Bioeconomy – Enabling sustainable industry
The bioeconomy is reshaping the industrial landscape. At Sweco, we help our clients fully capture the growth potential of the bioeconomy – profitably, safely, and in an environmentally sustainable way. Environmental impacts are reduced by lowering the use of fossil raw materials, improving material and energy efficiency, and supporting carbon circulation throughout the entire value chain.
Sweco’s services for bioeconomy projects
Technology and processes
- Scaling of process innovations and expert services
- Feasibility studies for pilot, demonstration and commercial‑scale bioeconomy plants
- Technology evaluations, including techno‑economic due diligence assessments
Investment planning and execution
- Front‑end and basic engineering before investment decisions
- Detailed design, project management and site supervision
- Multidisciplinary engineering services across all FEL phases
Sustainability, environment and safety
- Environmental impact assessments (EIA)
- Biodiversity assessments, strategies and guidance
- Product safety services
Project management services independently or as part of the client’s organization
Bioeconomy investments are often complex, multi‑supplier environments that involve technical uncertainties. We deliver projects using the client’s chosen model, such as PJP or EPCM services, ensuring cost efficiency and transparency.
Sweco’s project management ensures that project objectives are clear and commonly understood, that design and execution progress according to plan, that costs and risks remain under control, and that stakeholder management, permitting and safety are handled systematically.
Expertise for every stage of a bioeconomy project
- feasibility studies
- process design
- investment planning and execution
- operational expansion and optimisation
- challenge analysis and solution implementation
We help industries, agriculture, and waste management sectors utilise their side streams efficiently — in ways that create new business opportunities and strengthen sustainable competitiveness within the bioeconomy. We support investment projects reliably using the FEL model.
Our clients include companies in the forest, energy, food, and chemical industries, as well as developers of circular‑economy and bioeconomy technologies. We also work with equipment suppliers, investors, and development companies.
What does bioeconomy mean?
The bioeconomy sustainably utilizes renewable natural resources to replace fossil‑based solutions. Its goal is to reduce climate and environmental impacts by producing bio‑based products, materials, energy, and services.
The bioeconomy is built on the smart use of forests, agricultural biomass, organic side streams, and renewable waste flows in a way that supports biodiversity and the carbon cycle. It combines technology, process design, and resource‑wise operating models to build low‑carbon industry.
Solutions emerge from, for example, bio‑based chemicals and materials, new fiber products, biofuels, food innovations, and the utilisation of industrial side streams.
The bioeconomy is not just about new technology – it is a holistic approach to strengthening self‑sufficiency, economic growth, and sustainable industry. The future leaders will build their competitiveness on resource‑wise solutions, new technologies, and intelligent process design on the journey toward climate‑neutral production.
A reliable partner in the bioeconomy transition
Industry is undergoing a major transformation: boundaries between sectors are fading, and linear production models are being replaced by solutions based on sustainable circular economy principles. Bioeconomy projects require broad expertise, from the handling of organic side streams to carbon capture and utilisation. Our expertise forms the foundation of a modern bio‑circular economy, which we develop in close cooperation with our clients.
Our bioeconomy services cover the entire value chain: bio‑based chemicals and materials, modern fiber products, biofuels, and innovative food applications.
We also have strong experience in the forest industry, where the utilisation of by‑products has a long tradition, as well as in power plants and unit processes in the food and chemical industries.
Tomas Norrena
Market Executive, Bioeconomy & CircularityLeena Hannonen
Business Unit Manager