How York's research supports the bioeconomy
We apply expertise and cutting-edge scientific methods to harness the power of nature in addressing some of the major global challenges of the 21st century.
Ranging from plant bioscience to industrial biotechnology and sustainable chemistry, our interdisciplinary research seeks to protect our fragile resources, deliver economic benefit and provide a more sustainable global future for generations to come.
York’s excellence in bioeconomy is deeply rooted, forming the foundation of our ambitious BioYorkshire initiative, a public-private partnership harnessing York and North Yorkshire's unique capabilities.
We are now harnessing the combined strengths of Tees Valley and York and North Yorkshire, forging a new macro cluster to establish the UK as a global leader in the industrial bioeconomy.
By aligning scientific excellence with industrial scale-up, we aim to lead the UK’s transition to this new bio-industrial future. Find out more about our plans to unlock transformative new capabilities, attract significant inward investment, and secure the North’s position as a global leader in the green industrial revolution.
Read 'Shaping the UKs Bio-industrial future' (PDF 
, 2,863kb)
The University works closely with businesses to solve their challenges and to scale-up basic science to processes and products used in industry. York is unique in the UK in its capability to scale-up experiments from bench-scale to hundreds of kilogrammes in its Biorenewables Development Centre, and we collaborate with companies across the globe in bioeconomy research and development.
“The global transition to a sustainable bioeconomy isn't a minor economic shift; it's the next industrial revolution.”
Professor Sarah Thompson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research.
Major research centres
BioYorkshire
BioYorkshire is an innovative public-private partnership harnessing York and North Yorkshire's unique capabilities in the bioeconomy, and a key regional initiative for the University. It is a joint initiative between FERA, the University of York and Askham Bryan College, providing complementary expertise, technologies and infrastructure.
The partnership provides end-to-end support for the bio-economy, from world class research and innovation support, to scale-up and demonstration, through to commercialisation - all underpinned by training and skills provision, as well as business and entrepreneurial support.
Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC)
The BDC is an open-access R&D centre working at the interface between academia and industry to develop, scale-up and help commercialise bio-based products and processes.
The Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP)
CNAP uses cutting edge scientific methods and knowledge to harness the power of nature for the development of new products and processes to address some of the major global challenges of the 21st century.
Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE)
GCCE is an internationally-leading academic facility for pioneering pure and applied green and sustainable chemical research through its technology platforms on microwave chemistry, alternative solvents, clean synthesis and renewable materials.
The York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI)
YESI is a pioneering interdisciplinary partnership spanning the social, physical and life sciences, focusing on three key research themes Sustainable Food, Resilient Ecosystems and Urban Living. YESI harnesses the talents of world class researchers to generate the evidence for sustainable solutions to global challenges.
N8 AgriFood
N8 AgriFood is an interdisciplinary research programme that combines world-leading crop and livestock research with extensive expertise in social sciences in a single research initiative. The programme is focused on ensuring the stability and integrity of national and global agri-food supply chains in the face of environmental and socioeconomic challenges.
Case Studies
