Amyris, Inc., the U.S. industrial bioscience company, and Koninklijke DSM N.V. (Royal DSM), the Dutch global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, have agreed for DSM to make an equity investment in Amyris. At the same time, the companies will enter into a development cooperation focused on products for the global health and nutrition markets (including vitamins and other nutritional ingredients).
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Bolloré, the French pioneer in ultra-thin packaging, launched the first ultrathin packaging shrink film on a basis of green polyethylene called B-Nat®.
“You’ve probably sat on it, built with it, and maybe even eaten it, but did you know that your car could be next to benefit from bamboo, one of the world’s strongest natural materials?” This question is asked by the Ford Motor Company, the global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan, with about 201,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide. While investment in research has led to breakthroughs in new materials like super strong carbon fiber and lightweight aluminum, nature’s wonder material may have been growing all along and as much as three feet in a day. Soon, some surfaces inside Ford’s vehicles could be made from a combination of bamboo and plastic to create super hard material.
DONG Energy and Bigadan is to build a large-scale biogas plant that will reuse residues from the production facilities of Novozymes and Novo Nordisk in Kalundborg on Zealand. The four companies have just signed an agreement which, from spring 2018, will carry yet another significant contribution to the Danish production of green energy from biogas. The new biogas plant in Kalundborg will convert residues from the factories of Novozymes and Novo Nordisk in Kalundborg to bio natural gas which can be fed directly into the Danish natural gas grid.
The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), a public-private partnership between global energy and engineering companies and the UK Government. launched a new biomass feedstock improvement process project which aims to show how the removal of impurities and contaminated material from sustainable biomass could make bioenergy cheaper and more efficient, consequently delivering better greenhouse gas savings.
The furniture industry is a front-runner in the implementation of waterborne coatings as an alternative to traditional solventborne systems. Now a collaboration between design furniture company Rifra Milano, coatings supplier Sirca and German chemical colossus Covestro shows that the sustainability of furniture can be improved even further.
The Italian biochemical company GFBiochemicals and Atlanta-based American Process Inc., which is specialized in the development of technologies for the commercial production of sugars and ethanol from biomass, have entered into a joint development agreement to create the largest integrated cellulosic biorefinery in the world. “The agreement – both companies stated – is rooted in our complementary industrial operations and joint vision for a lower-carbon future”. The proposed biorefinery, located in the U.S, is expected to create 50-200 thousand tonnes per annum of bio-based products, addressing markets with a potential annual value of USD 10 billion.
Even this year for the International Women’s Day, we dedicate a tribute to the 8 women who have distinguished themselves in the bioeconomy in 2016. With their huge competences and their infinite passion, they are the stars of the world bioeconomy. Our best and warmest wishes to all women.
Ylwa Alwarsdotter, Senior VP Sekab (Sweden)
Catia Bastioli, CEO at Novamont (Italy)
Louise Batchelor, VP Strategy at BioAmber Inc. (Canada)
Jennifer Holmgren, CEO at Lanzatech (New Zealand/USA)
Nathalie Moll, Secretary General at EuropaBio (UE)
Theodora Retsina, CEO at American Process (USA)
Margaret Smallwood, CEO at BioVale (UK)
Marie Wheat, Industry Economist at USDA BioPreferred Program (USA)
A packaging revolution: Danone and Nestlé Waters, the world’s two largest bottled water companies, have joined forces with Origin Materials, a startup based in Sacramento, California, to form the NaturALL Bottle Alliance. Together, the three partners aim to develop and launch at commercial scale a PET plastic bottle made from bio-based material, i.e. 100% sustainable and renewable resources. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common plastic in polyester family and is used in fibers for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fiber for engineering resins.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 