One bioeconomy, two worlds
At first sight, the discussion was quite adequate at the meeting ‘A sustainable bioeconomy in 2030: are we on the right track?’. Organised by the Dutch Commission on Biomass Sustainability … Read more
Ton Runneboom: major role for Europe in biobased chemical industry
‘Companies that consider the construction of a factory for biobased bulk chemicals, will have to consider Europe. Some years ago, this was quite different. Nobody even considered the option of … Read more
Wood biorefinery has an enormous potential
At EFIB, last October, the most brilliant lecture – in my humble opinion – was delivered by Johanna Buchert, a Finnish professor who works at VTT, the Technical Research Centre … Read more
The silent miracles of energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is our cheapest energy source, with a very large potential. It has been so for forty years and will probably continue to be so for decades to come. … Read more
Marine biotechnology: major opportunities, many obstacles
Marine biotechnology is a challenging field of research with the prospect of very interesting discoveries like new antibiotics, cosmetics and food additives – albeit with few commercial projects so far. … Read more
Green Deal, lubricant in the system
‘Let a thousand flowers blossom,’ chairman Mao said long ago. This concept could be appropriate to the number and diversity of the unusual phenomenon of the Green Deal, a mechanism … Read more
BioProductProcessor comes to the farm
Biorefinery will come to the farm. On the basis of small-scale equipment that fits in a container; that allows farmers to create more value from their crops. The BioProductProcessor feeds … Read more
Bio aromatics
Just a few years ago, bio aromatics seemed far away. Aromatic compounds could be so easily extracted from (fossil-based) naphtha, that bio aromatics seemed to be a dream for the … Read more
Green building
If we could really succeed in establishing a sustainable production chain of concrete, it would be more effective and cheaper than solar and wind power. An example of the potential … Read more
Roel’s team
Roel Bol Sorry, we publish this review of the Biobased Economy team of the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs, headed by Roel Bol, in Dutch only.
New opportunities, Green Growth and Naomi Klein
It is tempting to compare them: Naomi Klein’s new book This Changes Everything on the disasters that threaten the old order, and our own book Green Growth (in Dutch) in … Read more
Specialty carbohydrates: a very specialised biobased industry
Among the surprising new companies in the biobased industry is certainly Inbiose. This spin-off from Ghent University specialises in specialty carbohydrates: very complex structures consisting of a precisely controlled sequence … Read more
Green Growth, executive summary
How will Europe, the Netherlands in particular, earn its income in twenty-five years’ time, in a sustainable way? How do we prepare for the world of 2040? By green growth, … Read more
Sustainable industry has much potential
Members of Parliament. Gladly we present to your commission, on your request, our book Green Growth. Gladly, because we feel that our subject concerns everybody. That subject is: ‘how is … Read more
Book Green Growth presented to Dutch parliament
Sorry, we publish this article in Dutch only.
Panarchy, for a transition with less disruption
Resistance towards innovative changes is a well-known problem. It troubles many researchers and entrepreneurs, also those who venture into the biobased economy. The science of systems innovation deals with the … Read more
Naomi Klein: everyone will be affected
Would there still be safe havens if the sea level starts rising as a result of the greenhouse effect? For the time being, people will be relatively safe in industrialised … Read more
Biobased Press looks for new input
Our website biobasedpress.eu looks for input from our readers. Are you aware of interesting articles that have appeared in your country, or of actual developments in your sector? We would … Read more
Insect biorefinery: it exists, it works
Insect biorefinery. Almost unimaginable, a few years ago. And yet, it is in full development. Its products will come to the market soon. The insect world will show us many … Read more
Investment in biobased materials and chemicals is on the rise, says Lux Research
The BioBased Materials and Chemicals (BBMC) sector has clearly recovered from the 2008 setback, when many start-ups performed less than expected and many went bankrupt. Investment is on the rise … Read more
Tina Sejersgård Fanø (Novozymes): we want to remain an innovation-based company
‘As a company, we want to feed the world, save CO2, move to a greener and more biobased economy, improve lives. But we always want to remain innovation-based and bring … Read more
The plight of the innovative SME, the case of SeaLife Pharma
‘In twenty years’ time, SeaLife Pharma will not exist anymore,’ says its CEO Alexander Pretsch. In many companies, such a statement would be cause for concern. But Pretsch implies that … Read more
Trust is the basis of successful R&D
The problem surfaces everywhere: how to organise successful R&D in a cooperation between research institutes and businesses. Two worlds with very different cultures. Each with their proper rules and their … Read more
Biobased transition in Europe: how fast?
At the conference where the report ‘Opportunities for the fermentation-based chemical industry’ was published, we also talked to Marcel Wubbolts, DSM’s CTO and president of BIC (the Biobased Industry Consortium). … Read more
Industrial sugar: major opportunities for North-western Europe
This is going to be another story than told so far about the development of a green chemical industry in Europe. So far, the news was mostly negative: too little … Read more
Biobased materials in the motor car, part 2: biobased industry’s response
Automotive industry does seem willing to use biobased materials in the motor car. But only if they comply with the industry’s demands: lighter, or cost reducing, or more comfortable, or … Read more
Biobased materials in the motor car, part 1: automotive industry’s demands
The share of biobased plastics and composites on the basis of natural fibres gradually increases in the automotive industry. But although these materials lower the car’s carbon footprint, industry does … Read more
Wind energy in the Netherlands: the storm has not yet calmed down
They had come to Amsterdam by the dozens, to the Wind Energy Debate, to let themselves be heard. Opponents of wind energy. Their numbers and particularly their zest testified to … Read more
Brazil too, starts production of second generation bioethanol
Production of second generation bioethanol is taking off. In Italy (Beta Renewables), US (DSM-POET), and now also in Brazil. Here, second generation ethanol factories are an addition to first generation … Read more
Community and technology development with social media
Local initiatives often have tremendous potential. They use social media in their communication and derive great strength from that. Says David Trap, online media expert, in an interview with us. … Read more
Sugar, Europe’s strength
Europe should develop a more practical vision on its future sustainable industry, says Dirk Carrez. ‘We do not have to stretch ourselves to be as sustainable and as cost-effective as … Read more
Meat is fine! No problem for world food supply, says Rudy Rabbinge
Food supply should have absolute priority, no less so in a biobased economy. Says Rudy Rabbinge, emeritus professor in sustainable development and food security at Wageningen UR. That is why … Read more
Versalis converts petrochemical plant into biorefinery
The Italian petrochemical group Versalis is working on the conversion of two European sites. It has decided to develop itself, particularly in the biobased materials. Versalis, the chemical department of … Read more
Opportunities for biobased butadiene
Butadiene is an important petrochemical with a market size of more than $40 billion, and around 60% of butadiene goes into synthetic rubber production. The relatively recent exploitation of shale … Read more
Wood fibres stronger than steel
In the future, wood fibres can be processed to be as strong as steel, or as soft as cotton. These wood fibres are biodegradable, but stronger than steel or aluminium … Read more
Energy storage: the necessary supplement to sustainable energy sources
Of course, a sustainable energy supply will depend primarily on the use of sustainable energy sources. But their intermittent availability requires major changes in the electrical grid. At all levels … Read more
Tyre recycling by devulcanisation
At present, we incinerate used car tyres, because recycling is too difficult. A new R&D program TREC, for which Michelin has established cooperation with the biotechnological company of Protéus, will … Read more
Cooperatives essential for the biobased economy, says Yvon Le Henaff
‘It is logical that farmers’ cooperatives invest in the subsequent industrial transformation of their feedstock,’ says Yvon Le Henaff, general manager of ARD, the major research company owned by French … Read more
Energy neutral instead of shale gas free
Some communities declare themselves ‘shale gas free’. Pure symbolism. They know very well that they do not have a say in this. Apparently, they have the (naïve) idea that such … Read more
Biomass Course, ten times successful
Last April, Wageningen Academy organised the Biomass Course, for the tenth year in a row, aimed at participants from industry, government, and research. A course that shows the swift developments … Read more
EuroBioRef: what future for a major European R&D project?
In the end of 2013, EuroBioRef came to a close, a major European R&D project in the field of biorefinery. The project included 29 partners in 15 countries and had … Read more
Trend: green cosmetics
Cosmetic industry takes a renewed interest in biobased resources. Plant-based materials are ‘in’. Not merely because they are in public demand – also because biorefinery delivers a growing supply of … Read more
Claude Roy: tackle global problems by valorisation of biomass
Claude Roy is a man who paints wide views with inexhaustible energy. As the chairman of the French Club des Bio-économistes his message, voiced for many years is that we … Read more
Valorise flower bulbs
Flower bulbs, a wonderful product. Again and again, tourists gasp at the sight of purple, yellow and red fields in Holland’s flower bulb area. Dutch cut flowers and flower bulbs … Read more
Logical mistakes on CO2
Our planet’s temperature rises. There is ample proof for that. CO2 emissions are the main reason, we know that for sure as well. We cannot deny that our wealth and … Read more
Glocal project: Ecover’s experiment on Mallorca
Glocal is the buzzword at Ecover: a term coined from Global and Local. Glocal also is the name of a major Ecover project, together with Forum for the Future, intended … Read more
Towards an ambitious Europe
In my increasingly eurosceptical home country, The Netherlands, intellectuals take a renewed interest in Europe. The squarely pro-European essay by the Austrian author and essayist Robert Menasse has been translated … Read more
Girlsday: a larger role for women in the biobased economy
Women should play a larger role in the biobased economy, according to two practical women. And they used # Girlsday 2014 for an instruction of 24 observation year girls of … Read more
Solar cells: Europe can regain position
Over the past ten years, we witnessed a very unbalanced development in the global solar cells sector. China rapidly expanded its production capacity, and could therefore use the latest technology … Read more