Food in the bioeconomy

Ensuring food security and food safety in a future facing the foreseen grand global challenges will be challenging, where they at the same time open up a wealth of opportunities. Further advancing the bioeconomy is a key tool to tackle these very complex challenges and at the same time lead to sustainable economic growth. Significant changes and different approaches are needed to meet the needs and demands of our future consumers. The next big wave of technological disruptions will be in the new bioeconomy, most notably the food industry. The development of new technologies cannot compromise food security and safety but, on the contrary, should be aimed at increasing both. To succeed in this changing environment and tackle all the grand global challenges, we need to be unafraid to think in very different ways than we have before. We need to understand the market and the consumers and where they are heading, find new innovative solutions and work across sectors with partners we never imagined working with before. •Major changes are ahead in the new bioeconomy, with the next wave of disruptions to be in the food industry.•Food safety, sustainability, transparency and innovation are the essence of a new bioeconomy.•Global demography and consumer behaviour are changing, calling for changes in health care and food processing.•The new bioeconomy driven by innovations is the key to tackle the grand global challenges.•The Nordic bioeconomy panel is presented as a successful tool to cooperate and enhance the bioeconomy.