Discovering bioeconomy as an alternative paradigm towards the green transition

The successful adoption and implementation of a circular and sustainable bioeconomy model is a key ambition for many countries and international bodies worldwide, which are currently drafting and applying relevant strategies and policies. However, this transition from the current linear economic model to a more circular one requires major political reforms, strong commitment, and substantial innovation breakthroughs that foster technological progress. The present paper presents a four-level extensive literature review of the bioeconomy concept, covering 145 peer-reviewed studies identified through a structured search and screening process. The review spans publications from 2008 to 2024 and is complemented by an analysis of 56 non-academic policy documents drawn from 38 countries. To this end, the four levels of the analysis include: (a) a bibliometric analysis tracing the intellectual evolution of the bioeconomy concept, mapping citation networks and co-occurrence patterns; (b) a qualitative synthesis based on the three predominant bioeconomy visions, namely biotechnology, bioresources, and bioecology; (c) a review of the main national endeavours towards implementing bioeconomy strategies worldwide, based on a continental division scheme; (d) an examination of the prevailing limitations and shortcomings arising from bioeconomy implementation, including sustainability concerns, regulatory challenges, demand-side barriers, and monitoring deficiencies. The findings demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the predominance of bioresource and biotechnology visions across national strategies, as well as the existence of approximately 40 dedicated national bioeconomy strategies worldwide. Furthermore, the analysis indicates the persistent lack of a universally accepted definition as the principal barrier to strategic coherence and effective monitoring. Based on these four levels of the review process, implications for future research are further revealed and highlighted.