--- title: Supporting Bioeconomy Initiatives in Colombia --- [![ukpact-navy-logo](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hubfs/Core%20Site%20Files%20-%202020/ukpact-navy-logo.svg "ukpact-navy-logo")](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/) # Supporting Bioeconomy Initiatives in Colombia **← [Back to main page](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/)** ![royal-botanic-gardens-kew-vector-logo](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/royal-botanic-gardens-kew-vector-logo.png?width=200&height=111&name=royal-botanic-gardens-kew-vector-logo.png) | **Project country: Colombia** | | --- | | **Sector: Climate policy** | | --- | | **Expert Partner: Kew Gardens ** | | --- | ***Building on existing partnerships in science and innovation between the UK and Colombia, this skill-share sought to increase the Humboldt Institute’s capacity to leverage relationships between academia and industry to advance bioeconomy initiatives in the country.  *** Colombia has been working towards the integration of a bioeconomy policy framework as an element of its sustainability and green growth policies. Leveraging the bioeconomy has been seen as a way to sustainably use nature-based solutions as a tool to generate opportunities for Colombian communities while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Through this process regulatory bottlenecks have been identified, prompting the decision to explore learning and international best practises in the field of bioeconomy.  The expert team supported the Humboldt Institute through capacity-building workshops and the development of policy recommendations on regulatory bottlenecks in the bioeconomy.   Capacity building workshops took place in Colombia across three cities, Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, and covered topics such as negotiating Intellectual Property (IP) and finding products to match markets, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Nagoya Protocol (NP), how to navigate international access and benefit sharing (ABS), The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and how this can affect bioeconomy, and finally how to build partnerships and trust. The expert team also met with several key stakeholders working on different aspects of the bioeconomy to share their experience.  Following the in-country visit, the expert team used the valuable insights collected and the deeper understanding of the local context to develop recommendations on how to navigate and overcome regulatory bottlenecks in their efforts to advance bioeconomy initiatives in the country.  The expert team praised the flexibility and engagement of all stakeholders to discuss the topic and in-country partners felt encouraged by the expert’s support and the strengthened partnerships which came as a result of the skill-share. The skill-share also provided a forum to discuss future scientific collaborations in the bioeconomy space.                ![COL-007 counterpart quote final](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/COL-007%20counterpart%20quote%20final.png?width=500&height=281&name=COL-007%20counterpart%20quote%20final.png)   **Counterpart:** ![COL-007 Logo-1](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/COL-007%20Logo-1.png?width=288&height=92&name=COL-007%20Logo-1.png)    ![COL-007 Embassy quote final](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/COL-007%20Embassy%20quote%20final.png?width=500&height=281&name=COL-007%20Embassy%20quote%20final.png)               ![COL-007 cs pic 2](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/COL-007%20cs%20pic%202.png?width=500&height=281&name=COL-007%20cs%20pic%202.png)     ![COL-007 CS MAP FINAL-PhotoRoom.png-PhotoRoom](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/COL-007%20CS%20MAP%20FINAL-PhotoRoom.png-PhotoRoom.png?width=800&height=602&name=COL-007%20CS%20MAP%20FINAL-PhotoRoom.png-PhotoRoom.png)   #      Key facts **——** - **Colombia has been moving towards a bioeconomy policy framework** as common element of its sustainability and green growth policies  - The skill-share worked with stakeholders in the **Valle del Cauca (Cali), ****Antioquia (Medellín) and Atlántico (Barranquilla) departments** - Working with the bioeconomy means **sustainably using nature****’s solutions as a tool to generate opportunities for Colombian communities while reducing GHG emissions**** ** - **Regulatory bottlenecks** might be deterring bioeconomy initiatives from being a reality  - **Leveraging UK expertise**** in fostering partnerships** between academy and industry, and tech-transfer and IP arrangements for bio-based products was central to this skill-share  ## Key achievements **——** - **The skill-share supported field visits to three principal cities in Colombia** (Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali) each with a strong science and technology community  - **More than 70 representatives from different institutions ****across the three cities had their skills and capabilities enhanced** through the delivered workshops on topics such as the bioeconomy, intellectual property and relationship-building across industry and academia  - **Policy recommendations were produced on how to overcome regulatory bottlenecks** affecting the advancement of bioeconomy initiatives in Colombia      ![COL-007 CS Pic 1](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/COL-007%20CS%20Pic%201.png?width=500&height=282&name=COL-007%20CS%20Pic%201.png)   ### About UK PACT UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) is a unique capacity-building programme. Jointly governed and funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through the UK's International Climate Finance, it works in partnership with countries with high emissions reduction potential to support them to implement and increase their ambitions for tackling climate change.   [![EXPLORE](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/7376512/0fae3b18-54a7-43f4-a5b3-e2574bbc1203.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/7376512/0fae3b18-54a7-43f4-a5b3-e2574bbc1203) ### Quick Links ** ![ukpact-navy-logo](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/hubfs/Core%20Site%20Files%20-%202020/ukpact-navy-logo.svg "ukpact-navy-logo") © Copyright 2025     [UK PACT Privacy Notice](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/privacy-notice-ukpact)  [Cookie Policy](https://www.ukpact.co.uk/privacy-notice-ukpact-0) [Contact Us](https://7376512-hs-sites-com.sandbox.hs-sites.com/contact-us)