Dutch biochemical company Corbion is building its new PLA bioplastics polymerization plant at the existing Corbion site in Rayong, Thailand. Upon completion in 2018, it will be able to produce the complete Luminy® portfolio of PLA neat resins: from standard PLA to innovative, high heat resistant PLA.
Yesterday, at COP22, in Marrakech (Morocco), a coalition of leading countries in the clean energy and the bioeconomy fields announced the launching of the Biofuture Platform, a new collective effort to accelerate development and scale up deployment of modern sustainable low-carbon alternatives to fossil based solutions in transport fuels, industrial processes, chemicals, plastics and other sectors.
Danish biotech giant Novozymes last week broke ground for its new innovation campus in Lyngby, close to the Technical University of Denmark and seven kilometers from Novozymes’ headquarters in Bagsværd.
Global Bioenergies, the French biotech company that is developing a process to convert renewable resources into hydrocarbons through fermentation, announced yesterday that the construction of its demo plant, started mid-2015, is completed.
Finally Italy has its own strategy on bioeconomy. This was announced by Paolo Bonaretti, representative of the Ministry of Economic Development, last week in Rimini, Emilia Romagna Region, during an event on the bioeconomy in the Mediterranean organized within the Ecomondo Fair, with the presence, among others, of John Bell, Director for BioEconomy, DG Research & Innovation EU Commission, and Philippe Mengal, executive director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking. Good news, then, for the bioeconomy in Italy. The new strategy will be published on the web site www.agenziacoesione.gov.it starting from 20th November for an open public consultation, which will last a month.
Bioplastics which are made from renewable waste plant sources, with no competition with food supply chains, and are 100% naturally biodegradable. The final phase testing Minerv PHA Supertoys for making scale models has begun, launched by Bio-on in collaboration with Italeri, the leading manufacturer of static models. The results will be presented in February 2017 in Nuremberg, Germany during the “Play and toys fair”, the sector’s largest and most prestigious event.
The Danish Minister for Environment and Food, Esben Lunde Larsen, launched yesterday the white paper on Danish circular economy at the conference ‘Danish Pioneers of Sustainability’ hosted by the Conferederation of Danish Industry.
Biossance™, the consumer beauty brand from Amyris, Inc., the US integrated renewable products company, announced its planned launch in Sephora’s retail stores where the brand’s expansive line of high-performance skin care products will be available to consumers. The rollout to initial participating stores will begin in February 2017 and coincide with launching on Sephora online. Additional in-store and online marketing activities with Sephora to highlight the Biossance brand shortly following launch are planned.
Vivergo Fuels, the UK’s largest producer of bioethanol and high protein animal feed, has been chosen as one of the Government’s new official Northern Powerhouse partners and is the only Humberside-headquartered private business to be named on the list.
“Scotland has under 10% of the UK population and over 30% of the land mass giving it considerably more capacity for growing biomass as feedstock for the bioeconomy. Scotland has great research capabilities, a strong base of SMEs looking to develop its bio-capabilities and the joined up support of the government with all its agencies in developing this opportunity”. Roger Kilburn, CEO IBioIC (Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre) Scotland, talks to Il Bioeconomista. In this long, exclusive interview, he talks about UK and Scottish bioeconomy, the role of industrial biotechnology and Brexit. “The fundamental reasons for developing the bioeconomy – he says – are the positive impact it has on sustainability, the environment and the ability to produce new and improved materials. None of these fundamentals are affected by Brexit”.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
IL BIOECONOMISTA 