The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) is a non-profit organisation, representing the private sector the private sector in the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). The CBE JU is a Public-Private Partnership with the European Commission, and which has a total budget of €2 billion. The partnership mobilises investment in innovative processes and production facilities that manufacture high-quality bio-based products as well as in biorefining research and demonstration projects.

In our "linear" economy, resources are extracted from the environment, processed into products and services and later disposed of as emissions in the soil, air and water - over 100 billion tonnes in 2020 and rising. Circular Valley® is a globally unique hotspot for establishing a future-oriented circular economy. International start-ups, companies, science and politics meet in Circular Valley®. Across sectors and technologies, they work together to close material cycles along existing value chains, develop policy recommendations and sustainably inform the public about the topic of the circular economy. Circular Valley®, the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region, is developing into the global centre of the circular economy. Germany's largest metropolitan region offers five location advantages that are unique worldwide: 1. An extremely high density of global market leaders from all sectors and stages of the value chain with a need for circular solutions is located here. 2. The region is the centre of the European players in the circular economy. 3. The number of universities and scientific institutions with a focus on materials and production topics is unique in the world. 4. The cosmopolitan region is attractive for talents from all over the world. 5. The Circular Valley® was already the scene of the first and second industrial revolutions on the European mainland in the 18th and 19th centuries. This makes it the optimal location for the next industrial revolution - the transformation to a circular economy. The non-profit Circular Valley® Foundation is the sponsor of the Circular Economy Accelerator. The state of NRW and the EU financially support the work of the Circular Economy Accelerator. In addition, various supporters support the Accelerator as sponsors.

The NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs consists of nine departments: I. Central Department II. Digitization of the State Administration III. Economic Policy IV. Innovation and Markets V Digitization and Economic Development VI. Energy VII. Climate protection VIII. Location marketing and development IX. Business law The organization chart of the Ministry contains information on the departments and units. A detailed overview of the tasks and responsibilities can be found in the business distribution plan shortly. The subordinate section of the Ministry of Economic Affairs includes the state-owned companies Information and Technology North Rhine-Westphalia, Geological Service NRW, Measurement and Calibration NRW (LBME) and the Materialprüfungsamt NRW (MPA). In addition, the Ministry carries out the technical supervision of the Department 6 "Mining and Energy" of the district government Arnsberg and parts of the Departments 34 of the district governments Arnsberg, Detmold, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Münster.