Developing a future bio-economy has become a key goal for Nordic policy-makers, across Europe –and around the world. The bio-economy is considered critical for several reasons: the need for sustainability in use of resources, the growing demand for both food and energy, and the need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. The conference focus on cycle-thinking in technology, foresight exercises, and transitions related to different aspects of the bio-economy and future challenges and possibilities for both researchers and industry.