The concept of the bioeconomy, which began to emerge approximately twenty years ago, initially developed gradually but is now expanding rapidly across every continent. Many middle- and high-income countries (including the EU, the US, Brazil, and Argentina) have established national bioeconomy strategies. Numerous companies now identify themselves as part of the bio-based sector, and universities have launched specialized bioeconomy programs and degrees. The bioeconomy utilizes renewable biological resources—such as plants, animals, algae, microorganisms, and waste—to produce food, materials, energy, and services sustainably and innovatively. It is poised to continue growing and evolving because of its crucial role in addressing climate change, enhancing rural well-being, and strengthening food security. As advances in biology and artificial intelligence converge, the potential of the bioeconomy will become even more transformative.
There are multiple dimensions to the bioeconomy. One key component is biotechnology, which uses tools such as CRISPR and genetic engineering to modify organisms and endow them with new, beneficial properties. Biotechnology is already widely applied in the development of pharmaceuticals and has been extensively used in agriculture, though in many countries its potential remains underutilized. Despite its broad adoption, biotechnology is still in its infancy, rooted in the discoveries of DNA structure and genome sequencing made less than fifty years ago. As artificial intelligence advances and new knowledge accumulates in the life sciences and bioprocess engineering, biotechnology will continue to evolve, enabling the creation of new organisms and crops that can enhance human health, environmental sustainability, and overall well-being.
Another dimension of the bioeconomy is in the oceans (blue bioeconomy), which involves sustainable use of marine and aquatic biological resources—from macroalgae (seaweed) and fish to microbes and marine-derived compounds—to produce food, materials, energy, and ecosystem services that support a low-carbon, circular economy. Macroalgae, in particular, have immense potential due to their rapid growth rates, high carbohydrate content, and the ability to sequester large amounts of CO2 and recycle nutrients from polluted waters. Approximately 10,000–15,000 macroalgae species are described globally, but only a few dozen are cultivated. The potential for growth of the seaweed sector is therefore mostly untapped.
While seaweed is a promising feedstock for commodities like fuels, biostimulants, and bioplastics, the blue bioeconomy encompasses a far broader set of biological, technological, and economic systems within the oceans. Marine organisms living in high-pressure, high-salinity, or high-temperature environments can yield novel enzymes and bioactive compounds for biocatalysis, drug discovery, and green chemistry. The ocean also holds untapped energy potential, such as wave and tide energy harnessed through turbines, and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) between warm surface water and cold deep water, which can be used to drive a heat engine and produce electricity. One example of OTEC is the use of cold water as a heat exchange for seawater air-conditioning (SWAC) systems, which has been shown to reduce electricity consumption by up to 90% and yield significant financial benefits, particularly in island nations. Artificial pumping of cold, nutrient-rich water from deep layers to the surface can also be used to stimulate phytoplankton growth, enhance biological productivity, and, in some configurations, produce biomass aquaculture.
Similar to terrestrial feedstocks, circularity through the recycling and reuse of crop residues into valuable products is also a key aspect of the blue bioeconomy. Fish waste, shellfish shells, and crustacean exoskeletons can provide chitin, collagen, and calcium carbonate for use in biomedical, textile, and construction industries. Sargassum macroalgae, a source of pollution in the Caribbean, can be transformed into high-value products. Cascading processes can extract multiple products from seaweed, such as biostimulants and fuels.
The transformation of aquatic biomass and residue into value-added products relies on biotechnological, chemical, and physical processes. Using tools like CRISPR and synthetic biology, as well as digital ocean tools, will enable innovation in sustainable production, processing, and monitoring, thereby extending the marine bioeconomy. The blue bioeconomy connects with land-based biomass and industrial bioeconomies, such as seaweed fertilizers replacing synthetic nitrogen on farms, fish waste proteins being processed into feed for insect biofactories, and cross-sector marine-forestry carbon credits for integrated climate strategies.
Berkeley is uniquely positioned to address the ocean’s most complex sustainability challenges by combining world-class strengths in science, policy, and extension with direct access to the Bay at the Richmond Field Station (RFS). In particular, oceans pose intertwined challenges (carbon, nutrients, biodiversity, shipping/logistics). The foundation of the blue bioeconomy is various categories of biomass derived from macroalgae, fish, and other marine organisms.
Building the blue bioeconomy will present engineering challenges, including biomass production and cultivation technologies, marine biotechnology development, biorefinery and conversion technologies, circulation and waste-valorization techniques, blue carbon monitoring and sequestration and storage systems, and the development of multiple products – bioplastics, biomaterials, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Moreover, the building of the bioeconomy will challenge shipping and advanced transportation technologies. For example, the development of low-carbon and smart shipping including the development of marine fuels and the enhancement of energy efficiency of marine transportation. It will also require advanced cold chain and preservation technologies, as well as improved logistics for transportation systems. The development of the blue bioeconomy is also consistent with the US emphasis on reviving a modern US shipyard industry and its presence in the ocean. Altogether, building the blue bioeconomy will require addressing multiple challenges, including policy design, education and training, and outreach to the community, so that the marine sector can become an essential sector in enhancing opportunities for disadvantaged communities.
Berkeley’s cross-campus depth in synthetic biology, environmental science, ecological economics, systems engineering, and public policy matches this complexity unusually well. Recent initiatives, including the IBMC (International Bioeconomy & Macroalgae Center) and the BeCOF (Berkeley Center for Ocean Futures), provide ready-made anchors for research, training, and external partnerships, thereby lowering start-up friction and signaling a focus. Building a strong blue bioeconomy program center in Richmond Field Station (RFS), combined with educational and research on the Berkeley campus, will also be associated with establishing a blue bioeconomy minor and graduate program. The RFS location on the bay offers opportunities for cultivation, the development of water quality sensors, and space for pilot biorefineries. The Bay Area is an unmatched ecosystem in terms of access to corporate partners and philanthropy.
Figure 1: (A) UC Berkeley’s Richmond Field Station (RFS) serves as a hub for the blue bioeconomy in the Bay area. (B) RFS is a 135-acre waterfront research campus, located 10 km from the main Berkeley campus, with many existing labs and research capabilities that are crucial for developing next-gen aquaculture including (C) a marine hydrodynamics facility and (D) a drone and autonomous vehicle facility
Developing the Berkeley blue bioeconomy will provide access to multidisciplinary degrees. Furthermore, the global partnership of the campus, and particularly the IBMC, will make Berkeley the international center for the blue bioeconomy.
I am confident that Berkeley will become a global hub for the bioeconomy, but the development of the bioeconomy center will take time. Building the Berkeley blue bioeconomy, centered at RFS, will be a great start. The rationale for developing the blue bioeconomy is that the oceans—covering most of the planet and hosting vast, underutilized biological resources—offer enormous potential for sustainable food, materials, and climate solutions, yet without careful scientific, technological, and governance intervention, these same ecosystems face irreversible degradation. The lessons of the blue bioeconomy program can inform the establishment of other bioeconomy efforts. Some of them can also take advantage of the RFS, so Berkeley eventually will become a global hub for the bioeconomy.