Beyond the pilot: what makes bio-CO₂ projects investment-ready

Innovation is outpacing regulation

A week after the Green Innovation Forum in Salamanca, one thing stands out clearly: innovation is moving much faster than the frameworks designed to support it.

Across the agri-food sector, this gap is becoming increasingly visible. Regulatory sandboxes are emerging as a critical tool to allow solutions to progress before full regulatory clarity is in place, because innovation doesn’t wait.

From alternative proteins and precision fermentation to CRISPR-based omics technologies, research is advancing rapidly to tackle challenges such as pest resistance and climate adaptation. In agriculture, biostimulants are gaining ground as viable alternatives to fossil-based inputs, alongside continuous progress in seed genetics and new active substances.

Rethinking CO₂: from waste to resource

Lara Valentín (PNO Innovation Spain) moderated a session on decarbonisation and the evolving role of biogenic CO₂, where a key shift in mindset became evident.

For years, CO₂ has been treated purely as waste: something to reduce or avoid. Today, that perception is changing. CO₂ is increasingly seen as a resource, a feedstock for fuels, chemicals, materials, and other high-value products. In the case of biogenic CO₂, this represents a major opportunity linked to the bioeconomy and the transition away from fossil carbon.

But the central question is no longer what is technically possible.

The real challenge is: which solutions can scale, integrate into value chains, and attract real market demand?

The barriers to scaling bio-CO₂

During the session, speakers addressed the barriers openly:

• High CAPEX for capture infrastructure
• Space and integration constraints
• Limited maturity of CO₂ transport solutions
• The need for CO₂ hubs and industrial symbiosis models
• The potential of synthetic biology, digital twins, and predictive tools

At the same time, a strong idea resonated throughout the discussion: CO₂ should stop being “demonised.” It is already part of our systems—what matters now is how we integrate it into new industrial models.

From innovation to investment

If we are serious about moving toward a defossilised economy, biogenic CO₂ will play a key role.

The forum also highlighted where the ecosystem is heading, with startups pitching solutions in nutraceuticals, bioinformatics, bio-based construction materials, biostimulants, and biomanufacturing.

The opportunity is clear, but turning bio-CO₂ projects into bankable investments requires more than technology.

Turn your bio-CO₂ project into an investable opportunity

Download our guide: “Beyond the pilot playbook: what actually gets biological conversion of biogenic CO₂ projects to
financial investment decision”

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