ABSTRACT
Governments across the world highlight knowledge, competences and capabilities as central factors in stimulating the development of the bio-based economy. This chapter focuses on the knowledge base which the formative bioeconomy bases itself on. We employ an innovation system perspective to take a closer look at what knowledge the bioeconomy builds upon by analysing the granted applications of a bioeconomy-focused research programme under the Research Council of Norway. The CVs of researchers involved in these projects are used to provide new insight into how knowledge production is organised in the bioeconomy and which knowledge bases are involved. The chapter uses this material to take stock of the various disciplines represented and the range of institutions that educate and conduct research and development for the bioeconomy. Our analysis shows the distributed nature of the underlying knowledge base and how it is organised. This contribution can help inform attempts to shape the national research, development and innovation (RD&I) agenda going forward.
