An exclusive interview with Marc Palahí, Director EFI. “We need a massive Innovation plan to realise the potential of the circular bioeconomy”

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EFI Director Marc Palahí, Joensuu 21.6.2021. Photo: Johanna Kokkola
EFI Director Marc Palahí, Joensuu 21.6.2021. Photo: Johanna Kokkola

“One of the greatest advantages of the circular bioeconomy is the fact that it relies on renewable biological resources and renewable energy which we can develop, manage and process in Europe, which is not a continent rich in fossil resources or rare earth materials.” To say it – in this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Marc Palahí, director of the European Forest Institute. He talks about circular bioeconomy, the role played by the forest-based sector, the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance founded by His Majesty King Charles III (formerly The Prince of Wales) and the next event focused on Biocities, which will take place in Rome on April 20.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

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L’Oréal and Geno create bio-based alternatives to key ingredients in beauty products

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Christophe Schilling, CEO of Genomatica during his speech at the Grand Opening of Mater Biotech’s plant in Bottrighe di Adria, Italy

L’Oréal invested in a venture led by Geno, the California-headquartered biotechnology company, to create sustainable alternatives to key ingredients in beauty products. The French multinational company will be a founding member of the venture alongside Unilever and Kao.

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Avantium signed an offtake agreement with Kvadrat for the development of PEF for interior textiles

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Avantium’s pilot plant in the Nerherlands

Avantium N.V., a leading technology provider in renewable chemistry, signed an offtake agreement with Kvadrat A/S, a leader in design innovation, producing quality contemporary textiles and textile related products for architects, designers, and private consumers across the world.

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Eni and Unicredit partner to support companies in measuring and improving their ESG performance

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Unicredit Tower in Milano

Eni and Milano-headquartered banking group UniCredit partnered around Open-es, an ecosystem initiative seeking to enhance cross-business collaboration and support companies in measuring and improving their ESG performance. Open-es is an alliance that joins together entrepreneurial, financial and associative networks, supporting all stakeholders on their sustainable development path through a digital and innovative platform.

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Neste, Airbus, Safran and Microflite jointly operated Australia’s first helicopter flights using SAF

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Source: Airbus

Neste, Airbus, Safran Engines and Microflite, a leading Australian helicopter operator, have jointly operated Australia’s first helicopter flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). On this demonstration flight, an Airbus H130 helicopter powered by a Safran Arriel 2D engine used blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplied by Neste.

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Ortholite and Novamont joined forces for the creation of the world’s first circular foam material solution for footwear

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Glenn Barrett and Catia Bastioli at Novamont in Novara

OrthoLite, the global leader of sustainable, performance and comfort insoles and footwear materials solutions, and Novamont, the international leader in the development, production and eco-design of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics and biochemicals, joined forces for the creation of OrthoLite Cirql™, the world’s first circular foam material solution for footwear. 

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Fulcrum BioEnergy’s UK Waste-To-Fuels Project Awarded £16.8 Million Grant from the UK Department for Transport Advanced Fuels Fund

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Fulcrum BioEnergy, Ltd. – the United Kingdom subsidiary of Fulcrum BioEnergy, a US-headquartered clean energy company pioneering the creation of renewable, drop-in transportation fuels from landfill waste – received a grant of approximately £16.8 million, USD $20.2 million, from the UK Department for Transport Advanced Fuels Fund. The grant, which runs through to 2025, will support development of Fulcrum NorthPoint, a residual waste to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility which will be located at the Essar Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire in North West of England. Funds from the grant will be utilized to fund engineering activities for the plant, which is expected to have the capacity to transform about 600,000 tonnes of residual waste into approximately 100 million liters of low-carbon SAF per year when it enters operations in 2027.

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International Women’s Day: our tribute to all women who are making the bioeconomy happen

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), around the world finding a job is much tougher for women than it is for men. When women are employed, they tend to work in low-quality jobs in vulnerable conditions and there is little improvement forecast in the near future. The current global labour force participation rate for women is close to 46% (for men it is 71%, according to the International Labour Organization). The freedom to work – by choice, in conditions of dignity, safety and fairness – is integral to human welfare. 

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One Planet Summit: Emmanuel Macron and Ali Bongo called the world for action to preserve biodiversity

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Held jointly by France and Gabon, the 6th One Planet Summit took place on 1 and 2 March 2023 in Libreville, Gabon. This Summit focused on common challenges for the three tropical forest basins of the Congo Basin, the Amazon forest and the forests of South-East Asia. The choice of Gabon to host the Summit highlights the rich heritage of African forests.

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Eni Sustainable Mobility and Saipem joined forces with the aim of employing biofuels on naval vessels

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Eni Sustainable Mobility and Saipem have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of employing biofuels on Saipem’s drilling and construction naval vessels, with particular attention to operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Saipem has a global fleet consisting of 45 vessels for construction and drilling.

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