25/09/2026
Ethiopia Reaffirms Commitment to Advancing a National Bioeconomy at High-Level Policy Dialogue
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: September, 2026:
A high-level policy dialogue on “Policy Innovations for Advancing the Bioeconomy in Ethiopia” was held at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Campus in Addis Ababa, bringing together key national and international stakeholders to discuss Ethiopia’s emerging bioeconomy agenda and pathways toward implementation.
The dialogue was convened with the support and collaboration of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MinT), Bio and Emerging Technology Institute (BETin), BioInnovate Africa, and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe). Government representatives, researchers, academia, development partners, private-sector actors, and other stakeholders participated in the event.
A major highlight of the dialogue was the re-inauguration and renewed presentation of Ethiopia’s National Bioeconomy Strategy, providing an opportunity to reaffirm national commitment to its implementation and ownership.The event also featured a presentation of progress made over the past year in bioeconomy-related activities, highlighting emerging initiatives, partnerships, research and innovation efforts, and opportunities for translating Ethiopia’s biological resources and knowledge into economic and social value.
The Bio and Emerging Technology Institute (BETin) has played an important role in initiating and supporting the development of Ethiopia’s bioeconomy agenda.
During the dialogue, Dr. Hailu Dadi, Deputy Director General of BETin, reaffirmed BETin’s commitment to advancing the bioeconomy agenda not only through its contribution to the development of the strategy, but also through continued awareness creation, stakeholder engagement, and efforts to ensure that the strategy becomes broadly owned and implemented by key national stakeholders.
Representing the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Dr. Simeneh Keskis, Advisor to the Ministry, emphasized that Ethiopia’s National Bioeconomy Strategy was developed with the intention of learning from and benchmarking relevant experiences and best practices from Africa and other parts of the world, while adapting them to Ethiopia’s national context and development priorities.
Dr. Julius Echiru, Program Manager of the BioInnovate Africa Programme, congratulated Ethiopia for advancing its national bioeconomy strategy and recognized the country as one of the African countries championing the bioeconomy agenda. He emphasized the importance of viewing bioeconomy development not only from a national perspective but also through a regional lens, noting that many bio-based products and technologies have market opportunities extending beyond national borders.
The discussions highlighted the importance of stronger linkages among research institutions, universities, government, industry, entrepreneurs, investors, and development partners to translate scientific knowledge and biological resources into commercially viable products, services, jobs, and sustainable development outcomes. The dialogue also underscored the potential of Ethiopia’s rich biodiversity, agricultural resources, biomass, scientific capacity, and emerging biotechnology capabilities to contribute to food and nutrition security, industrial development, environmental sustainability, circularity, employment creation, and regional trade.
The event provided an important platform for stakeholders to reflect on progress, identify implementation priorities, strengthen partnerships, and reaffirm a shared commitment to moving Ethiopia’s bioeconomy agenda from strategy development toward coordinated implementation, innovation, commercialization, and regional impact. Ethiopia’s efforts are also aligned with the broader Eastern African bioeconomy agenda, where regional strategies emphasize the importance of transforming biological resources and research capabilities into higher-value products, industries, jobs, and sustainable development opportunities.
In related news, BETin demonstrated patented bio-based innovations and products through poster and product displays to showcase bioeconomy progress .
