BIO-TIC identifies Five Breakthrough Bio-based Products

The SusChem inspired BIO-TIC FP7 has identified five bio-based product groups that could have the potential to boost EU competitiveness and make a breakthrough in industrial biotechnology.

The five business cases were selected following a meeting of the BIO-TIC Advisory Committee earlier in 2013. The five business cases were selected from a list of the most promising bio-based chemicals in order to assess market orientations and 'societal' potential in Europe up to 2030.

All the cases were selected according to a criteria grid that analysed their industrial biotechnology breakthrough potential, their competitiveness in the EU market, their critical mass (analysed in terms of market projection for value and growth potential), their environmental impact, and their societal impacts.

The five product groups are:

• Non drop-in bio-based polymers (PLA and PHA)
• Chemical building blocks (platform chemicals – with a focus on succinic acid, isoprene, furfural, 1.3-PDO & 3-HPA)
• Bioethanol (2nd generation biofuels from waste) and bio-based jet fuels
• Biosurfactants
• CO2 as a bio-based feedstock

These product groups are all thought to be EU- competitive, have the potential to overcome non bio-based industry barriers, and will introduce 'cross-cutting' technology ideas.

Enzymes were not selected as a specific business case as they were considered to be a cross-cutting element that should be part of all of the five product groups selected.

For more information about the business cases, contact BIO-TIC project coordinator Antoine Peeters.

About BIO-TIC
The 'Industrial Biotech Research and Innovation Platforms Centre – towards Technological Innovation and solid foundations for a growing industrial biotech sector in Europe’ project (or BIO-TIC) was launched in September 2012 and is a three-year project offering “a solutions approach” centred on a solid road mapping exercise that will involve a broad stakeholder base from industry, knowledge organisations, governments and civil society. Three intermediary road maps will focus on market assessments and projections, research and innovation as well as non-technological barriers such as feedstock.

A series of stakeholder workshops will take place at national and European level to reach a comprehensive view on solutions BIO-TIC can offer to accelerate market uptake of industrial biotechnology. The final aim of the project will be to draw up a blueprint document with a comprehensive set of policy recommendations for overcoming the identified innovation hurdles within a selection of European business and societal opportunities.

You can find out more about the project at the BIO-TIC website and there is an active BIO-TIC Linked-In group that is open to anyone interested in the transformative potential of industrial biotechnology. The project is coordinated by EuropaBio.