Now, for the first time, Novozymes’ enzymes are available online through Alibaba’s platform for industrial products, 1688.com.
“We want to be a front runner in providing biological solutions online as well as offline. By partnering with Alibaba, we will get even closer to our end-customers, address local market needs faster and explore new application opportunities,” says Thomas Videbæk, COO and Executive Vice President, Novozymes.
King of Prussia-based Renmatix is introducing Celltice™, the beauty industry’s first zero-chemical self-emulsifying active. A brand-new ingredient consisting of botanical building blocks cellulose and lignin, Celltice delivers a variety of benefits in personal care and cosmetic applications, functioning both as an active and an excipient in formulations.
Canada has its own bioeconomy strategy. Canada’s first national Bioeconomy Strategy released yesterday by Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, reflects the views of more than 400 industry representatives from across the country.
Italy has an updated national bioeconomy strategy: “Bioeconomy in Italy: A Unique Opportunity to reconnect Economy, Society and the Environment”. It has been officially presented this morning in Rome, at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, by the Italian government, with the presence of Waldemar Kütt representing the European Commission and Philippe Mengal, Executive Director at BBI JU.
The first-ever commercial flight to produce no landfill waste took to the skies last Wednesday, marking the start of Qantas’ plan to cut 100 million single-use plastics by end-2020 and eliminate 75 per cent of the airline’s waste by end-2021. All inflight products on board QF739, flying from Sydney to Adelaide and staffed by cabin crew from the Qantas ‘Green Team’, will be disposed of via compost, reuse or recycling.
The viability of Anellotech’s Bio-TCat™ technology has now been proven by achieving commercially-targeted yields in its TCat-8® pilot unit in Silsbee, Texas during six months of continuous process operations.
From 9 to 12 July Thessaloniki, Greece, will host a summer school focused on circular bioeconomy, organized in partnership with the Italian Master “Bioeconomy in the Circular Economy”.
Enerkem Inc., a global leader in biofuels production from solid waste, closed last April a new round of financing totalling C$76.3 million. The financing comes from Enerkem’s existing investors, as well as a new investor, Suncor Energy Inc. This injection of additional capital will help foster the company’s growth by continuing the development of its other projects, including in Varennes, Québec, and Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
“No, less, better plastic”. This is the mission of Unilever, one of the leading companies in the Food & Refreshment, Home, Beauty & Personal Care markets, in the fight against plastic. A complex challenge in which everyone must do their part given that, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s report on the “New Plastics Economy”, only 14% of the plastic packaging used worldwide reaches up to recycling plants and only 8% is actually recycled. Meanwhile, a third ends up in fragile ecosystems and 40% in landfills.
Christophe Schilling founded Genomatica in 1998. Since being named CEO in May 2009, he has led Genomatica to widespread recognition as a leader in industrial biotech, with a commercialized first process and plant and multiple leading partners. The company has earned awards for industry impact (recognized in ICIS Top40 Power Players five years in a row), engineering (Kirkpatrick), science (EPA Presidential Green Chemistry), industry leadership (voted #1 Hottest four years in a row by Biofuels Digest), and company culture (The Scientist as a Best Place to Work). Christophe is Chairman of Biocom, the largest advocate organization for California’s life sciences sector; serves on BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section Governing Board; serves on the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Biotechnology; and is a member of YPO, an international leadership organization for chief executives. In this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista, he talks about the recent agreement with Covestro and the Genomatica’s way towards the bioeconomy.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
