IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/eurcho/v22y2023i3p44-50.html

Regional Employment Impacts of Biorefineries in the EU

Author

Listed:
  • Benz Xinqi Zhu
  • Maria Vrachioli
  • Johannes Sauer

Abstract

The European Commission aims to achieve a climate‐neutral economy by 2050 and positively affect the employment growth rate while reducing fossil‐based production activities. For that reason, according to the European Green Deal, decarbonisation and modernisation of fossil‐based industries is essential. Thus, replacing fossil fuel‐based inputs in these industries with bio‐based inputs through the establishment of biorefineries can contribute towards this goal. This article reports the results of a study on the impact of biorefineries on the regional employment rate, and other regional socio‐economic indicators. A unique regional level dataset provided by EU Joint Research Centre and the EU H2020 BioMonitor project is used to examine the impact of the biorefinery industry on local employment. This dataset covers multiple European Member States and enables us to account for regional characteristics over a 10‐year period (2009–2018). Our results show that introducing biorefineries to a region can be associated with a higher regional employment growth compared to regions with no biorefineries. Improving biorefinery data availability and quality can assist further the research in this area and promote the development of bioeconomy in Europe. La Commission européenne vise à parvenir à une économie neutre pour le climat d'ici 2050 et à influencer positivement le taux de croissance de l'emploi tout en réduisant les activités de production basées sur les énergies fossiles. C'est pourquoi, selon le Pacte vert européen, la décarbonation et la modernisation des industries basées sur les énergies fossiles sont essentielles. Ainsi, le remplacement des intrants d'origine fossile dans ces industries par des intrants d'origine biologique grâce à la création de bioraffineries peut contribuer à cet objectif. Cet article rapporte les résultats d'une étude sur l'impact des bioraffineries sur le taux d'emploi régional et d'autres indicateurs socio‐économiques régionaux. Un ensemble de données unique au niveau régional fourni par le Centre commun de recherche de l'Union européenne et le projet BioMonitor du programme européen H2020 est utilisé pour examiner l'impact de l'industrie de la bioraffinerie sur l'emploi local. Cet ensemble de données couvre plusieurs États membres européens et nous permet de prendre en compte les caractéristiques régionales sur une décennie (2009‐2018). Nos résultats montrent que l'installation de bioraffineries dans une région peut être associée à une croissance de l'emploi régional plus élevée que dans les régions sans bioraffineries. L'amélioration de la disponibilité et de la qualité des données sur les bioraffineries peut contribuer à faire progresser la recherche dans ce domaine et promouvoir le développement de la bioéconomie en Europe. Die Europäische Kommission hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, bis 2050 eine klimaneutrale Wirtschaft zu erreichen und das Beschäftigungswachstum zu fördern, während gleichzeitig die auf fossilen Brennstoffen basierenden Produktionsaktivitäten reduziert werden. Gemäß dem europäischen Green Deal ist aus diesem Grund die Dekarbonisierung und Modernisierung fossil basierter Industrien unerlässlich. Dementsprechend können fossile Rohstoffe in diesen Industrien durch biobasierte Rohstoffe ersetzt werden. Zur Erreichung dieses Ziels kann die Errichtung von Bioraffinerien beitragen. Der vorliegende Artikel zeigt die Auswirkungen von Bioraffinerien auf die regionale Beschäftigungsquote und andere regionale sozioökonomische Indikatoren auf. Basierend auf einem umfangreichen Datensatz, der von der Gemeinsamen Forschungsstelle der EU und dem EU‐H2020‐Projekt BioMonitor bereitgestellt wurde, werden die Effekte von Bioraffinerien auf die lokale Beschäftigung untersucht. Der Datensatz deckt mehrere europäische Mitgliedstaaten ab und ermöglicht es uns, regionale Merkmale über einen Zeitraum von 10 Jahren (2009‐2018) zu berücksichtigen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Einführung von Bioraffinerien in einer Region im Vergleich zu Regionen ohne Bioraffinerien mit einem höheren regionalen Beschäftigungswachstum verbunden sein kann. Eine verbesserte Verfügbarkeit und Qualität von Daten zu Bioraffinerien kann die Forschung in diesem Bereich unterstützen und die Entwicklung der Bioökonomie in Europa fördern.

Suggested Citation

  • Benz Xinqi Zhu & Maria Vrachioli & Johannes Sauer, 2023. "Regional Employment Impacts of Biorefineries in the EU," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 22(3), pages 44-50, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:eurcho:v:22:y:2023:i:3:p:44-50
    DOI: 10.1111/1746-692X.12417
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1746-692X.12417
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1746-692X.12417?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Fritsch & Yvonne Schindele, 2011. "The Contribution of New Businesses to Regional Employment—An Empirical Analysis," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 87(2), pages 153-180, April.
    2. Cambero, Claudia & Sowlati, Taraneh, 2016. "Incorporating social benefits in multi-objective optimization of forest-based bioenergy and biofuel supply chains," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 721-735.
    3. Biagi, Federico & Lucifora, Claudio, 2008. "Demographic and education effects on unemployment in Europe," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 1076-1101, October.
    4. Heijman, Wim & Szabó, Zoltán & Veldhuizen, Esther, . "The Contribution of Biorefineries to Rural Development: The Case of Employment in Hungary," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 121(01).
    5. Olli Lehtonen & Lasse Okkonen, 2013. "Regional socio-economic impacts of decentralised bioeconomy: a case of Suutela wooden village, Finland," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 245-256, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhu, Xinqi & Vrachioli, Maria & Edoardo, Baldoni & M'barek, Robert & Sauer, Johannes, 2021. "Bio-Refineries – a Solution to the EU Sustainable Development Challenges," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315164, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Pu Liu & Yingying Shao, 2022. "Innovation and new business formation: the role of innovative large firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 691-720, August.
    3. Amaral, Ernesto F. L. & Rios-Neto, Eduardo L G & Potter, Joseph E, 2012. "Long term influences of age-education transition on the Brazilian labour market," OSF Preprints 2e4f3, Center for Open Science.
    4. Pankaj C. Patel & Srikant Devaraj, 2022. "Non-employer establishments and economic development in counties: evidence from cross-border neighbor county-pairs in the US," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 77-92, January.
    5. Emilia Mary Balan & Cristina Georgiana Zeldea, 2023. "Bioeconomy in Romania: Investigating Farmers’ Knowledge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-29, May.
    6. Garloff, Alfred & Roth, Duncan, 2016. "Regional age structure and young workers' wages," IAB-Discussion Paper 201606, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    7. Yang Bai & He Yang & Yu Zhao & Min Zhang & Jinyuan Qin & Feng Mi, 2020. "Optimizing the Raw Material Supply Chain of the Wood Biomass Power Generation Industry for Different Stakeholders’ Benefits: An Analysis of Inner Mongolia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-15, March.
    8. Maryam Roudneshin & Amanda Sosa, 2024. "Optimising Agricultural Waste Supply Chains for Sustainable Bioenergy Production: A Comprehensive Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-23, May.
    9. Colombelli, Alessandra & Quatraro, Francesco, 2016. "Green startups and local knowledge bases: Newborn suppliers of energy-related technologies in Italian Provinces," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201606, University of Turin.
    10. Miloš Krstić & José António Filipe & José Chavaglia, 2020. "Higher Education as a Determinant of the Competitiveness and Sustainable Development of an Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-22, August.
    11. Alessandra Colombelli & Elettra D’Amico & Emilio Paolucci, 2023. "When computer science is not enough: universities knowledge specializations behind artificial intelligence startups in Italy," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 1599-1627, October.
    12. Brinkley, Catherine, 2018. "The conundrum of combustible clean energy: Sweden's history of siting district heating smokestacks in residential areas," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 526-532.
    13. Ernesto F. L. Amaral & Eduardo Luiz Goncalves Rios-Neto & Joseph E. Potter, 2015. "The Influence of Internal Migration on Male Earnings in Brazil, 1970-2000," Working Papers WR-1090, RAND Corporation.
    14. Luke Kelleher & Maeve Henchion & Eoin O’Neill, 2019. "Policy Coherence and the Transition to a Bioeconomy: The Case of Ireland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-25, December.
    15. Seyed Mojib Zahraee & Nirajan Shiwakoti & Peter Stasinopoulos, 2024. "Metaheuristic Optimization of the Agricultural Biomass Supply Chain: Integrating Strategic, Tactical, and Operational Planning," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-35, August.
    16. McKenna, R. & Bertsch, V. & Mainzer, K. & Fichtner, W., 2018. "Combining local preferences with multi-criteria decision analysis and linear optimization to develop feasible energy concepts in small communities," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 1092-1110.
    17. Alessandra Colombelli & Francesco Quatraro, 2019. "Green start-ups and local knowledge spillovers from clean and dirty technologies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 773-792, April.
    18. Alessandra Colombelli & Francesco Quatraro, 2013. "New Firm Formation and the properties of local knowledge bases: Evidence from Italian NUTS 3 regions," Working Papers hal-00858989, HAL.
    19. Leanda C. Garvie & David J. Lee & Biljana Kulišić, 2024. "Towards a Bioeconomy: Supplying Forest Residues for the Australian Market," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-19, January.
    20. Moon Young Kang, 2020. "Sustainable Profit versus Unsustainable Growth: Are Venture Capital Investments and Governmental Support Medicines or Poisons?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-11, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:eurcho:v:22:y:2023:i:3:p:44-50. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaaeeea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.