A Look at a Sustainable Bioeconomy: The Green Path to National Development

ALAVI, Seyed Mehdi

A Look at a Sustainable Bioeconomy: The Green Path to National Development

Document Type : Promotion Article

Author

Seyed Mehdi ALAVI

Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The global transition towards a bioeconomy can be considered one of the most important trends in 21st-century sustainable development. Evidence for this claim lies at the intersection of two main streams: one focusing on the global governance of sustainable development, and the other originating from the paradigm shift of the dominant economic model. The first stream can be traced to the evolution of climate-related policy frameworks over the past three decades, while the second must be seen as stemming from scientific advances in the fields of economics and biology, whose flourishing we have witnessed through the Nobel Prizes awarded from 2018 to 2025 in these two fields. Thus, the bioeconomy—understood as the smart and sustainable use of renewable biological assets to produce information, goods, services, and innovation—is precisely the transformative trend that can align economic development with climate goals and is now at the heart of operational strategies for managing climate change worldwide. Endowed with extensive biodiversity, abundant biomass, diverse marine resources, and growing capacities in biotechnology, Iran can play an effective role in this global transformation. However, weaknesses in policymaking, institutional misalignment, and a shortage of technological investment have prevented these opportunities from being utilized in practice. Using an analytical and documentary approach, this article examines Iran's position in this global transition. The findings indicate that by focusing on biomass, waste, marine resources, and biotechnology, and by strengthening the link between science, technology, and design, Iran can assume a leading role in the Middle Eastern bioeconomy.

Keywords

Bioeconomy

Renewable Biological Assets

Biomass

Biotechnology

Seventh Development Plan

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