Interview with Nathalie Moll (EuropaBio): In Brussels at EFIB to meet, discuss and shape the future of the bioeconomy

Nathalie Moll, EuropaBio Secretary General
Nathalie Moll, EuropaBio Secretary General

“We believe that EFIB (European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and Bio-based Economy, editor’s note), taking place during the first European Biotech Week, contributes to increase the awareness of Europeans to the bioeconomy.” To say it is Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio, The European Association for Bioindustries, one of the organizers, with Smithers Rapra, of the event which will be held in Brussels from 30 September to 2 October. In this interview with Il Bioeconomista, Moll talks about EFIB – “a single platform for European business leaders, innovators and policymakers to meet, discuss and shape the future of the bioeconomy” – and the latest development of European Bioeconomy, focusing on the Public Private Partnership for Biobased industries (Bridge), “a multisector initiative whose vision is that of a society and economy which increasingly makes everyday products, such as food, feed, textiles, chemicals and fuels, from locally sourced biomass and wastes, rather than from fossil fuels.”

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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Sustainable biofuels from Hawaii for Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines: flight to Honolulu
Alaska Airlines: flight to Honolulu

Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, and Hawaii BioEnergy LLC announced yesterday they have signed an agreement for the carrier to purchase sustainable biofuel for its aircraft. Founded in 2006, Hawaii BioEnergy is a consortium of three of Hawaii’s largest landowners (Kamehameha Schools, Grove Farm Company Inc., and Maui Land & Pineapple Inc.) and three venture capital companies who plan to use locally grown feedstocks to produce biofuels.

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Heinrich Hiesinger, ThyssenKrupp Ceo: “Industrial Biotechnology is part of our growth strategy”

Heinrich Hiesinger, ThyssenKrupp Ceo, in Leuna
Heinrich Hiesinger, ThyssenKrupp Ceo, in Leuna

Europe’s first multi-purpose fermentation plant for the continuous production of bio-based chemicals has been recently inaugurated in Leuna, Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). Built at a cost of around 20 million euros, the facility will enable the German multinational conglomerate corporation ThyssenKrupp, one of the world’s largest steel producers (more than 43 billion euros in revenue), to further expand its research and development activities in the area of biochemicals based on renewable raw materials.

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US Department of Energy announces new investment in next generation biofuels

US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz
US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz

Building on President Obama’s plan to cut carbon pollution, the Energy Department announced last Tuesday four research and development projects to bring next generation biofuels on line faster and drive down the cost of producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuels from biomass. The projects – located in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin – represent a $13 million Energy Department investment.

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Interview with David Newman: The Italian approach in reducing the use of plastic bags

David Newman, Secretary General of Assobioplastiche
David Newman, Secretary General of Assobioplastiche

Marine litter caused by plastic bags is threatening the oceans and causing already an ecological disaster . The European Commission is pushing for an ambitious resource efficiency agenda and is struggling to reduce landfills and enforce waste prevention across all Member States. Europe is a leader in the bioeconomy. What do all these facts have in common? More than we think. Italy demonstrated to the world that substituting traditional plastic bags with reusable and biodegradable and compostable ones can be, even at times of crisis, a solution to trigger separate collection rates, enhance waste prevention and unleash new investments in ground breaking technologies. We discussed the Italian case study and the recent reaction of UK against the Italian ban on plastic bags recently reported by several UK media with David Newman, Secretary General of Assobioplastiche, the Italian Bioplastic and Biodegradable and Compostable material Association.

Interview by Isabella Dalbelgio

(from Brussels)

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NPC of Saudi Arabia and Basf to collaborate in the field of algae technology

Riyad (Saudi Arabia) by night
Riyad (Saudi Arabia) by night

National Prawn Company (NPC) of Saudi Arabia and German firm Basf have agreed to collaborate in the field of algae technology. “The signed contract is marking once more the ability of Saudi Companies to be equal partners with World Class enterprises like Basf. It also shows that we are capable of offering solutions for domestic and global needs,” said NPC’s chairman Sulaiman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi.

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Basf, Cargill and Novozymes realize another step towards the biobased economy

Italian Headquarter of Basf in Cesano Maderno (Milan)
Italian Headquarter of Basf in Cesano Maderno (Milan)

Basf, Cargill and Novozymes have announced the achievement of an important milestone in their joint development of technologies to produce acrylic acid from renewable raw materials by successfully demonstrating the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) in pilot scale.

3-HP is a renewable-based building block and one possible chemical precursor to acrylic acid. The companies also have successfully established several technologies to dehydrate 3-HP to acrylic acid at lab scale. This step in the process is critical since it is the foundation for production of acrylic acid. In August 2012, Basf, Cargill and Novozymes announced their joint agreement to develop a process for the conversion of renewable raw materials into a 100 percent bio-based acrylic acid.

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Editorial: Together for the Bioeconomy Revolution

Rassegna Stampa EsteraDear Readers,

thank you. You are more and more every day to read Il Bioeconomista, from all over the world. And that flatters us and encourages us to move forward with our project for an online journal that has in the bioeconomy its inspiring principle. You are a signal that the world is in turmoil, that the search for a world free from fossil fuels, a post-petroleum world, is increasingly an utopia that has decided to roll up its sleeves to become reality every day. The path is still long, but the road is mapped out and we can’t go back.

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Waiting for Expo 2015, young start-ups in the bioeconomy grow in Milan

From left to right: Carenzo, Galliano, Tajani and the 5 leaders of the winning teams
From left to right: Carenzo, Galliano, Tajani and the 5 leaders of the winning teams

Parco Tecnologico Padano, a science and technology park based in North of Italy (Lodi, Milan area) and the Municipality of Milano are running a competition for selecting entrepreneurial projects in the bioeconomy sector coming out from international scouting.

Last Wednesday, the five winners were announced by the Secretary for Innovation and Research of the Municipality of Milano, Mrs. Cristina Tajani.

How to use coffee waste for cosmetics, an innovative way of producing fibers from oranges, microalgae for nutrition, seeds conservation and a platform for prevention of fruit plants diseases are the areas covered by the 5 winners of the competition.
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Bye Bye Europe. British Petroleum Invests in Advanced Biofuels in America

BP's Refinery
BP’s Refinery

Oil major BP is directing investment in advanced biofuels to the United States and South America due to uncertainty about the European Union’s future regulatory environment.

“At the moment we are not contemplating investing in second-generation cellulosic (ethanol) in Europe simply for the reason that there is not enough certainty on what the market conditions will be like,” Phil New, head of BP Biofuels, said in an interview with Reuters UK.

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