The United States is on the cusp of a new economic frontier: the bioeconomy — a rapidly expanding, technology-driven sector that will reshape agriculture, energy, materials, and manufacturing while strengthening supply chains and national security.
Already valued at more than $4 trillion globally and projected to grow dramatically over the next two decades, the bioeconomy touches every aspect of life — from food and pharmaceuticals to textiles, fuels, and chemicals. Built on domestic, renewable feedstocks like corn, soybeans, engineered microorganisms, and agricultural waste, it represents not just a scientific frontier, but a strategic and economic imperative.
America holds distinctive advantages: world-class universities, a robust innovation ecosystem, a sophisticated financial system, and a heartland producing the biomass that powers this next generation of products. But global competitors are focused on leading this arena, and leadership will require coordinated strategy, effective policy, talent development across the full workforce pipeline, and scaled public–private partnerships.
In September 2025, the Council on Competitiveness convened leaders from industry, academia, labor, and the national laboratories at Primient in Lafayette, Indiana, to explore how the United States can lead the global bioeconomy. Discussions highlighted the urgent need to translate scientific discovery into commercial scale. The full report captures the insights and priorities that emerged from this dialogue.
Read the full report below and explore how the United States can lead the bioeconomy of the future:
