Bioeconomy in countries of the Mekong region: Stakeholder understanding and perceptions in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

This study aimed to analyse, evaluate, and compare the status of the bioeconomy concept in the Mekong region in three countries, namely Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. The research questions focused on the perception of the bioeconomy concept by the governments and industries, the barriers to its development, and the prerequisites for its development in the region, and also explored whether it is reflected in the related existing official strategic documents. The study used a combined methodology that included qualitative document analysis and an online questionnaire distributed to public and private sector representatives in all three countries, analysed through Advocacy Coalition Framework theory lenses. The results showed that while the bioeconomy is acknowledged in many institutions of the South-East Asian countries and closely connected to the sustainable development and circular economy, there is a lack of a clear bioeconomy vision, resulting in the absence of dedicated bioeconomy strategies in these countries. The results indicated that the bioeconomy concept is a new emerging concept in these countries, which was perceived as the most important barrier to its development. Unfortunately, there is limited expert knowledge of the bioeconomy, and insufficient support from the state-level, followed by low technological development. The study also highlighted the irreplaceable role of the forest-based sector in the bioeconomy concept. The authors suggest further research on the economic valuation of the bioeconomy to promote its adoption, as well as a greater involvement of key policymakers in the individual countries for its further development, specifically in Thailand and Vietnam, or a further comparison with selected European countries. The study also suggests several possible assumptions for the development of the bioeconomy in the studied countries, based on their different levels of technological development and industrialization.