Economics and Policies for a Circular Bio-Economy

Policies stressing circularity in our economy are becoming ever more important. It’s critical to understand the economics implications of these policies that govern the transition and implementation of biobased products and resources. The market structure and performance of the value chain influence- and are influenced by circular bioeconomic policies. A company that wants to succeed in the circular bio-economy must be prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

This MicroMasters programme will help you understand the basic economics of a circular biobased economy. You will learn to carry out economic assessments of the benefits and costs of new biobased technologies, in a dynamic value chain, where feedback occurs between different actors such as between retailers and food processors. At the end of this MicroMasters programme, in the last course, you will perform a capstone project in which you apply the knowledge from all courses to your own business case. This will give you the opportunity to receive feedback from experts in the field of circular bio-economy economics and policies.

This MicroMasters programme is for anyone who is interested in deepening their knowledge on the economics and policies aspects of a biobased economy. It is specifically aimed at those currently working in biobased industries, industries that are transitioning to be more biobased, or non-profit and governmental institutions. In addition to a brief introduction of the technological aspects related to biobased materials and their conversion, the programme will focus on the economics and policy aspects of the biobased economy. The programme emphasizes a systems approach and the various associated tools and methods (e.g. life cycle assessment and agent-based modeling).

If you would like to know more about the business and operations side of the circular economy, you might be interested in the following Micromasters programme:

Learners who successfully earn the MicroMasters programme certificate and decide to apply for the Master of Science programme Biobased Sciences at Wageningen University & Research (120 ECTS, 2 year full time on-campus programme) need to go through the regular admission procedures for MSc students and meet the entry requirements. If you are admitted and would like to be exempted from courses in the MSc programme, you can send a formal waiver request. Campus courses that can be waived (up to 18 credits) are courses that are equivalent to the online courses in the MicroMasters Programme.

Please note: if your intention is to apply, please start your application procedure as early as possible.

If you have any questions about the on-campus master's and/or if you have attented the 'old' MicroMasters programme (MicroMasters Programme Biobased Sciences for Sustainability/up to 24 ECTS), and like to apply, please contact team Online education.