Ireland will officially host the 2026 Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS2026).

The announcement was made on Friday 25 October at the end of the 2024 summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, following an application by Ireland to host the 2026 summit.

Referring to the announcement, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said that this is a major international event which will see Ireland host delegates from around the world, bringing together those working across the bio-based economy.

"It is testament to the work that is going on in Ireland in this area of innovation. As we strive to replace fossil-based resources and processes with biological ones, exciting opportunities emerge, from bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides, to new food sources, bio-based plastics and textiles and biological waste management, to name just a few," he said.

Minister McConalogue and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan together submitted the application to host the 2026 summit.

Climate goals

Minister Ryan said: "A sustainable bioeconomy can help Ireland achieve its climate goals, waste targets and a more circular economy, with a focus on ensuring a just transition, particularly for rural communities, by fostering more sustainable agricultural and food systems.

"Ireland’s bioeconomy is growing, with more people getting involved, as the recent successful sixth annual Bioeconomy Ireland Week has shown."

The hosting of the summit in 2026 will coincide with the Irish presidency of the council of the European Union.

Speaking on behalf of the International Advisory Council on the Global Bioeconomy, which organises the Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS), Christine Lang said: “We very much welcome that Ireland is taking on the baton of GBS from east Africa, which very successfully hosted the first GBS outside from Germany.

"We are looking forward to working together to again make GBS 2026 the key event on global bioeconomy”.

Interest

Minister McConalogue said that the interest in hosting the 2026 GBS is based on a desire to advance and promote the potential for the bio-based economy to contribute to the sustainable development of our rural, coastal and urban areas.

Minister Ryan added that the bio-based economy can offer a new era of sustainable business models and value chains in areas such as new packaging, new chemicals and replacing fossil fuel products and government is putting in place the building blocks for this new industry.