At first glance, World Bio Markets in Amsterdam appeared to be another one of those biobased conferences with little news. There were speeches that told us how well companies were doing, whilst only few breakthroughs or research developments were presented. … Read more
Every year, around a billion scrap tyres reach the end of their useful lives around the world. Many of these end-of-life tyres end up clogging landfills, providing breeding grounds for pests and becoming a threat to the environment. With innovative … Read more
One month ago me and my two fellow interns arrived in Chicago and started our work here at the Consulate-General of the Netherlands. The focus of my specific project is to look into the opportunities that may exist and connections … Read more
Dealing with hospital waste can be a logistical nightmare. But some believe that if medical centres switched to bio-based and biodegradable disposable products, they could simplify their waste management and see other benefits, such as a lower carbon footprint and … Read more
Ahoy Rotterdam was the scene of the Material Xperience trade show. The show exhibited a large number of new and innovative materials. ‘Meet the future of materials’, was the slogan of the trade show, and bio-based, circular economy and sustainability … Read more
Two concepts, the bioeconomy and the circular economy, have much in common but seem to belong to different universes. Proponents of the circular economy treat the bioeconomy as a fringe phenomenon, that circles around biodegradation; whereas the bioeconomy does not … Read more
Are sustainability and moralism always connected? Proponents of sustainability often suggest (rather than openly say) that it is immoral to pursue non-sustainable development paths – to put the future of mankind at risk, indeed that of the entire planet. With … Read more
As global housing programs are gearing up, the world will need a staggering amount of construction material over the next few decades. This will put a strain on resources, and produce a lot of CO2; unless we discard the present … Read more
Last January, the news that a Chinese team of scientists had cloned macaque monkeys drew a lot of attention. Discussion was quick – too quick – to focus on the question if cloning monkeys could lead to cloning humans. But … Read more
Textiles made from pineapple leaves, self-massaging clothes, dresses made from fungi… During Material Xperience 2018 (13-15 March, Ahoy Rotterdam), fashion professionals can enjoy the marvel and the opportunities of many new materials. Trends in new materials for fashion According to … Read more
Omega-3 fatty acids have attracted a lot of attention from protagonists of healthy diets, and from the food industry as well – view their ads. Fatty fish like salmon and sardines are important natural suppliers of these substances to the … Read more
Concrete degradation is one of the most costly problems of our time. Concrete will always crack, although less so if well-designed and well-constructed. Cracks will allow water and air to enter into the structure and eventually reach the steel reinforcement. … Read more
The 13th Material Xperience, ‘the world’s largest multisectoral materials exhibition’, will take place 13-15 March in Ahoy, Rotterdam. Tuned towards materials innovation, it will show materials in six categories: architecture, interior, fashion & workwear, product, mobility and graphic & packaging. … Read more
Cement production by itself is responsible for a stunning 5% of total global CO2 emissions. As global construction activities still gear up, we urgently need more sustainable concrete, no longer based on Portland cement, the basis of the construction industry … Read more
Upon evaluating my visit to the 10th EFIB conference in Brussel, last October, I realized there was a disappointingly limited number of new and interesting topics. Many of the topics discussed at the conference concerned old wine: that also were … Read more
The latest Renewables Global Status Report contains an instructive paragraph on drivers for renewable energy development. Otherwise than many might expect, climate policy is not the most important driver anymore. Cost-effectiveness comes to the forefront. And: renewable energy development is … Read more
The ecological properties of hemp makes it one of the types of insulation used in construction with the lowest carbon emissions footprint. A relatively recent interest in hemp as a building material responds to a global trend that encourages the … Read more
In our first article we concluded: as long as modified genes do not end up in the final product, nobody will oppose genetic engineering; even opponents of the technology will not mind it. Problems arise only when genetically modified food … Read more
IEA Global Energy Outlook 2017, released last November, marks a rapid development in the perspective on renewable energy. IEA has always downplayed the importance of renewable energy for future global energy supply; but in its latest outlook, renewable energy and … Read more
After an initial period in which ideas went in all directions, proponents of seaweed (macro-algae) in the bio-economy have now set down to the painstaking work of developing and fine-tuning their technologies. Single-product facilities, like for the production of biogas … Read more
It is difficult to find out why exactly Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, the two leading organizations in this field, oppose genetic engineering. Clearly it is important to them that a large number of people oppose this technology, and … Read more
Whereas the two companies discussed in this series so far use fermentation technology to imitate silk, the American company Kraig Biocraft Laboratories uses the old workhorse, the silkworm. They introduced spider genes into the silkworm in order to arrive at … Read more