Interim Evaluation of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (2014-2016) operating under Horizon 2020

The Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) is a public-private partnership (PPP)1 between the European Commission and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC). The Council Regulation (EU) No 560/2014 sets the basis for the establishment of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU).2 BIC developed the Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA) based on extensive consultation with public and private stakeholders. As per all the seven JUs, BBI JU awards Horizon 2020 funding for projects based on competitive calls. Five JUs were already set up in 2007-2008 under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), whereas Bio-based Industries (BBI) is one of the newly established JUs under Horizon 2020 with the specific aim of developing sustainable and competitive bio-based industries in Europe. BBI JU set out financial commitments from both the EU and from the industry members in order to provide funding for large-scale, longer-term and high risk/reward research. The objectives of BBI JU may best be achieved by the Partnerships and, most importantly, by bringing together of companies, universities, research centres, innovative SMEs and other groups and organisations around the topic of the bio-based economy, which is of great industrial and social relevance. BBI JU is expected to be a concrete example of the European Union's efforts towards strengthening its competitiveness through scientific excellence, industry led research, openness and innovation. According to Article 32(3) of the Horizon 2020 Regulation, the Commission must provide an in-depth assessment of all JUs. Article 11(1) of BBI JU regulation3 provides the main legal basis for this interim evaluation, which was carried out by a group of five independent experts who analysed the activities of BBI JU in the period 2014-2016. The evaluation takes place at an early stage, less than three years after the adoption of Regulation (EU) No. 560/2014, which established the BBI JU. It covers five main evaluation criteria: relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, coherence and EU added value.4,5 Although at the time point of this interim evaluation none of the research projects funded by BBI JU had been completed, qualitative input in combination with quantitative information, as was available, were used to assess the effectiveness of implementation and the main achievements so far.