Approximately 250 delegates from EU, Tunisia, Russia, Turkey and Canada, 40 scientific presentations, 30 scientific posters and a round table on “The role of clusters in fostering the bioeconomy”. These are the numbers of IFIB, the Italian Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy, which opens today to the world in Naples at Castel dell’Ovo (Egg Castle).Now in its third year, IFIB successfully makes the transformation from an Italian event to an International event that brings together bioeconomy stakeholders and high-level keynote speakers to answer burning questions on issues including food security, renewable energy and marine biotechnology.
Today, to emphasize the support of the city of Naples, the event is also attended by the mayor, Luigi De Magistris, to welcome the international speakers. A powerful combination of pilot scale technology breakthroughs, high profile investment and impressive sustainability credentials are driving more and more organisations to consider the potential of the biobased economy. For a couple of days (today and tomorrow) Naples becomes the bioeconomy’s world capital, hosting excellence in the field of Scientific and Industrial Research: Biochemtex, ENI-Versalis, DSM, BASF, Cereplast but also different research centers, universities and innovative SMEs.
The bioeconomy in Europe is a 2 trillion euro industry, employing 22 million people in Europe alone. Its disruptive innovation potential is only going to increase. In EU the bioeconomy is at the centre of a proposal for €3.8 billion in public and private funding between 2014 and 2020 to bridge the innovation gap between excellence in science and commercialisation of biobased products.
The event in Naples is another opportunity to discuss these issues. To follow IFIB, follow us on Twitter @bioeconomista
IL BIOECONOMISTA 