MarginUp! Is Heading to the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2026 in Dublin
From 19 to 22 October 2026, the Convention Centre Dublin will host the Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS 2026), bringing together researchers, policymakers, industry and investors from across the world to shape the future of the bioeconomy. MarginUp! will be there with a flagship satellite event, an exhibition booth, a policy session and a collaborative workshop — four opportunities to discover how marginal lands can become a source of sustainable industrial feedstock for Europe and beyond.
Unlocking Marginal Lands for the Global Bioeconomy – Satellite Event
MarginUp! opens the summit week with a full-day satellite event: Unlocking Marginal Lands for the Global Bioeconomy: Industrial Feedstocks for Socioeconomic Transformation and Climate Action through Policy Dialogue, Investment, and Partnerships.
The session brings together researchers, policymakers, industry, investors and practitioners to share lessons learnt from innovative biomass value chains on marginal lands in Europe and beyond, and to explore how these pathways can create value for people, nature and the climate.
- 19 October | 9:00–17:00
- Convention Centre Dublin | Wicklow Hall 1
- Registration is required. Save your seat!
Preliminary Agenda
| Time | Session | Lead / format |
| 09:00–09:30 | Welcome coffee and registration | Registration and arrival |
| 09:30–10:00 | Opening and welcome remarks | MarginUp! Coordinator, delegates, project officers |
| 10:00–11:00 | Keynote session: From underused land resources to sustainable value chains | Two contributions, each 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes of Q&A |
| 11:00–11:30 | Coffee break | |
| 11:30–12:15 | From marginal lands to value creation: lessons from emerging pathways | 11:30 MarginUp! pathways and pilot use cases in Europe, Africa and South America. 11:45 Irish rural perspectives on marginal lands and place-based bioeconomy delivery. 12:00 MIDAS: industrial crops and low-ILUC biomass pathways. |
| 12:15–12:45 | Expert roundtable: What makes marginal-land feedstock pathways credible, viable and responsible? | Provisional participants from MarginUp!, an Irish institution, MIDAS, SUSTAINCrops, the keynote speakers and the MarginUp! Advisory Board |
| 12:45–14:00 | Networking lunch and marketplace of ideas | Informal exchange around projects, cases and collaboration interests |
| 14:00–15:30 | Parallel dialogue and workshop forums | Scaling circular bioeconomy solutions across Europe and beyond |
| 15:30–16:00 | Coffee break | |
| 16:00–17:00 | Harvesting the Dublin Agenda | Cross-forum synthesis and panel discussion with experts, policy and industry representatives and the project Advisory Board |
| 17:00 | Closing remarks and outlook | Satellite event host from MarginUp! |
| 18:30 | Networking reception | Informal continuation of the day’s discussions |
Visit Us Throughout the Summit
Beyond the satellite event, MarginUp! will have a presence across the whole of GBS2026:
Exhibition booth (No. 52) — 20 – 21 October
Stop by to browse our project magazine, research posters, videos and digital demos, explore our replication tools, and meet the consortium in person.
Policy Session — “From Research to Policy”.
MarginUp! presents its policy paper, including key recommendations for enabling sustainable biomass production on marginal lands, and opens the floor for discussion on future European bioeconomy policies and frameworks for industrial feedstock from marginal lands.
Policy Workshop
What does it take to turn biomass feedstocks into practical alternatives to fossil-based fertilisers, plastics and textiles? This session digs into the policy, infrastructure, market demand and value-chain partnerships that need to be in place.
Timings and rooms for the lunch session and workshop will be confirmed closer to the summit — check back on this page for the full, up-to-date programme.
Why Join Us?
- Discover solutions and exchange knowledge with worldwide business initiatives and bioeconomy value chains.
- Learn how innovative biomass value chains from marginal lands can provide industrial feedstock for the emerging bioeconomy.
- Explore replication opportunities and tools for scaling impact.
- Discuss market uptake and exploitation.
- Exchange with a diverse community of experts, policymakers and innovators.
- Engage with European Commission representatives and decision-makers.
Who should attend? Farmers and landowners, industry, NGOs and networks, investors, clusters and innovation hubs, EU and policy makers, and researchers.
Registration
Registration for the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2026 is required. All costs are detailed on the conference website (gbs2026.org).
Don’t miss the MarginUp! Satellite Event on Marginal Lands — register today to save your seat.
