Bioeconomy School: Science, Economics, Business and Society Lake Como School of Advanced Studies
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The growing importance of life sciences in many economic sectors has contributed to the rise of the now popular term "bioeconomy", referring to "the set of economic activities relating to the invention, development, production and use of biological products and processes" (OECD, 2009). These activities are characterised by a focus on environmental, economic and social sustainability. As new scientific advances in life sciences and biotechnology can be applied to a growing number of fields, the bioeconomy revolution is expected to provide solutions and benefits for a wide variety of human activities, such as healthcare (e.g. biopharmaceuticals), agriculture (e.g. biopesticides), industrial processes (e.g. biorefineries and biopolymers) and environmental preservation (e.g. bioremediation and bioregeneration), in both developing and developed countries.
However, the positive effects of a science- and innovation-based bioeconomy will not be realised automatically. The transition towards sustainable economic growth driven by the bioeconomy requires a huge adaptive and creative effort by entrepreneurs, researchers, consumers, investors, and all other social stakeholders involved, together with the implementation of tailored public policies and the effective regulation of complex economic systems, characterized by the emergence of new markets and business models that require actors with new, advanced and heterogeneous skills.
The aim of the Bioeconomy School is to offer PhD students, young scholars and researchers from different disciplines, an introduction to the main scientific topics concerning the bioeconomy and to provide an overview of the advanced skills needed to understand and govern it. The program offers a series of multidisciplinary lectures, held by international professors and organized in sub-modules, ranging from the introduction of basic scientific concepts and tools used in Biosciences and Economics, to the discussion of more specific case studies related to ongoing research and innovation projects (e.g. NODES, ProPla, MeatFromWood, PET2Poly).
In addition to the lectures, Bioeconomy School teachers will provide mentoring sessions to participants, giving feedback on their ongoing research. Group activities will also be organized such as the Bioeconomy serious play and the Challenge regarding the presentation of an innovative project by participants.
Thematic sessions and presentations of case studies related to research projects on topics related to Spoke 2 and Spoke 3 are planned. In particular, the following modules will be proposed:
Module A: Introduction to Biosciences – Spoke 2
a. Biodiversity: from origin of life to circular bioeconomy
b. A new generation of biocatalysts for circular bioeconomy
c. Biocatalysis intensification: sustainable processes for the bioeconomy
d. Biomasses
Module B: Introduction to Economics – Spoke 3
a. Externalities: problems and solutions
b. The transition from linear to circular economy and bioeconomy
c. Ecological transition and economic systems
d. Bioeconomy and Innovation
Module C: Biotechnology – Spoke 2
a. Enzymes for the sustainable production of value-added chemicals
b. Computational models for System Biology
c. Systems Biocatalysis for lignin valorization: dream and/or reality?
d. Circular economy: a scientific overview
Module D: Sustainability assessment tools – Spoke 2 & 3
a. Green chemistry assessment
b. Life Cycle Assessment: Theory and Practice
c. Investment appraisal and budgeting
d. Cost-Benefit Analysis with externalities
Module E: Law and Society – Spoke 3
a. EU legal framework
b. Legally Green, but not Sustainable: An Anglo-American analysis of Law’s complicity in the unsustainable Fashion Industry
c. Potential Legal Reforms to promote the Bioeconomy and combat Climate Change
d. G20, BRICS and the Bioeconomy: Differences and similarities in the international discourse
Module F: Initiatives and Policies – Spoke 2 & 3
a. Driving Green Investments by Measuring Innovation Impacts. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Regional Bioeconomy Growth
b. Circular Bioeconomy in Italy: innovation, competitiveness, and resilience
c. European strategy on bioeconomy
d. Economic Growth, Structural Change and Transformation: What’s important now?
e. Bioeconomy and Big Tech
La Bioeconomy School, è organizzata da Spoke 3 - Industria del Turismo e della Cultura in collaborazione con Spoke 2 - Green technologies and sustainable industries e la Lake Como School of Advanced Studies e si terrà presso Villa del Grumello (Como).
Course duration: from 04/14/2025 to 04/17/205 from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00
on 04/18/2025 from 9:00 to 13:00
Delivery method: the course will be held in person at Villa del Grumello (CO)
Maximum number of participants: 40
Participation fee: € 200 (including teaching materials, coffee & lunch breaks, participation in social events)
Course delivery language: English
Teachers members of the organizing committee:
Andrea Vezzulli (Spoke 3) Associate Professor of Applied Economics, University of Insubria
email: andrea.vezzulli@uninsubria.it
Daniela Ubiali (Spoke 2) Associate Professor of Fermentation Chemistry and Biotechnology, University of Pavia
email: daniela.ubiali@unipv.it
Loredano Pollegioni - Full Professor of Biochemistry, University of Insubria
email: loredano.pollegioni@uninsubria.it
Raffaello Seri - Full Professor of Econometrics, University of Insubria
email: raffaello.seri@uninsubria.it
For further information see the link
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