The world energy scene is in the process of profound changes within societies in the quest of a new balance between energy security, environmental sustainability, and social development. This evolution has made bioenergy a key constituent in the renewable energy arsenal and provides avenues to address several development challenges concomitantly. By contrast, if bioenergy systems are going to be implemented, to exploit the synergies between food, energy, and industry, there is a need to consider the social and economic aspects of the implementation in order to ensure that benefits are shared and that technological advances are put at the service of inclusive development. Bioenergy consists of different types of energy produced from organic materials, such as agricultural residuals, forest biomass, energy crops, and organic waste streams. The importance of bioenergy is not only limited to the supply of energy; but also it is considered that these systems could provide solutions to complex development issues such as rural development, energy access, waste management, and climate change. Given the complex nature of bioenergy systems, holistic assessment frameworks are required which cover more than purely technical performance or environmental impact and also address social equity and economic sustainability. The incorporation of nanotechnology into bioenergy applications is an exciting frontier that has the potential to greatly increase the efficiency, economic viability, and environmental performance of renewable energy technologies. In this area of science, nanotechnology refers to the creation and use of materials on this scale, as the properties of materials can truly differ at this scale from that on a larger scale. Applications include catalysts with a higher surface-area-to-volume ration, batteries with faster charging and increased capacity, as well as thin films with improved catalytic properties. Nanomaterials have unique attributes such as high surface-to-volume ratio, high reactivity, and selective functionality, all of which can be exploited to overcome previous constraints of bioenergy technology and to increase the socioeconomic benefit. Yet, at the crossover of bioenergy and nanotechnology, the game is complex for securing socioeconomic equilibrium. Technology advances certainly have the power to impart efficiency and cost-savings, but there are still open questions about access to technology, whose benefits and the possibility that technological advances can exacerbate rather than alleviate pre-existing inequalities. The idea of a socioeconomic equilibrium in this sense concerns a fair distribution of benefits, costs, and risks of technological development in which change will contribute to achieving sustainable development goals rather than to the emergence of fresh sources of exclusion or dependence.