Barriers to the Bioeconomy: The Irish Case Through a Sustainable Transitions Perspective

The ‘bioeconomy’ has been promoted by the European Union (EU) and many Member States, including Ireland, as part of the transition away from fossil-based products. However, despite over a decade of EU-level policy ambition, the market share of bio-based products remains low. The aim of this thesis is to further our understanding of the barriers to bioeconomy development, while also offering a methodological contribution to the relatively new but growing field of bioeconomy case-study research, by demonstrating the applicability of sustainability transitions frameworks. This thesis begins by outlining how bioeconomy policy has developed within the EU since it was first included in the EU agenda in 2012, highlighting important changes in priorities and how the concept has been framed. It includes the first published bibliometric review of academic literature on bioeconomy policy, identifying major research themes and the most influential contributions. It also provides a foundation for tracking how academic engagement with the bioeconomy changes over time. The thesis examines the challenges facing bioeconomy development in Ireland using qualitative and quantitative methods. Ireland is selected as a case study due to its extensive bio-resource base and proactive policy approach to developing its bioeconomy, most notably with the publication of a National Policy Statement in 2018, followed by the Bioeconomy Action Plan in 2023. To date, Ireland’s public sector has supported bioeconomy development through a mix of public-private partnerships, pilot and demonstration activities, and regional innovation initiatives. A content analysis of stakeholder submissions to Ireland’s draft Bioeconomy Action Plan reveals areas of consensus as well as points of contention. This is followed by a survey of over 100 biomass producers and processors, which provides further insight into levels of awareness, expectations, and perceived barriers to innovation within the sector. A comparative study of the Irish and Scottish seaweed sectors uses the Technological Innovation Systems (TIS) framework to examine both structural and functional aspects of innovation systems. The analysis identifies interconnected barriers that limit the growth of emerging seaweed-based industries. The findings highlight the importance of adopting a systems perspective in policy design to better support innovation and facilitate a sustainable transition to a bio-based economy. It is intended that future bioeconomy research in Ireland could adopt the same TIS approach for multiple bio-based value chains in Ireland, thereby contributing to the analytical foundations for national bioeconomy policy.