Our readers have voted: the most innovative bioeconomy CEO 2017 is Tony Duncan, CEO of Circa Group, the Australian company headquartered in Melbourne that is converting waste biomass into advanced biochemical materials. For the second consecutive year is the CEO of an Australian company to win the award (in 2016 was Ken Richards, CEO of Leaf Resources).
We heartily congratulate him on this important recognition and sincerely thank our readers for the great participation in the survey. The blog has seen a boom of visits in these four days. The bioeconomy revolution is a reality thanks to visionary managers like Tony Duncan, the other nine selected along with Duncan in the list of the 10 most innovative bioeconomy CEOs and to all those who in different roles contribute to research, develop and commercialize new bio-based products.
Tony Duncan is co-founder and CEO of Circa Group Pty Ltd, a biotech company commercialising proprietary technology developed to convert cellulose into specialty chemicals. Circa Group was founded in 2006, with the aim of creating a sustainable business which would convert non-food cellulose into high-performance, renewable chemicals. Cellulose is the most abundant, renewable polymer in the world. Millions of tonnes of cellulose are under-utilised every year and Circa sees a clear opportunity to extract more value from it.
Using its proprietary Furacell™ process, Circa produces Levoglucosenone, a highly-functional platform molecule with many potential industrial applications, including pharmaceutical, agri-chemical, food and advanced materials. Industrial quantities of Levoglucosenone are available for the first time thanks to Circa’s Furacell technology. Circa is also constructing a portfolio of derivative products and licensable IP from Levoglucosenone, across several growing market specialty chemical sectors such as bio-surfactants, flavours, agrochemicals, biopolymers and biosolvents – such as its biosolvent Cyrene®.
Tony Duncan has more than 30 years experience in the print and paper industries in Australia and New Zealand, including senior marketing and strategy roles at Amcor, Australian Paper and PaperlinX, along with advocacy positions promoting the printing and paper industries to Australian Governments. He has also published nearly 100 articles on the print and paper industry as a regular contributor to Australia’s leading print industry publication.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 