Voices for a Sustainable Bio-based Future: Insights from the World Café Dialogues within the FNR-16 sister projects

Voices for a Sustainable Bio-based Future - Youth and Stakeholder Insights from the FNR-16 World Café Dialogues This policy brief draws on insights from the World Café sessions organised as part of the EU-funded FNR-16 projects and highlights the untapped potential of enzyme-based technologies to promote sustainability in the food, fashion and household sectors. The meetings, which took place in Madrid in April 2025, were attended by 26 participants from different generations and sectors, including young people, scientists, industry representatives and public administration representatives. They showed a strong alignment with the EU's priorities under the Green Deal and the Bioeconomy Strategy. The discussions focussed on three topics: sustainable consumption, circular economy in the food system and green fashion future. Participants, especially the younger generations, expressed a strong desire to integrate sustainability into their daily choices and political agenda. The dialogues underlined the urgent need for systemic change, building trust and cross-sector collaboration to integrate biotechnological innovations - such as enzymes - more fully into society. These outcomes emphasise the role of public engagement, education and inclusive governance in accelerating Europe's transition to a circular, bio-based economy.