The Bio-Economy Research Chair aims to improve understanding of approaches within the bio-economy that facilitate poverty reduction in a manner that is socially just and environmentally sustainable, and to stimulate a community of practice with regard to these approaches. The focus is on building a critical mass of intellectual capacity, enabling human capital development and in particular a new cohort of skilled postgraduate students, and informing policy and public debate in this rapidly evolving but under-developed field. The Chair has a strong focus on engagement with communities, indigenous knowledge holders, and policy-makers, embedding within it a practice of engaged scholarship and social responsiveness.