The BIC Picture - biconsortium.eu · the bic picture newsletter for bic members – march 2016...

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The BIC Picture Newsletter for BIC Members – March 2016 Table of Contents BIC LATEST NEWS 3 BIC BOARD AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY 3 BIC ADMINISTRATION 7 BIC PROGRAMMING 8 BIC PUBLIC AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS 9 EUROPEAN BIOECONOMY ALLIANCE 11 BBI JU NEWS 13 BBI JU INFO DAY & BROKERAGE EVENT 28 APRIL 2017 13 BIC IN THE NEWS 13 BIC PRESS RELEASE: GENERAL ASSEMBLY - GROWING MEMBERSHIP DEEPENS BIOECONOMY COOPERATION 13 THE 3.7 BILLION PARTNERSHIP HELPING EUROPEAN REGIONS ACHIEVE THEIR BIO-BASED POTENTIAL 13 CRUCIAL ROLE FOR THE REGIONS 14 BIC MEMBERS IN THE NEWS 14 INNOVATION BIOCAMP FOR SMES 14 FIRST EUROPEAN CERTIFICATION FOR BIO-BASED PRODUCTS 14 UPM BIOFUELS JOINS ROUNDTABLE ON SUSTAINABLE BIOMATERIALS 14 NOVOZYMES AND LEAF RESOURCES JOIN FORCES IN THE CONVERSION OF BIOMASS TO FUNCTIONAL SUGARS 14 ALL THAT IS MADE WITH FOSSIL-BASED MATERIALS TODAY CAN BE MADE FROM A TREE TOMORROW 15 AVANTIUM IPO RAISES 103 M ON EURONEXT 15 AVANTIUM ACQUIRES LIQUID LIGHT 15 CO2 AS A RAW MATERIAL FOR PLASTICS 15 GFBIOCHEMICALS AND AMERICAN PROCESS JOIN FORCES TO CREATE INTEGRATED BIOREFINERY 15 TOTAL CORBION TO PRODUCE AND MARKET POLY LACTIC ACID POLYMERS 15 AN INTERVIEW WITH CLIB2021 16

Transcript of The BIC Picture - biconsortium.eu · the bic picture newsletter for bic members – march 2016...

Page 1: The BIC Picture - biconsortium.eu · the bic picture newsletter for bic members – march 2016 table of contents bic latest news 3 bic board and general assembly 3 bic administration

The BIC Picture Newsletter for BIC Members – March 2016

Table of Contents

BIC LATEST NEWS 3

BIC BOARD AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY 3BIC ADMINISTRATION 7BIC PROGRAMMING 8BIC PUBLIC AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS 9EUROPEAN BIOECONOMY ALLIANCE 11

BBI JU NEWS 13

BBI JU INFO DAY & BROKERAGE EVENT 28 APRIL 2017 13

BIC IN THE NEWS 13

BIC PRESS RELEASE: GENERAL ASSEMBLY - GROWING MEMBERSHIP DEEPENS BIOECONOMY COOPERATION 13THE €3.7 BILLION PARTNERSHIP HELPING EUROPEAN REGIONS ACHIEVE THEIR BIO-BASED POTENTIAL 13CRUCIAL ROLE FOR THE REGIONS 14

BIC MEMBERS IN THE NEWS 14

INNOVATION BIOCAMP FOR SMES 14FIRST EUROPEAN CERTIFICATION FOR BIO-BASED PRODUCTS 14UPM BIOFUELS JOINS ROUNDTABLE ON SUSTAINABLE BIOMATERIALS 14NOVOZYMES AND LEAF RESOURCES JOIN FORCES IN THE CONVERSION OF BIOMASS TO FUNCTIONAL SUGARS 14ALL THAT IS MADE WITH FOSSIL-BASED MATERIALS TODAY CAN BE MADE FROM A TREE TOMORROW 15AVANTIUM IPO RAISES €103 M ON EURONEXT 15AVANTIUM ACQUIRES LIQUID LIGHT 15CO2 AS A RAW MATERIAL FOR PLASTICS 15GFBIOCHEMICALS AND AMERICAN PROCESS JOIN FORCES TO CREATE INTEGRATED BIOREFINERY 15TOTAL CORBION TO PRODUCE AND MARKET POLY LACTIC ACID POLYMERS 15AN INTERVIEW WITH CLIB2021 16

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BBI JU IN THE NEWS 16

INTERVIEW PHILIPPE MENGAL: ‘KICKSTART THE BIOECONOMY’ 16GREEN CHEMISTRY WIN MAJOR BBI JU GRANT 16

NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION 16

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN BELL, DIRECTOR FOR BIOECONOMY AT EC DG RESEARCH & INNOVATION 16EP VOTE ON WASTE PACKAGE: BOOST RECYCLING, CUT LANDFILLING AND CURB FOOD WASTE 16COMMISSIONER HOGAN’S ADDRESS TO THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE 17HURDLES TO PPP INVESTMENTS - THIRD PILLAR OF THE INVESTMENT PLAN FOR EUROPE 17INVESTMENT PLAN FOR EUROPE: EXTENSION JUNCKER FLAGSHIP INITIATIVE EFSI AGREED BY COUNCIL 17NEW EU INVESTMENT INITIATIVE TO BOOST FINANCING FOR THE RURAL ECONOMY 18CONSULTATION ON MODERNISING AND SIMPLIFYING THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY (CAP) 18

COUNTRY NEWS 18

FRANCE ADOPTS ITS NATIONAL BIOECONOMY STRATEGY 18NORDIC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: NORDIC BIOECONOMY – 25 CASES FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE 19

GENERAL BIOECONOMY INFORMATION 20

IN EU5 THE BIOECONOMY IS WORTH €1.22 TRILLION EMPLOYING NEARLY 7.5 MILLION PEOPLE 20SUPERBIO DEVELOPS NEW AND INNOVATIVE VALUE CHAINS FROM PAPER PULP, CITRUS PEEL AND CRAB WASTE 20

OPINIONS 21PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS COULD HELP BRIDGE EU INVESTMENT GAP 21HOW JUS BOOST RTOS-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION & LEVERAGE PRIVATE RD&I INVESTMENTS 21ROADMAP - THE FOREST FIBRE INDUSTRY IN 2050 21LOOKING AHEAD WITH ADVANCED BIOFUELS 21ELIMINATING ENERGY-RELATED CARBON EMISSIONS POSSIBLE, NEW IRENA STUDY FINDS 22

SAVE THE DATE 22

PLANT BASED SUMMIT 22BBI JU OPEN INFO DAY & BROKERAGE EVENT 22INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIO-BASED MATERIALS 22GREEN CHEMISTRY AND WHITE BIOTECHNOLOGY: INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE 22BIO-BASED LIVE – CREATING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS FROM BIO-BASED INNOVATIONS 232017 BIO WORLD CONGRESS ON INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 23EFIB 2017 23H2020 BIOECONOMY DAY 24

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BIC LATEST NEWS

BIC Board and General Assembly

BIC Board election

End of January, ahead of its annual meeting, the General Assembly held an election - by written procedure - to fill half of the seats in the BIC Board which were up for a renewal – in accordance with the BIC statutes/internal rules (http://biconsortium.eu/about/governance ). Directorsareelectedforaperiodoftwoyearsandcanbereelected. Following this election, the following representatives were (re)confirmed for the BIC Board of Directors: Claus Crone Fuglsang (Novozymes), Giulia Gregori (Novamont), Stefania Pescarolo (Biochemtex) and Niklas von Weymarn (Metsa) were reelected, and the former Chair Marcel Wubbolts made his reentry (now representing Corbion) whereas Krijn Rietveld - who had replaced Marcel since January 1st - secured the DSM seat on the board. The Board also welcomed new Director Camille Burel (Roquette) and warmly thanked Christine Hagström-Nasi (CLIC Innovation) and Christophe Rupp-Dahlem (Roquette) for their past contributions to the BIC Board. Mat Quaedvlieg (Sappi), who had taken over the BIC chairmanship ad interim as of January 1st, was confirmed in his role as new BIC Chairperson. The Board of Directors represents different sectors within BIC membership: Agri- & Agro-food, Chemicals & materials, Biotech & technology providers, Forest & pulp/paper, Energy & biofuels and SME clusters. Composition BIC Board as of 15 February 2017:

Mat Quaedvlieg – SAPPI Chair

Marcel Wubbolts, Corbion

Krijn Rietveld, DSM Vice-Chair

Giulia Gregori, Novamont

Christophe Luguel, IAR Vice-Chair

Agnes van Ardenne, Dutch Biorefinery Cluster

Claus Crone Fuglsang, Novozymes

Laila Rogestadt, Sodra

Niklas von Weymarn, Metsa

Camille Burel, Roquette

Stefania Pescarolo, Biochemtex

Gloria Gaupmann, Clarianr

BBI JU Governing Board

The Governing Board of the BBI JU is composed of 10 Board members representing equally the two BBI's Founding Members: 5 from the European Commission and 5 from the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) representing the private partner. More info Following a vote within the BIC Board, Mat Quaedvlieg, Marcel Wubbolts, Clause Crone Fuglsang, Krijn Rietveld and Christophe Luguel were appointed to represent BIC on the BBI Board. Giulia Gregori, Agnes van Ardenne and Stefania Pescarolo were appointed as Alternates and will replace Governing Board Members when they cannot attend a meeting. Approval of ‘Brand owners’ category – modification of Internal Rules

During its annual meeting of 15 February, the General Assembly also agreed to change the ‘Internal rules’ allowing Brand owners to become full member at reduced membership fee, but without access

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to the activities of the Programming WG. Their application has to be approved by the BIC Board on an individual basis. A “brand owner” is a company that trades and/or commercialises a consumer good/product, regardless of where and by whom it is manufactured. A brand is a feature (name, design, symbol) that that distinguishes one product from another in the eyes of the customer. Although these companies may not develop and/or manufacture the bio-based products themselves, collaboration with brand owners is essential as they help to increase acceptance of bio-based products in market applications, to develop new applications for bio-based products, and as such, to create new markets. Participation of brand owners in BBI JU projects is seen as an advantage: by participating in consortia, they can include the development of commercial applications in the research, demo or flagship projects. This will shorten time to market for new innovative bio-based products. Brand owners wishing to influence directly the development of the annual work programme cvan still becoming a full member paying the standard membership fee. BIC budget

The General Assembly approved the financial accounts (income/expenses) for 2016 and endorsed the BIC 2017 budget proposal. BIC member fees partly serve to cover the BIC office staffing and operational expenses. BBI running costs

The system in place since 2015 to enable BIC payments towards BBI JU running costs thanks to all BBI beneficiaries’ contributions (calculated as 4% of attributed grant) in addition to BIC membership fees is paying off. An external contractor – FTI Consulting – has been hired to operate as ‘collecting office’ and assist BIC with the implementation. Results to-date indicate that cash was available to cover 2016 BBI JU payments and is already available to cover upcoming 2017 BBI JU payments. Appointment of consultant for the ‘BIC 2.0 project’

Technopolis has been selected as external consultant to support the Board with the further development of the ‘BIC 2.0 project’. The consultancy company presented its project proposal to the Board meeting of 20 March, following some initial interviews of Board members. Technopolis plans to hold 3 webinars with BIC members, policy makers and key stakeholders and will develop different scenarios to ‘build the case for BIC 2.0’, to clarify the message about the mission of BIC and define key measurable outcomes and impacts to continue to attract bioeconomy investments in Europe. ‘Reduction of CO2’; ‘Circular economy jobs & growth in Europe’; ‘Crossing of boundaries between different sectors; and ‘Opportunities for new players and new areas to be competitive’ were some of the points raised during the first discussion with the BIC Board to shape the project. BIC welcomes new members

During the Board Meetings of the 15th February and 20 March, the following new memberships were approved: New Industry Members

• SBIOC - Spanish Bioeconomy Cluster (SME cluster, Spain) • Vertech (SME, France) • Transfurans (SME, Belgium) • Bioproton Europe Oy (SME, Finland) • Cluster Food+I (SME cluster, Spain) • Consorzio Italbiotec (SME cluster, Italy) • MICOPERI BLUE GROWTH srl (SME, Italy)

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New Associate Members • AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (Austria) • Ayming (France) • Centexbel (Belgium) • Centro Technologico de la Energia Y El Medio Ambiente – Cetenma (Spain) • Irish Bioeconomy Association (Ireland) • Matis (Iceland) • National Technical University Of Athens – NTUA (Greece) • Regional Council of Kainuu (Finland) • University of Eastern Finland (Finland) • University of Rome “La Sapienza” (Italy)

General Assembly Open Session - 15 February 2017

The well-attended General Assembly meeting (industry members) was warmly opened by the new BIC chair Mat Quaedvlieg: “This is a BIG day for BIC”.

Philippe Mengal, Executive Director of the BBI JU, gave an overview of 3 years BBI JU and provided some detailed statistics of the BBI JU program so far, as well as details about the BBI JU Annual Work Plan 2016. He lauded the very good output so far: “The BBI JU programme is the catalyst in shifting to a sustainable European bio-based economy. In supporting research and innovation actions, its contribution for the initial three completed Calls is €419 million funding for 36 ongoing projects. As a joint venture between the European Commission and BIC, the BBI JU is helping to create the right conditions for a competitive bio-based industrial sector in Europe.” Key to BBI JU project success is interregional cooperation, which fosters bio-based technology scale up. Therefore, the role of regions was the main focus of the General Assembly Open Session, which

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provided 13 regions with the opportunity to pitch BIC Full members to explain regional strengths, available biomass and potential financial incentives. Bart Verschoor, from the Zuid-Holland (South Holland) region in the Netherlands, also presented the Vanguard Initiative Bioeconomy Pilot, which is aimed at facilitating the creation of cross-regional demonstration projects using smart specialisation strategies.

Since many more than the 13 selected regions were interested in joining the initiative, BIC developed a brochure in which bioeconomy regions can present themselves in a 2-pager, providing relevant qualitative and quantitative information on the region. This ‘living’ document will be updated with further regional contributions from the above mentioned partnerships. All the presentations and the brochure will be made available on the BIC member area. Match Making Event – 16 February 2017

The Annual Match Making Event (MME) for BIC Full and Associate members is an early opportunity to start preparing for the BBI JU 2017 call, ahead of the official launch of the call in April 2017. Following the welcome by Chair Mat Quaedvlieg (Sappi) and Executive Director Dirk Carrez, Nelo Emerencia, senior manager Programming, presented some practical information and numbers regarding the 2017 BIC MME: a total of 184 registered attendees signed up via the BIC Member Area for in total 238 ‘1-to-1’ meetings. In addition, 54 pitches were held in 12 workshops with 20 to 65 participants each. 6 Programming Core Team members volunteered as Workshop leaders: Tatjana Schwabe (CLIB 21), Annita Westenbroek (Dutch Biorefinery Cluster), Ed de Jong (Avantium), Andrew Stewart (IBioIC), Rudy Parton (GFBiochemicals) and Melich Seefeldt (Novozymes). Samuele Ambrosetti, Andrea Leoncini (D’Appolonia) and Suzy Renckens (BIC) were the workshops ‘note takers’. During the plenary session, Nelo also presented the updated Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA) as well as the steps and timelines for the development of the 2018 Annual Work Plan and highlighted some new priority themes as well as topics which did not make it to the 2017 AWP. All presentations, pitches and workshop reports are available in the Member Area of BIC’s website.

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Letter from Director General Robert-Jan Smits

In a letter dated 7 March 2017 addressed to the BIC Chair, Mr Robert-Jan Smits, Director General for Research and Innovation, stressed the importance of public recognition by industrial partners of joint work in the context of the Public Private Partnership while the interim evaluation of Joint Undertakings is ongoing. It is important that industrial partners seize every opportunity to communicate and demonstrate the added value of the BBI JU, for instance when it comes to addressing societal challenges, overcoming obstacles and gaps in R&I, or speeding up the innovation cycle and thus share publicly how the money invested on both sides makes a difference. BIC members are therefore kindly urged to use/create any opportunity to demonstrate the difference made thanks to the BBI JU via all appropriate channels, for instance articles in key journals and newspapers, interventions at conferences and industry fora. Please inform Suzy ([email protected]) of any initiative and she will happily collect the information and amplify the messages via the BIC website or Twitter account.

BIC Administration

Membership fee 2017

To improve and facilitate its invoicing process, BIC is putting in place a membership fee invoicing tool to automate the invoicing administration via the BIC Member Area. The system offers the following services: • Selection of membership categories • Controlling invoicing contact information • Editing of invoice and display to registered member ‘invoicing contacts’ • Sending of invoices via the system, keeping track of the history • Overview of payment situation • Sending of payment reminders

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Members that have confirmed their invoicing details were invoiced via the system mid March from the following email account: [email protected]. End of March/beginning of April a 2nd round of invoices will be distributed via the system. This way the invoicing contact person of each organisation should receive a personal mail with the invoice attached (see picture below). The primary invoicing contact person has a separate login schedule and can see the invoices and all related mailing traffic. The login can be requested via the following link on the BIC Member Area (see picture below): http://biconsortium.eu/bic-member-area; an automatic mail from [email protected] will provide the login details. Note: The login to the BIC Member Area is personal and the email address given should be a domain related email address (Hotmail, Gmail and info mail accounts are not accepted by the system; please do check your spam folder in case of non-receipt). For further information or assistance please contact Cathy: [email protected]

BIC Programming

Programming Working Group

The Programming Working Group (PWG) dedicated its January 2017 meeting to setting the basis and framework for the annual work plan 2018. The PWG agreed on the priorities for the AWP 2018 and confirmed the calendar year plan 2017 with key milestones. The PWG also set the structure and objectives for the match making event of 16 February 2017. Programming Core Team

The Programming Core Team focussed its March meeting on a gap analysis between content of the annual work plans so far and the goals for 2020. This gap analysis, the priority paper 2018 and the survey results among BIC’s industry members for specific challenges will guide the topics for the annual work plan 2018. BIC’s associate members will be requested to provide further input on a first draft of topics for the AWP 2018 during April.

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During the March meeting, the PCT also received an update of the programme and priorities of the PA-PR working group. This exchange of priorities and work progress will continue on a regular basis. Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda

During March, BIC also agreed with the EC on the new SIRA (Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda). The final version contains only minor content adjustments versus the previous version (December 2016) and went through an editorial upgrade. The new SIRA will be published on BIC’s website by mid-April.

BIC Public Affairs & Communications

Public Affairs – Public Relations Working Group

2017 Strategic Agenda The Board endorsed the PA-PR WG Strategic Agenda for 2017:

1. BIC advocacy: Promote the BBI and Bioeconomy to create a favourable EU policy environment • Support the BBI’s Mid-Term Review (EC, EP) • Advocate for a review of the Bioeconomy Strategy • Carry out policy assessments on relevant/related dossiers on the EU political agenda • Advocate for a stimulating European investment environment

2. BIC Public Relations & Communications: Promote BIC, the BBI JU and the Bioeconomy • Engage members and stakeholders through smart and targeted communications • Create networking opportunities to attract new members and publicise BIC and BBI

Bioeconomy Strategy The European Bioeconomy Strategy, adopted in 2012, has 3 pillars: (1) Investments in research, innovation and skills; (2) Reinforced policy interaction and stakeholder engagement; and (3) Enhancement of markets and competitiveness. The European Commission is currently reviewing the different elements of this Strategy but has not yet formally agreed to a revision/update of the Strategy, nevertheless acknowledging that ‘updating of the Strategy would provide a major opportunity for new political impetus and orientation’. The PA-PR Working group held a brainstorming workshop to identify key challenges and opportunities of a Bioeconomy Strategy revision process. The WG aims to develop a position paper which defines priorities/policy asks for a revised strategy. BBI JU mid-term review BBI JU, the PPP on bio-based industries is a major instrument of the bioeconomy strategy and its ‘impact’ is being assessed as part of the BBI JU mid-term review. Via Newsflashes BIC membership has been invited to participate in the public consultation on the BBI JU mid-term review which closed on 10 March. To facilitate this task, example ‘responses’ were provided. Some members have shared their feedback with the secretariat. BIC members that want to share their views on the BBI JU or want to contribute to the policy document on the bioeconomy strategy are kindly requested to contact Suzy ([email protected] ) Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) The European Commission’s proposal for a recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) for the period 2020-2030 promotes renewable electricity, cleaner heating and cooling and decarbonising of the transport sector to achieve the EU’s 27% renewable energy target by 2030. RED II includes specific measures to promote sustainable bioenergy and renewables in the transport sector. The aim is to accelerate the deployment of low-emission and renewable energy for transport, such as biofuels and electricity.

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Following the request of the BIC Board, the PA-PR WG continued the discussion and development of a draft bioenergy position paper in view of the RED II policy discussions. The challenge with this exercise is to strike the right balance between the different certain bioeconomy sectors represented within BIC.

BIC Communications

Social media

Since April 2016, BIC has ramped up its activity on Twitter to use social media as a tool to communicate with a ‘bioeconomy’ target audience: the number of @biconsortium ‘followers’ has doubled since. Main objective is to share information about bioeconomy related policies and publications, new R&D&I developments, BBI JU projects and in particular bioeconomy initiatives of BIC and its members and key stakeholders. BIC members are invited to share information about relevant Twitter campaigns and to amplify the BIC tweets.

BBI JU & BIC spreading the message @events

BIC and BBI JU staff as well as BIC members and members of the BBI JU State Representatives Group (SRG) participated in bioeconomy events and gave presentations about BIC and the BBI JU:

EUBA lunch co-chaired by MEPS Kumpula-Natri and Dalli – 10 January 2017 Suzy Renckens (BIC) Breakfast meeting with Brazilian Minister for Agriculture – 26 January 2016 Dirk Carrez (BIC) EUBA visit to Commissioner Hogan – 24 January Dirk Carrez (BIC) Bioeconomy conference Riga, Latvia – 8 March 2017 Presentations by Philippe Mengal (BBI JU) and Suzy Renckens (BIC) Bioeconomy workshop Zagreb, Croatia – 16 March 2017 Presentations by Pilar Llorente Ruiz de Azua (BBI JU) and Nelo Emerencia (BIC) Workshop: Why is membership of BIC important? Oslo, Norway – 16 March 2017 Presentations by Øystein Rønning (BBI JU SRG), Gudrund Rødsrud (Borregaard) & Suzy Renckens (BIC) Bioeconomy study day Flanders, Brussels – 22 March 2017 Presentations by Monika Sormann (BBI JU SRG), Dieter Brigitta (BBI JU) & Dirk Carrez (BIC) Information meeting on BIC, Bagsvaerd, Denmark - 24 March 2017 Niels Gøtke (BBI JU SRG), Claus Crone Fuglsang (Novozymes) and Nelo Emerencia (BIC)

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Information meeting on BBI JU, Paris - 24 March 2017 Presentations by Philippe Mengal (BBI JU) and Christophe Luguel (IAR). World Bio Markets XII, Amsterdam, The Netherlands – 27-29 March 2017 Presentation by Philippe Mengal (BBI JU) Forum for the Future of Agriculture, Brussels, Belgium – 28 March 2017 BBI JU & BIC joint information booth DanuBioValNet Kick-Off Conference, Prague, Czech Republic - 30 March Presentation by Elisa Tesselli (BBI JU)

European Bioeconomy Alliance

Industry & MEPs discuss synergies between the bioeconomy and the circular economy

A successful and well-represented event organised by the European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA) brought together MEPs, Member State representatives, the scientific community and representatives from industry to discuss “The role of Bioeconomy in the Circular Economy: taking circularity beyond waste” at the

European Parliament, on 12 January. The session, organized via the Intergroup on 'Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development' and co-chaired by MEPs Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (Chair of the Bioeconomy ͟ Working Group) and Miriam Dalli (Chair of the Circular Economy Working Group), took the opportunity to showcase innovative bio-based products and provide information, from both sector and scientific perspectives, on the relevance of the sustainable production of primary feedstock in Europe, to stimulate the transition from a linear to a circular economic model.

During the event, participants exchanged views on important regulations and policy frameworks that touch upon the bioeconomy and biobased products emphasising the need for a coherent and integrated policy framework. The event was via the Intergroup on 'Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development' A detailed summary report, speakers’ presentations and the list of participants are available on the EBCD website. Bioeconomy video message by MEP

At the occasion of an earlier EUBA event, Mrs. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri expressed her views on the bioeconomy via a video message:

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Guest speaker: JRC Bioeconomy advisor

On February 17th, EUBA had an exchange of views with Joachim Kreysa, bioeconomy advisor of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). The JRC is setting up a Bioeconomy Knowledge Centre, which will integrate the existing Bioeconomy Observatory, draw on Commission internal as well as external information sources and make them available to all Commission services. The JRC is seeking to mobilise support for the bioeconomy from within the Commission and welcomed the offer to continue cooperating with the EUBA. Bioeconomy strategy review

EUBA members held an internal workshop aimed at developing the EUBA strategy to input to the ongoing EU bioeconomy strategy review and in light of a possible upcoming revision. The group agreed that a joint EUBA position paper should be developed to support EUBA's outreach with policy makers, and work is ongoing in smaller working groups on specific issues/priorities. EUBA meeting with Commissioner Hogan

On 24 January, an EUBA delegation consisting of BIC, CEPF, CEFS, Copa-Cogeca, ePURE and StarchEurope visited Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development, Phil Hogan to rally support for the bioeconomy agenda. Alliance members presented EUBA key messages: Biomass as the foundation of the bioeconomy; Promotion of biomass availability and mobilization; JU on Bio-based Industries; Policy mainstreaming; Future of CAP and Cork 2.0; Research & innovation; Investments; Biomass sustainability; Bioeconomy Strategy review - Involvement of DG Agri and Cabinet. The Commissioner claimed to be a strong supporter of the bioeconomy and recognized the need to mainstream it across the Commission. He emphasised that he works closely together with e.g. Commissioners Canete, Vella, Moedas and Katainen on this. He agreed on the success of the BBI JU and underlined the importance of Horizon 2020 for rural areas and bioeconomy, asking for ideas for future research policy. The Commissioner emphasized the importance of showing examples of the bioeconomy in practice. He asked the EUBA to outline how the bioconomy contributes to the Juncker priorities, especially focusing on jobs and growth and Energy Union. He also invited the Alliance to contribute to the discussion on the access to finance and financial instruments: what

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changes/additions are needed to the financial instruments and what platforms are needed to leverage EFSI funds.

BBI JU NEWS

BBI JU Info Day & brokerage event 28 April 2017

Registration for the event is free but obligatory and needs to be completed using the electronic registration tool. Places will be offered on a ‘first-come’ basis. The aim of the event is to bring together potential participants including SMEs, large industry and academia interested in the BBI JU 2017 Calls for proposals. The morning sessions will provide information about the BBI JU initiative and on all aspects of the BBI JU Call process and the 2017 Call topic. The afternoon will provide an opportunity for participants to hold face-to-face introductory meetings at the event, which can be scheduled using the BBI JU Partnering Platform. In parallel with the brokerage event, participants will also have the opportunity to find out more about the Bio-based Industries Consortium, synergies with other programmes and to meet national representatives from a number of member states. The BBI JU programme office staff will be on hand to answer specific questions you may have about the BBI JU Call process and procedure. More info

BIC IN THE NEWS

BIC Press release: General Assembly - Growing Membership Deepens Bioeconomy Cooperation

At it’s 2017 General Assembly, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) welcomed 16 new Full members and 22 new Associate members, signalling strong European cooperation on the bioeconomy. The role of regions was the main focus of the General Assembly Open Session, which provided 13 regions with the opportunity to pitch BIC Full and Associate members to explain regional strengths, available biomass and potential financial incentives. BIC is highly committed to working with regional authorities. BIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vanguard Initiative in June 2016 and with ERRIN (the European Regions Research and Innovation Network) in November 2014. In October 2016, BIC signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with eight Polish bioregions to develop new bioeconomy partnerships. BIC also collaborates with six European sustainable chemistry 'model demonstrator regions' to attract new investments in sustainable chemical production. More info Note: The BIC press release was published by 15 media (mainly specialized press) in 10 countries (incl. US and China).

The €3.7 billion partnership helping European regions achieve their bio-based potential

In its 5th quarterly journal Bio-Based World News has published (page 12) a feature about the partnership between two of Europe’s leading bio-economy players, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and the Vanguard Initiative, and about how their investment hopes to help Europe reach its bio-based potential. More info

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Crucial role for the regions

BICExecutiveDirectorDirkCarrezwas interviewedbyAgroChemistry: “In theEUthereareatleast 50 regions or clusters that on the short term are able to play an instrumental role indevelopingacircular/biobasedeconomyonourcontinent”.Moreinfo

BIC MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Innovation Biocamp for SMEs

Start-up, biobased businesses can benefit from fully funded, intensive business training for successful innovation. The BioBase4SME project, co-financed by Europe’s Interreg NWE programme and coordinated by Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, is now providing start-up companies working in the bioeconomy with €7,000 worth of specialist training, fully funded by the project. An intensive, week-long Innovation Biocamp will give these companies the tools they need to commercialise their idea and grow their company. The training culminates in a live pitch to investors. The Innovation Biocamp will take place in Hawkhills, Yorkshire, UK on 23-28 July 2017. Registration deadline: 19 May. More info

First European certification for bio-based products

Corbion and Kraton received the first European certification for their bio-based products – a keydifferentiator in thebio-basedproductmarket. The certification system isbasedon theEuropeanstandard EN 16785-1 which enables independent assessment ofclaims on the bio-based content of products. With certification,suppliers canusebio-based content labelling for theirmarketingefforts.Moreinfo

UPM Biofuels joins Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials

UPM has become member of RSB, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials. RSB is a global standard and certification scheme for sustainable production of biomaterials and biofuels. It is also an independent multi-stakeholder coalition, which works to support the sustainability of biomaterials. More info

Novozymes and Leaf Resources join forces in the conversion of biomass to functional sugars

Leaf Resources, the Australian company which is focused on making sustainable products from plant biomass, announced a collaboration with Novozymes, the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes, to further increase the yields and efficiency associated with Leaf Resources’ innovative biomass conversion technology, Glycell, which is a unique combination of well-established process engineering and advanced chemistry. More info

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All that is made with fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow

Interview of Karl-Henrik Sundström, CEO Stora Enso. With global sales topping €10 billion in 2015, renewable materials company Stora Enso is demonstrating that, when it comes to respecting the planet, nice guys finish first. More info

Avantium IPO raises €103 M on Euronext

Avantium has successfully raised €103 million from its initial public offering (IPO) on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Bruxelles, and was reportedly oversubscribed multiple times, according to European venture capital firm, Sofinnova Capital IV, the main shareholder after the IPO. Avantium’s market capitalization has now reached €277 million. More info

Avantium Acquires Liquid Light

Avantium has acquired the assets of Liquid Light, a renowned developer of electrochemical processes. Liquid Light has developed proprietary process technology to make major chemicals from low-cost, globally-abundant carbon dioxide (CO2). The acquisition combines the technologies of both Liquid Light and Avantium to develop a world leading electro-catalysis platform and to commercialize new process technologies using CO2 as feedstock to produce sustainable chemicals and materials. More info

CO2 as a raw material for plastics

Covestro announced that they have developed a new renewable process to produce high-quality plastics. This breakthrough innovation will allow the company to reduce its petroleum consumption whilst expanding its raw material basis. Covestro will work alongside a range of industry and research partners to deliver new potential for CO2 in a project known as the 'Dream Resource’ to explore the different ways that CO2 can be used in insulating foam and other products in the plastic industry. More info

GFBiochemicals and American Process join forces to create integrated biorefinery

The Italian biochemical company GFBiochemicals and Atlanta-based American Process Inc., which is specialized in the development of technologies for the commercial production of sugars and ethanol from biomass, have entered into a joint development agreement to create the largest integrated cellulosic biorefinery in the world. “The agreement – both companies stated – is rooted in our complementary industrial operations and joint vision for a lower-carbon future”. The proposed biorefinery, located in the U.S, is expected to create 50-200 thousand tonnes per annum of bio-based products, addressing markets with a potential annual value of USD 10 billion. More info

Total Corbion to produce and market Poly Lactic Acid polymers

TotalCorbionPLAofficiallylauncheditsoperationstoproduceandmarketPolyLacticAcid (PLA) polymers. PLA is a biobased and biodegradable polymer made fromannuallyrenewableresources.AsannouncedbyparentcompaniesTotalandCorbionlastNovember,thenewcompanyisa50/50jointventurebasedintheNetherlands.Moreinfo

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An interview with Clib2021

ManfredKircher,whochairstheAdvisoryBoardoftheGermanIndustrialBiotechnologyClusterCLIB2021,wasinterviewedbyTheBioJournal.Basedonmorethan30yearsexperienceinchemicalindustryandbioeconomy,Kircherworksonregionalaswellasinternationalbioeconomystrategies.CLIB2021isanassociationofabout100industries,researchorganisations, investorsanddevelopmentorganisationslocatedinGermany,EUandbeyond.Itisfocusedonopeninnovationalongbioeconomyvaluechains.Moreinfo

BBI JU IN THE NEWS

Interview Philippe Mengal: ‘Kickstart the Bioeconomy’

‘The global paradigm shift from oil-based towards bio-based materials represents a unique opportunity for Europe to kick start a world-leading competitive bioeconomy, having significant economic, environmental and societal benefits for the continent.’ Agro&Chemistry interviewed BBI JU Executive Director Philippe Mengal about the recent past and future challenges ahead. More info

Green Chemistry win major BBI JU grant

The Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence will lead on a major new €4.5M Bio-based Industries (BBI JU) grant “ReSolve” aimed at the major industrial and research challenge of seeking sustainable and safe bio-based solvents. Solvents are the most widely used chemicals with applications in industries from paints to pharmaceuticals. They also represent one of the greatest “green chemistry challenges” as many of the most commonly used solvents are toxic and have been identified by the EU as “substances of very high concern” and need to be replaced. More info

NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION

Interview with John Bell, director for Bioeconomy at EC DG Research & Innovation

In an exclusive interview John Bell the discussed “the need to move our economy away from its dependence on fossil-based resources”. “The Commission – he says – is working to ensure a favourable environment for research and innovation, as well as for investments in the bioeconomy”. More info

EP vote on Waste package: boost recycling, cut landfilling and curb food waste

On 14 March, the European Parliament (EP) voted on the draft “Waste package” legislation. The share of waste to be recycled should rise to 70% by 2030, from 44% today. MEPs also want the “waste package” plans to limit the share of landfilling, which has a big environmental impact, to 5% and to deliver a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030. The vote to encourage the use of bio-based packaging also demonstrates the importance of a Circular Economy that builds upon Europe’s wealth of renewable resources while accelerating the transition towards a

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low-carbon economy. The EP Parliament will now negotiate the draft legislation with the Council of Ministers. More info

Commissioner Hogan’s Address to the Forum for the Future of Agriculture

Extract: ‘As an environmental policy, the CAP is already making a significant contribution but, in the words of the school report, "it can do better." We need to invest more and better in knowledge transfer and innovation in order to produce more from less and to produce better. This may include more use of new technologies like precision farming but it can also include the reintroduction of traditional farming techniques in certain areas. We need to make good use of research and new technologies. New IT systems, improved breeding, new feedstocks and better use of nutrients or manure treatment can change the way of today's agricultural production towards a well working circular economy. And all these developments can also bring additional economic value. For example the bioeconomy offers incredible potential for new jobs – especially at local and regional level and especially in rural areas. The global biorefinery product market is expected to grow by 13 per cent annually – this provides enormous opportunities for agriculture. The bioeconomy could be a new driver for climate-smart development in rural areas which could also provide new and reliable income streams for farmers.’ More info

Hurdles to PPP investments - Third Pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe

The EIB report “Hurdles to PPP investments - A contribution to the Third Pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe” discusses some of the most frequent hurdles to delivering public investment projects

through public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Europe. It summarises contributions made by the European PPP Expertise Centre (EPEC) in several fora in the context of discussions on the Third Pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe. The paper concludes that many factors can inhibit the successful delivery of PPP projects. It is realistic to assume that the effective resolution of most of the PPP hurdles is a task of Member States rather than European authorities. In mature PPP

markets, governments and procuring authorities have found ways to address a number of these constraints. Experience shows that some of these hurdles can be resolved if there is political will. More info

Investment plan for Europe: extension Juncker flagship initiative EFSI agreed by Council

EU finance ministers have backed the European Commission’s proposal to expand the investment plan to mobilise at least €500 billion by 2020. The Ecofin Council reached a political agreement to support adding more funds to the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the EU’s scheme to mobilise mostly private investment for projects with high-risk profiles. The Council agreed that efforts should be continued and private investment should be attracted to the maximum extent possible. The compromise provides for: (1) an extension to the lifespan of the EFSI until 2020; (2) an increase in the investment target to €500 billion; (3) an increase in the EU budget guarantee to €26 billion (of which €16 billion will be available for guarantee calls until mid-2018); (4) an increase in the European Investment Bank's contribution to €7.5 billion (from €5 billion currently). The Council agreed on additional sectors to be covered: agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture and other elements of the bioeconomy, as well as sectors eligible for EIB support in less-developed and transition regions. More info

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New EU investment initiative to boost financing for the rural economy

A new EU financing initiative for Europe's rural economy was launched at the 'Second EU fi-compass conference on EAFRD financial instruments for agriculture and rural development in 2014-2020'. This new initiative is aiming to combine finance from the Member States' Rural Development Programme funds (EAFRD) and the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), the core of the Juncker Commission's Investment Plan for Europe. Improving access to such finance for farmers and rural entrepreneurs was a central theme of the flagship fi-compass EAFRD conference in Brussels. More info

Consultation on modernising and simplifying the common agricultural policy (CAP)

The CAP has undergone several waves of reforms, with the latest reform decided in 2013 and implemented in 2015. Since then, the context in which that reform was forged has shifted significantly. In particular:

• Agricultural prices have fallen substantially and market uncertainty has increased, due amongst

others to macroeconomic factors, geopolitical tensions, inhibiting a clear long-term planning

of the sector

• The emphasis of trade negotiations has moved more visibly from multilateral to bilateral deals,

requiring a careful balancing of offensive and defensive interests, with due attention paid to

certain sensitive sectors

• The EU has signed up to new international commitments, especially those concerning climate

change (through the 21st Conference of Parties COP 21) and broad aspects of sustainable

development (through the UN's Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs), and is also exposed

to other geopolitical developments such as new large-scale migration.

The above prompted a vigorous public debate about whether the 2013 reform went far enough to meet broader challenges related to the balance of support, the economic prospects for agriculture and rural areas, care for the environment (e.g. greening), action over climate change, sustainable and safe food production. Emerging opportunities in the areas of health, trade, the bioeconomy, the circular economy and the digital economy also need to be further considered. This public consultation is open until the 2nd May 2017. More info

COUNTRY NEWS

France adopts its national bioeconomy strategy

The French bioeconomy is very much linked to local territories and the valorization of locally produced biomass in integrated biorefineries. The French Bioeconomy aims to propose a coherent framework for all initiatives undertaken in the sector, supporting an increased and sustainable mobilization of locally produced biomass to boost its efficient use and valorization to answer our needs (food and non-food). While the French bioeconomy was already one of the most developed and competitive bioeconomy, the adoption of the strategy is a strong signal from the Government which will reinforce the position of France as one of the world bioeconomy leaders. The document published in January

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draws a vision of the French bioeconomy. The Government announced its intention to develop an action plan in the coming months and to establish a national bioeconomy council bringing together industries, NGOs, academics and research institutes as well as local, regional and national decision makers. More info

Nordic Council of Ministers: Nordic Bioeconomy – 25 cases for sustainable change

In 2015, the Nordic Bioeconomy Panel was established with the mandate to develop a proposal on a joint Nordic bioeconomy strategy designed to stimulate innovation and support a sustainable transition in the Nordic bioeconomy. As a stepping-stone towards the strategy, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Bioeconomy Panel have collaborated with the Danish think-tank Sustainia (Monday Morning) on collecting and categorizing 25 Nordic cases on the ‘new’ Nordic bioeconomy. More info

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GENERAL BIOECONOMY INFORMATION

In EU5 the bioeconomy is worth €1.22 trillion employing nearly 7.5 million people

The bank Intesa Sanpaolo presents study on the bioeconomy. In the five major EU countries, the bioeconomy is worth more than €1.2 trillion employing nearly 7.5 million people. More info

SuperBIO develops new and innovative value chains from paper pulp, citrus peel and crab waste

SuperBIO is an innovation project supporting SMEs in the bio-based economy. SuperBIO aims to bring new cross-border and cross-sectoral industrial value chains closer to the market. SMEs can receive professional innovation services 75% funded by SuperBIO. It has a fast and efficient submission and evaluation procedure. Since its start in summer 2016, the project has already developed three new and innovative value chains with EU companies. More info

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OPINIONS

Public-private partnerships could help bridge EU investment gap

According to MEP Alberto Mazzola, Public-private partnerships could be the key to helping Europe maintain its leading role in public services. Mazzola is rapporteur of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) opinion on the extension of the European fund for strategic investment (EFSI 2.0). The EESC opinion highlights three points relating to PPPs: (1) EFSI 2.0 should aim for ever greater involvement of private capital, extending its scope to branches of finance apart from banks: financial sectors, the bond market and insurance and investment funds. The EESC agrees with the need for an additional fund geared primarily to mobilising private investment. (2) Second, EFSI has far greater funding than other EU initiatives and as such allows for investment in large-scale European projects worth more than €10bn, supported mainly by private capital. To implement these projects, the Commission needs to strengthen its proactive role. (3) The EESC calls for reinforcement of the social dimension of EFSI deployment such as in education, training and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning, developing the creative and cultural industries, innovation in healthcare and medicine, and social services, social housing and childcare, tourism and environmental protection infrastructure. More info

How JUs boost RTOs-Industry Collaboration & Leverage Private RD&I Investments

The European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO) published a paper as the EARTO contribution to the European Commission's public consultation on Joint Undertakings (JUs). As one of the key missions of RTOs is to support industry, EARTO members are great supporters and beneficiaries of excellent collaborative research within Horizon 2020, including contractual Public Private Partnerships (cPPPs) and Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs). EARTO hopes that this short analysis will bring forward some further thinking on those instruments for the H2020 interim evaluation and FP9. More info

Roadmap - The forest fibre industry in 2050

CEPI, the Confederation of Paper Industries, has published a stakeholder's discussion paper “Roadmap towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient bioeconomy” in which the European forest fibre and paper industry envisions itself at the forefront of a climate-friendly bioeconomy in which renewable raw materials are replacing fossil resources and are “kept in the loop”, contributing to a better environment and quality of life. More info

Looking ahead with advanced biofuels

IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) discussion paper. To achieve the goal of reducing global CO2 emissions and adverting irreversible climate change, the world must look to a host of sustainable transport options, including advanced liquid biofuels — fuels derived from feedstocks as agriculture residues, woody material and algae — to provide a practical fossil fuel alternative for powering airplanes, ships, and heavy freight trucks. More info

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Eliminating Energy-Related Carbon Emissions Possible, New IRENA Study Finds

Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions can be reduced by 70% by 2050 and completely phased-out by 2060 with a net positive economic outlook, according to new findings released today by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). “Perspectives for the Energy Transition: Investment Needs for a Low-Carbon Energy Transition”, launched on the occasion of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, presents the case that increased deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency in G20 countries and globally can achieve the emissions reductions needed to keep global temperature rise to no more than two-

degrees Celsius, avoiding the most severe impacts of climate change. More info

SAVE THE DATE

Plant Based Summit

25-27 April 2017, Lille, France The focus of the PBS 2017 Conference is to stimulate biobased products development through a market driven approach. The conference program intends to demonstrate how a higher uptake of biobased solutions in everyday products will benefit to consumers and meet their expectations. More info

BBI JU Open Info Day & Brokerage event

28 April 2017, Brussels, Belgium The aim of the event is to bring together potential participants including SMEs, large industry and academia interested in the BBI JU 2017 Calls for proposals. The morning sessions will provide information about the BBI JU initiative and on all aspects of the BBI JU Call process and the 2017 Call topic. The afternoon will provide an opportunity for participants to hold face-to-face introductory meetings at the event, which can be scheduled using the BBI JU Partnering Platform. More info

International Conference on Bio-based Materials

10-11 May 2017, Cologne, Germany The 10th International Conference on Bio-based Materials is aimed at providing international major players from the bio-based building blocks, polymers and industrial biotechnology industries with an opportunity to present and discuss their latest developments and strategies. For the tenth year running, the Innovation Award “Bio-based Material of the Year” will be granted to the young, innovative bio-based chemicals and materials industry for finding suitable applications and markets for bio-based products. More info

Green chemistry and White biotechnology: Industry of the future

22 - 23 May, Mons, Belgium In partnership with the University of Mons, GreenWin is organising the 3rd international conference dedicated to “Green chemistry” and “White biotechnology”. The purpose of the conferences is to take stock of the innovative technology used to boost activities in the fields of green chemistry and

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white biotechnology around the world, to share knowledge and encourage the creation of new R&D projects involving the academic world, research centres and industrial players in the sector. Brazil will be the honored country. More info

Bio-based Live – Creating sustainable products from bio-based innovations

31 May – 1 June 2017, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Two congresses, one show. The 2nd annual Bio-Based Live congress, looks specifically at process innovation and technology that can ensure success along this journey. Optimising the process efficiency, driving innovation and reducing costs is key to creating competitive and sustainable bio-based products. Increasing numbers of brands and retailers are beginning their sustainability journeys. Bio-based and green chemistry represents a new and important part of this. Bio-Based Live looks at the demand for green and bio-based products and how companies can begin their sustainable journey. More info

2017 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology

23-26 July 2017, Montreal, Canada The BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology provides a unique forum for business executives, government officials, academic researchers and industry leaders to share the latest advances in renewable chemicals, synthetic biology, enzymes, food ingredients, biofuels and more. Hear from key opinion leaders as they discuss how to meaningfully communicate about the biobased economy and how the political climate influences perceptions of innovation and more. The plenary sessions will feature executives from the biofuels, household and personal care, and airline industries discussing technology breakthroughs, business partnerships and sustainability initiatives at a global scale. Plenary sessions include: Why Bet on Renewables? Attracting Private Capital for Renewable Chemical Commercialization; Biotech and the Future of Food Ingredients, Flavorings, and Personal Care; Effectively Communicating the Benefits of Industrial Biotechnology; and A Revolution in Biobased Products and Packaging. BIC is a Supporting Organization of the BIO World Congress. More info

EFIB 2017

9-11 October 2017, Brussels, Belgium EFIB, the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy, organized by EuropaBio and Smithers Rapra is renowned by a global audience as the annual EU meeting place for business and policy on Industrial Biotech and the biobased economy. This year's event is setup to surpass the success of the 2016 edition, which attracted 650 professionals from biobased industries to Glasgow for three jam-packed days of business essential presentations, enlightening workshops, a showcase theatre, PitchFest and one of the largest bioeconomy exhibitions in Europe. EFIB 2017 will not only deliver a high-level agenda of decision makers from global biotechnology leaders, SMEs and consumer goods companies, but will also provide an increasingly productive networking environment, with all delegates receiving unlimited access to our 1-to-1 partnering tool. BIC is a Supporting Organization of EFIB. BIC members can claim a 15% discount to attend. Just quote EFIB17BIC when registering online. More info

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H2020 Bioeconomy day

16 November 2017, Brussels, Belgium The Commission will present its review of the European Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan, documented as a Staff Working Document, and discuss its findings with stakeholders and policy makers. Furthermore, the European Bioeconomy Stakeholders Panel will present and discuss its Bioeconomy Manifesto, setting out a societal agenda for bioeconomy development. These discussions will reflect both on the experiences gained over the past four years with Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan, and on the possible need for new actions. More info