The Concepts of Circular Economy, Green Economy, and Bioeconomy: Comparative Analysis and Identification of Development Drivers

The concepts of «bioeconomy», «circular economy», and «green economy» have gained significant importance in scientific research and the policies of countries around the world over the past decade. This article aims to identify trends and key research directions in the fields of bio-, circular, and green economy. By using the tools VOSviewer and Google Trends, research trends have been identified and existing research contributions in the field of bio-, circular, and green economy have been analyzed. A certain correspondence has been found between the trends in scientific and user interest regarding bio-, circular, and green economy issues. These concepts have gained increasing popularity in recent years in the context of sustainable development and environmental preservation. The analysis of the themes of the most cited publications showed that articles on the topics of circular and bioeconomy are aimed at implementing technological solutions in industry and agriculture, as well as tools and methods for waste processing on the path to sustainable development. They demonstrate an orientation towards resources, while articles in the field of green economy focus on finding compromises between environmental, social, and economic development (green growth, green purchasing behavior, green innovations). Publications in the field of ecology dominate across all three concepts, and among the most common keywords are: «stable» and «sustainable development». It is concluded that the concepts of bio- and circular economy are integral components of the green economy and can complement each other. Six clusters were identified, each characterizing the direction of scientific research: bioeconomy, ecological and economic efficiency of business, green economy, circular economy, resource efficiency, economic development. The results of the bibliometric analysis by chronological measurement showed that the intensive development of scientific research on bio-, green, and circular economy issues occurred from 2017 to 2021. In recent years, studies have emerged that are mainly related to digitalization, Industry 4.0, Big Data, blockchain, waste in construction, circular bioeconomy, and bioenergy.