world applications, with strong emphasis on sustainability and industrial relevance.

By connecting advanced infrastructure with multidisciplinary research and innovation, CNPEM contributes to the development of bio-based processes, renewable materials, and technologies for the energy transition. As a new member of the Global Bioeconomy Alliance, CNPEM aims to strengthen international collaboration and contribute a global South perspective to the advancement of a sustainable and knowledge-driven bioeconomy.

Bioeconomy is not just about technology; it is about people, landscapes, and sustainable livelihoods. By bringing UCT into the alliance, we are ensuring that the global transition to a bio-based economy includes the unique perspectives, biodiversity, and challenges of the Global South.

This partnership follows the success of the inaugural GBA Award for Impact and Leadership in Bioeconomy 2025, which was awarded to Dr. Yan Zhou, Professor and Associate Chair at NTU’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her pioneering work in resource recovery and sustainable biotechnology set the stage for this formal collaboration.

By joining the GBA, NTU strengthens its commitment to international research excellence and the global transition toward a circular bioeconomy. We look forward to a future of shared innovation and sustainability.

Read more about Dr. Yan Zhou, the winner of the GBA Award for Impact and Leadership in Bioeconomy 2025:

GBA 5: Dr. Yan Zhou Awarded the Inaugural Global Bioeconomy Alliance Award 2025

The Global Bioeconomy Alliance (GBA) proudly announces that Dr. Yan Zhou has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural GBA Award …

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This year, the annual Global Bioeconomy Alliance (GBA) brought together more than 200 representatives from research institutions, industry, and government agencies across Europe, Australia, Latin America, and beyond (Photo: Alcides Lopes Leão, UNESP. Group photo at Marienlyst Strandhotel, Denmark).

The conference week kicked off with a pre-conference at DTU, bringing together industry representatives, political stakeholders and researchers. The day began with a keynote speech by Luuk van der Wielen, the newly appointed Director of BRIGHT at DTU, who provided an introduction to the field and shared BRIGHT’s vision for strengthening Denmark’s position in the bio-based economy. The program featured three sessions exploring key questions: How can the world’s leading bioeconomy nations collaborate across borders? How do we build a common European approach and scale solutions globally? And finally, the industry perspective – what challenges does the sector face when scaling biosolutions? A recurring message throughout the day was clear: biosolutions must play a central role in the future economy, and Europe needs to accelerate efforts to bring these solutions to market. Achieving this will require adapting and rethinking current models. On this front, Denmark and Europe can learn valuable lessons from countries like Brazil, Mexico and Australia.

Among the speakers were high-level guests such as Denmark’s Minister for the Green Tripartite Agreement, Jeppe Bruus; ambassadors from Mexico, Mrs. Norma Pensado; Brazil, Mr. Leonardo Gorgulho; Germany, Mrs. Anke Meyer; and Australia, Mr. Dave Vosen; industry representatives; as well as representatives from the European Commission, including Adrian Leip, Head of Sector – Bioeconomy.

To me this is one of the most important series of conferences I attend because of the ambitious goal of connecting many different aspects of sustainable bioeconomy, while still maintaining a high scientific level.

Participant at the GBA-conference

The second day of the conference week was spent on a visit to Kalundborg Symbiosis, where participants had the opportunity to hear a series of presentations from Kalundborg Symbiosis, Knowledge Hub Zealand, Helix Lab, Novonesis, Kalundborg Utility, and FermHub. Participants gained valuable insights into how circular thinking can deliver significant economic benefits and how the entire community of Kalundborg has evolved into an integrated industrial ecosystem. The participants also had the opportunity to see real-life infrastructure, including steel tanks, pipes, and processing equipment.

I was impressed by the Kalundborg site and the foresight of the synergistic infrastructure

Participant in the Kalundborg visit

The last three days of the conference featured discussions on high-impact areas such as sustainable agriculture, biomaterials and biobased conversion, cell-free biomanufacturing, and sustainable mining. The program featured action-oriented sessions and workshops designed to strengthen collaboration and accelerate technology adoption.

Scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders explored the broader governance and innovation frameworks needed for a fair and coordinated global bioeconomy transition. A key highlight was an interactive, moderated innovation workshop that engaged all participants in shaping the future direction of the Global Bioeconomy Alliance. The conference also celebrated leadership and impact, reinforcing confidence in the trajectory of emerging biosolutions. Altogether, the event underscored the Alliance’s role as a unifying force driving collaborative action toward a regenerative and equitable green economy

The GBA has connected me with new and thriving collaborations that directly enrich my research in ways that would not have been possible otherwise      

Participant at the GBA-conference

This year’s GBA Conference was also the year when the GBA Award for Impact and Leadership in Bioeconomy was presented for the first time. The winner was Prof. Yan Zhou, who is the Associate Chair (Faculty) at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Singapore, for her research in sustainable sludge treatment, which transforms waste into renewable resources through green processes. The award will be presented for the next two years and consists of €100,000 for research and €15,000 as a personal prize.

The conference was supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which also includes support for more than 20 young researchers from around the world to participate at the conference.

Many of these young researchers participated in the group of more than 50 researchers who contributed to the poster session. Two researchers were selected as winners of gift cards to support their participation at next year’s GBA conference.

During the conference, an article featuring Gerhard Schenk, Professor at the University of Queensland, Volker Sieber, Rector at TUM Straubing, and Dulce H. S. Silva, Professor at UNESP, was published in Nature Sustainability, in which they share more about the work and vision of the Global Bioeconomy Alliance (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01660-3).

We look forward to building a dynamic partnership marked by mutual learning, shared goals, and close collaboration.

Dr. Zhou serves as Professor and Associate Chair (Faculty) at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, @Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and as Program Director for Bioprocess and Biotechnology at the @Nanyang Environmental and Water Research Institute (NEWRI).

She receives the prize for her pioneering work in waste valorisation and sustainable biotechnology. Her research focuses on transforming waste into high-value resources through microbial systems and bioprocesses, driving innovations that are scalable and industrially relevant, advancing the circular bioeconomy and creating impact across the water, energy, and food sectors – ultimately creating true impact by turning scientific breakthroughs into real-world sustainable solutions.

The award consists of:

• A personal prize of €15,000
• A one-year grant of €100,000 to support research and activities related to the award-winning work
• A complimentary one-year institutional membership of the GBA

As part of the recognition, Dr. Zhou delivered a keynote lecture at the GBA5: Conference on Key Technologies in the Bioeconomy, held in Denmark, from 29 September to 3 October 2025.

The GBA congratulates Dr. Zhou on this prestigious recognition of her leadership and outstanding contributions to advancing a sustainable bioeconomy.

We also thank The Novo Nordisk Foundation for funding the GBA Award for Impact and Leadership in Bioeconomy. 

The Global Bioeconomy Alliance was founded in 2018 in cooperation between TUM with its Straubing campus, UNESP and UQ; DTU and Tecnológico de Monterrey are now also members of the GBA. The alliance discusses the most important topics of a bio-based industry in research and teaching and develops joint initiatives to promote the bioeconomy.

Prof Dr Volker Sieber, first Chairman of the GBA and Rector of the TUM Campus Straubing, says: ‘The GBA Board is very grateful to Novo Nordisk for their support through this new GBA award. This is a great opportunity for us to promote innovative projects in the field of bioeconomy and to strengthen our Global Bioeconomy Alliance.’

For more information and to apply, visit https://www.bioeconomy.world/award. The pre-selection phase ends on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.