Biomass Biorefinery Network celebrates supporting researchers to turn ideas into real-world progress
Posted on Tuesday 17 March 2026
The Biomass Biorefinery Network (BBNet), funded by UKRI since 2019, is an interdisciplinary network created to help move the UK towards a more sustainable and circular bioeconomy by connecting researchers, industry partners and innovators working to turn biomass and organic waste into real alternatives to fossil-based products. Hosted by the University of York, the network has engaged over 1200 members across the UK and internationally, providing research grant funding and hosting a series of networking and engagement activities.
Six years on, this evaluation shows just how central the network has become. Using surveys, case studies and a Theory of Change approach, the report explores what BBNet has enabled across its funded projects, events and wider community.
One of the strongest observations from this analysis is that BBNet has become more than a funder or convenor. It is now a central part of how the UK biomass biorefinery community connects, learns and advances its collective ambition. The achievements captured throughout this report show a network that creates value at several levels:
- It supports the development of new tools, methods and products.
- It strengthens professional capability and confidence.
- It brings together complete value chains, linking feedstock suppliers, researchers and end users.
- At the same time, it unlocks wider environmental and economic benefits by helping projects move closer to commercial relevance.
In brief, BBNet-funded projects have delivered tangible scientific and technical progress, with many projects moving up the Technology Readiness Scale and demonstrating proof of concept for new bioprocesses, products and methods.
But more than that, BBNet’s biggest impact has been most keenly felt by its members who consistently report that the network opens doors, strengthens ideas and builds lasting collaborations between academia and industry.