Turin will be the Euro-mediterranean capital of the bioeconomy for a couple of days. The International Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy (IFIB) goes to the Italian historical first capital from 27 to 28 September at the Cavallerizza Reale, the Congress Center of the University of Turin.
The Dow Chemical Company unveiled its Blueprint for Sustainable Watershed Management to a multi-stakeholder session of The CEO Water Mandate. Part of Dow’s 2025 “Leading the Blueprint” Sustainability Goal, the blueprint is built on the Company’s collaborative watershed management practices.
Large research infrastructures, a chemical and paper industry supporting a sector that is considered strategic, clusters that are able to build extended value chains, universities at the level of excellence and a federal government and provinces with a vision and an effective action plan. These are shortly all the strengths of the bioeconomy in Canada, as I saw them last week.
From Ruka, in Finland, to Turin, in Italy: September will be the month of the bioeconomy. The very first World BioEconomy Forum will be held in Ruka on 11-13 September. The Forum, born as an idea of Jukka Kantola, CEO of NC Partnering and KaiCell Fibers, will bring together professionals from the leading edge of the bioeconomy for face-to-face dialog in one of the world’s most beautiful areas of outstanding natural beauty. In Turin on 27-28 September will be held IFIB, the International Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy.
LanzaTech, Virgin Atlantic and partners are one-step closer to building the world’s first large scale Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) facility producing commercial quantities of fuel in the UK. The commercial facility would convert low carbon ethanol produced from waste emissions, to jet fuel.
Royal DSM, the Dutch global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, is helping professional cyclists Team Sunweb to recover faster in this year’s Tour de France with its dietary antiplatelet, Fruitflow®. This forms part of the innovation partnership between DSM and Team Sunweb that aims to improve the health, nutrition and cycling materials of the professional athletes.
Leaf Resources has been selected by Unreasonable Impact, a global partnership between Barclays and Unreasonable Group focused on scaling up ventures that have the potential to solve major environmental and societal problems while creating the jobs of tomorrow. Leaf is the only Australian company – as well as the only bioeconomy company – chosen for the current programme, focused on the Asia-Pacific region.
API, an Italian company specialized in the production of thermoplastic elastomeric compounds and bioplastics, which was acquired by global materials company Trinseo in July 2017, and ICM (Industria Chimica Mediterranea), a key player in the footwear and leather goods industry, joined forces to develop innovative and sustainable technical fabrics.
“The bioeconomy promises to lead the next rising wave of global economic development. Renewable energy, renewable raw materials and recyclable products pose a positive challenge to our current fossil fuel dependence”. John Bell, Director at the European Commission in charge of bioeconomy, talks to Il Bioeconomista.
In this long exclusive interview, he talks about the new strategy on bioeconomy, the EU’s new research and innovation programme, the role of member states and regions and the connection between bioeconomy and society.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
“Governments and development partners should provide policy and economic incentives to industry to transition into smart manufacturing that meets our needs and decarbonizes our world”. Julius Ecuru, programmemanager at BioInnovate Africa Programme, talks to Il Bioeconomista. BioInnovate Africa supports scientists and innovators in the region to link biological based research ideas and technologies to business and the market. It is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and is based at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, Kenya. Current BioInnovate Africa partner countries are: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
IL BIOECONOMISTA 