Today starts in Amsterdam the 10th annual World Bio Markets, an event which will focus on three bioeconomy core topics: biofuels, bio-based chemicals and feedstock supply, security and selection.
The conference attracts some of the biggest players and thought leaders in the industry including Boeing, Airbus, DSM, UPM, BP, Shell, IKEA, Coca Cola and many more. It plays host to some of the most controversial and interesting discussions within the industry. In addition to oil price volatility, this year’s World Bio Markets event will highlight the tipping points within the industry and the early adopter companies beginning to move into lucrative niche markets.
The event will kick off with an analysis from Bertholt Leeftink, Director-General Enterprise and Innovation at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Netherlands. He will look into the role of the bio-based sector in harnessing a strong and sustainable economy.
Nearly three years after DSM highlighted the bio-economy opportunity for the Dutch chemical industry, Feike Sijbesma, CEO at DSM, is taking stock of how far this industry has come and how much further it still has to go. As a key architect of the original bioeconomy vision, he will address how he played a key part in establishing the commercial production of cellulosic biofuels and how he plans to continue to build on these foundations to deliver a circular economy to take us into the bio-renewable age.
The pioneers of the industry will come together to create one voice and present how this innovative industry can secure its future. The panel will discuss how highlighting and enhancing the true value of bio-based chemicals to develop market adoption strategies that will allow the bioeconomy to grow. Sharing their knowledge will be Robert Conrado, Director of Engineering at LanzaTech, Mike Knauf, CEO of Rivertop Renewables, Juan Carlos Bueno, Global Executive Vice President at Stora Enso Biomaterials and Antoine Amory, Corporate Industrial Biotechnology Manager at Solvay.
Taking the stage to give an update on the latest developments in cellulosic ethanol is Ken Hill, Cellulosic Products Business Leader at DuPont.
The discussion will continue to develop as a panel of bio-industry leaders debate and analyse the intricacies of fuel policy and trade with strategies to design a post-2020 plan that can cope with policy instability. Providing their insight will be Julie Girling, MEP for the European Parliament, John Cooper, Director European Biofuels Strategy at BP, Willemijn vander Werf, Director of Global Sustainability at LanzaTech and Tim Brummels, CEO at Canergy.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 