The Forum expects 250+ delegates from over 35 countries covering all continents. The full-day event which will be broadcasted live from Ruka, Finland.

The event this year will see high-profile speakers from Governments, Industry and Education discussing the importance of the bioeconomy in a post-COVID-19 world once we are getting there. The event will also address how a fully functional, global circular bioeconomy, is a key tool in the battle against climate change.

The full day programme will consist of four different sessions; Regulators and Climate Change, Global Leaders and the Financial World, Bioproducts Around Us and Looking to the Future. High-profile keynote speakers and panellists at the event include, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, European Commission, Petteri Taalas, Secretary General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Mette Wilkie, Director of the Forestry Policy and Resources Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The CEO Panel at the event will include leaders from some of the most dynamic players in the world circular bioeconomy, Walter Schalka, CEO, Suzano, Annica Bresky, President and CEO, Stora Enso, and Pasi Laine, CEO, Valmet.

Mariya Gabriel says, “We envision the Forum will enable better access for many countries with different economic conditions to the practical solutions that research and innovation can bring to their transition challenges. This is an occasion for the EU to share our vision of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy with our partners in the rest of the world and also an occasion to establish knowledge exchange.”

Nilklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring, will be taking part in the Bioproducts Around Us panel, he says, “The World Bioeconomy Forum has become a leading meeting place for various stakeholders within the circular bioeconomy. By attending the event I expect to take home some fresh ideas and new ways of thinking.”

Jukka Kantola, Founder and Chairman of the World Bioeconomy Forum says, “We are delighted with the response we have had to our virtual event this year and look forward to welcoming delegates from across the globe.  We have already held two very successful events in Ruka, and this year we decided – despite COVID-19 – that we had to keep the momentum going as the circular bioeconomy is of vital importance in our rapidly changing world.

“We have once again designed an excellent programme and have a very professional team on site at Ruka to make sure the event is as interactive as possible for delegates, as well as making sure the Forum runs smoothly.”

The full day event will begin a 11 am Eastern European time and will include excellent opportunities for virtual networking via the World Bioeconomy Forum App which includes an eMatchmaking facility. The full programme and all information relating to the event can be viewed at WBECF.com

This will be the third World BioEconomy Forum event to be held in Ruka – this time virtual. The organisers plan to move the next event in 2021 to another prime location around the world where the circular bioeconomy takes centre ground. In the future the event will be held in Ruka every two years and at another location around the globe in the years in between.