Takashi Matsumoto, Business Director at AGC Vinythai, talks toIl Bioeconomista. In this exclusive interview with us Mr Matsumoto talks about his company and the future development of bioeconomy in Thailand. “Climate action is urgent in Thailand as we are already living with the effects of climate change including flash floods, heavy rain and extreme temperatures, also in rainy season.“
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
BASF and ExxonMobil have formed a strategic collaboration to advance methane pyrolysis technology, a next step toward delivering efficient, cost-competitive low-emission hydrogen solutions for industrial use. The companies have signed a joint development agreement to co-develop methane pyrolysis technology, including plans to construct a demonstration plant aimed at commercial readiness.
There is a new English partnership in the bioeconomy. York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Tees Valley Combined Authority, the University of York, Teesside University, and CPI, signed a partnership which aims to create around 5,000 skilled jobs across the two regions. The partnership will bring together universities, businesses and local government to drive innovation in sustainable materials and chemicals, helping to cut emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Avantium, a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, signed a capacity reservation agreement for its plant-based, recyclable polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate), branded as releaf®, with Logoplaste Consultores Técnicos, SA., a global packaging manufacturer. Logoplaste and Avantium are collaborating as strategic partners within the Bottle Collective, a consortium dedicated to developing recyclable fiber-based bottles. This agreement further strengthens their partnership and supports the joint development of next-generation packaging solutions, extending beyond the paper bottle and into Logoplaste’s core business of high-performance bottles for beverages, food, pharma, home care, and personal care.
The European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA) released a new expert paper by the nova-Institute, titled “Benefits of Using First-Generation Biomass for Food, Fuels, Chemicals and Derived Materials in Europe: Science-based Argumentation Paper.” According to EUBA, the research confirms that using first-generation agricultural biomass – such as cereals, sugar, and oilseed crops – to produce bio-based energy and materials delivers significant benefits for food security, biodiversity, agriculture and climate change mitigation across Europe.
Neste and United Airlines have expanded their existing partnership to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to three new major airports in the United States. The new agreement makes United the first commercial airline to purchase SAF for use on flights from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey, and Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington D.C.
The partnership project between Stora Enso, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Newcastle University that was initiated in early 2024 to advance positive impacts on forest biodiversity has been completed. The aim of this collaboration was to create a framework for the forestry sector to reach a net positive biodiversity impact with active forest management by reducing threats to species and conserving and restoring ecosystems.
All the EU bioeconomy stakeholders will gather in Copenhagen in December. As Denmark assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2025, the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Ministry for Green Transition, on behalf of the European Commission, will host two conferences focused on advancing the EU’s green transition through bioeconomy, food systems, and biodiversity. The conferences will take place on the 2 and 3 December 2025.
Collaboration is the backbone of bioeconomy. South African and Dutch universities, research institutes, and businesses joined forces to work together on projects ranging from sustainable cropping systems to student-designed farm business plans. These partnerships strengthen innovation while ensuring solutions are scalable and practical.
At IFIB 2025 in Turin, which was be held last Thursday and Friday, the world bioeconomy stakeholders called for action. “It’s a now or never!” This is, extremely briefly, the message that comes from the last edition of the International Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy. In this invitation made at the opening of the forum by the executive director of the CBE JU, Nicolò Giacomuzzi-Moore, it can be synthesized the will of over 200 forum participants to move rapidly towards the creation of new markets for the bioeconomy and to accelerate the transition to a new, more sustainable economy, which finally could strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, growth and resilience.
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