OPINIONS
Role of biotechnology in developing the bioenergy sector in Poland

The Polish economy is facing a green revolution with the implementation of European Union (EU) directive

2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. Poland could benefit substantially

from this shift as it has one of the highest hectarage per capita in the EU and therefore has land resources that

could be used for growing plant-based renewable energy sources. However, the development of domestic technologies

and know-how is essential if Poland is to take full advantage of the opportunities. Biotechnology should play

a pivotal role in the development of technologies which would lead to a bio-based economy for Poland. However,

this would require the synergistic action of many sectors: research and development, legislation, and essentially

capital investment. This review aims to summarise current biotechnological approaches to bioenergy and to demonstrate

how they relate to scientific and economic potential in Poland.