New Publication – Bio-hubs as Keys to Successful Biomass Supply for the Bioeconomy
Report from Joint IEA Bioenergy Task 43 and Natural Resources Canada Workshop held in Ottawa on 6 March 2020
Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with IEA Bioenergy Task 43 (Sustainable Biomass Supply), held a workshop in Ottawa (Ontario, Canada) on 6 March 2020 to inform the implementation of innovative biomass supply chains and investigate the potential of bio-hubs in Canada. Over 50 participants from across Canada attended the event to discuss how bio-hubs could be established to strengthen the Canadian bioeconomy and their input is summarized in this report. Results are provided for the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis conducted for bio-hubs in Canada as well as for the prioritization of actions needed to accelerate their implementation in Canada.
Results of the SWOT analysis for bio-hubs in Canada:
Building on the results of the SWOT analysis, participants provided input on a range of possible actions that could be put into place to realize the potential of bio-hubs in Canada. Key recommendations:
- Successful bio-hub development depends heavily on cooperation between all levels of government, industry, academia and non-profit organizations.
- Continued consultation and cooperation with stakeholders and partners would aid in building confidence in the development of bio-hubs, but also the bioeconomy at large.
- Collaboration between the different levels of government to harmonize policies, regulations and frameworks is an important factor to accelerate the development bio-hubs.
- The federal (Canadian) government should develop an investment environment that incentivizes investment in biofuel and bioproduct facilities, which in turn could help bio-hubs secure long-term commitments from clients.
- Independent of support measures, the success of bio-hubs depends on their ability to demonstrate their value as reliable suppliers of quality feedstocks that are adapted to the needs of producers of new value-added bioproducts or bioenergy
