EuropaBio and Smithers Rapra, in association with IAR, unveil the highly-anticipated agenda for the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology (EFIB) from 1-2 October 2014 taking place in Reims, the heart of Champagne-Ardenne (France). Committed to creating a forum to address opportunities and challenges for the biobased economy, EFIB is consistent in attracting an unrivalled calibre of speakers from across the fields of both policy and business. This year’s high level plenary includes a French ministerial address from this year’s host nation, complemented by the European Commission’s take on the future of the European biobased economy. Followed by a discussion on shale gas and how it is impacting investments and market development in petrochemical and biobased value chains, featuring representatives from Shell and European Bioplastics.
Leading players in the emerging value chain will also share their perspectives on the exciting opportunities for improving the sustainability profile of industrial production, on the closing plenary panel, including Coca Cola and Unilever, Natureworks, DSM, Suedzucker, representation from the European Commission and the Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials.
In addition to the high profile plenaries, the programme features parallel tracks, enabling delegates to build their agenda choosing from presentations on a range of recent developments. Delegates can pick from the ever-popular innovation track, showcasing the brightest and best new innovations in IB from 2013-2014, or in-depth focus tracks on financing the biobased economy, achieving global scale-up aided by national policies, overcoming barriers to the use of IB in chemical building block production and use in Europe and feedstock competitiveness and sustainability.
Highlights of the sessions include insights from David Harris Kolada of Sustainable Development Technology Canada on policy turned into practice to advance the biobased economy in Canada, one of eight case studies from across the world, in a session chaired by Barend Verachtet of DG Research and Innovation.
The financing roundtable, led by Dirk Carrez, Executive Director of Biobased Industries Consortium will feature perspectives from PNO, Rabobank, EIB, Biobased Industries PPP and Sofinnova Partners to depict how the funding landscape is changing both in Europe and overseas.
“EFIB will once again be the first EU event where business meets policy in this rapidly evolving field. We are delighted to host EFIB, in Reims, capital of the beautiful Champagne-Ardenne region, which is itself a thriving hub for biobased industries and expertise and look forward to shaping the future of this exciting sector with a record number of participants”, says Nathalie Moll, Secretary General, EuropaBio. EFIB takes place 30 September – 2 October, Reims Congress Center, Champagne-Ardenne, France.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 