Biobased chemical company GFBiochemicals has started commercial production at its 10,000 MT/a capacity levulinic acid plant in Caserta, Italy. The announcement was made at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Montréal (Canada). GFBiochemicals is the first company to produce levulinic acid at commercial scale directly from biomass.
The bioeconomy is a great protagonist in Milan, at Expo 2015, a world-class exhibition celebrating sustainable innovation. The breakthrough bottles use BioFormPX® produced at Virent’s Madison, Wisconsin demonstration plant, are showcased as part of The Coca-Cola Company’s pavilion. BioFormPX paraxylene was used in the world’s first demonstration scale production of a PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based materials.
EuropaBio and Smithers Rapra unveil the agenda for the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy (EFIB) 2015. Taking place on 27-29 October 2015 at Square, Brussels, EFIB combines high-level discussions on business and policymaking and is the perfect setting for businesses looking to benefit from the next wave of activity in Europe.
ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, LanzaTech, the carbon recycling company, and Primetals Technologies, a leading technology and service provider to the iron and steel industry, announced last Monday they have entered into a letter of intent to construct Europe’s first-ever commercial scale production facility to create bioethanol from waste gases produced during the steelmaking process.
Japanese Sharp launches the first bio-based smartphone. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation announced that its bio-based engineering plastic DURABIO™ has been chosen by Sharp Corporation for the front panel of its new smartphone, the AQUOS CRYSTAL 2, slated to go on sale in the middle of July 2015 through SoftBank Corporation.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, and SUN (Stiftungsfonds für Umweltökonomie und Nachhaltigkeit), presented the results of a major new study at the European Commission’s stakeholder conference on the circular economy in Brussels last June 25. “Growth Within: A circular economy vision for a competitive Europe” reveals that by adopting circular economy principles, Europe can take advantage of the impending technology revolution to create a net benefit of 1.8 trillion euro by 2030, or €0.9 trillion more than in the current linear development path.
The Greek crisis is an opportunity to reflect again on our idea of Europe. In our opinion the euro is an irreversible process. But it is absurd to weigh on the ECB, in fact the only European institution truly federal, the task to deal with the crisis with the only instrument of monetary policy.
Versalis, Italian oil giant Eni’s chemical company and a major producer in the polymers and elastomers industry, Ecombine and EVE Rubber Institute – respective subsidiary and affiliate companies of Mesnac, a Chinese global leading rubber & tire machinery corporation – announced a Joint Technology agreement to develop an innovative technology for high performance green tires.
Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. and United Airlines, Inc. announced that United Airlines has invested $30 million in Fulcrum and will have the option to directly participate in Fulcrum’s waste-to-jet fuel plants across North America.
The Flokser Group, a global leader in leather and suede fabrics, has successfully developed an innovative artificial leather fabric using bio-based materials supplied by DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products and BioAmber.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 