Biobased Live: Innovation for Sustainable Products

From 31 May to 1 June the BioBased Live Europe event will be taking place at the Amsterdam Science Park. BioBased Live aims to take biobased innovations from laboratory to market through best practice sharing and making biobased products a key part of sustainable strategies.

BioBased Live and its organisers, BioBased World News, believe there has never been a more exciting time to work in the biobased industries - and SusChem agrees! Global production of biobased chemicals now exceeds 60 million tonnes with the global market for biobased chemicals expected to increase to at least $12.2 billion by 2021. We want to support this sustainable shift towards the circular economy and bio-based products.

What is BioBased Live Europe?
This second annual meeting offers an interactive and intimate environment to make biobased innovations a key part of future sustainable strategies. Bringing together CEOs, senior R&D,and Process Heads with the sustainability professionals, brand marketing specialists and end users, the event creates a unique platform to do business and create practical takeaways to ensure long-term sustainable success.

As an emerging industry the journey from lab innovation to commercialisation for biobased products can be a difficult one. It is a convoluted ecosystem and all actors are required to collaborate and work together to ensure a productive future for the bio-based industry. This is where Biobased Live comes in.

Focus of the event, in which SusChem will participate is on two themes:

• Process Innovation & Technology - developing biobased and green innovations that are cost-competitive at commercial scale.
• Sustainable Products - improving the triple bottom line for brands and retailers by placing biobased and green adoption at the heart of sustainability strategies.

You can find out more at the BioBased Live website, where you can look at the event's agenda, download a brochure for the event and, of course, register. SusChem stakeholders are being offered a 15% discount on registration fees using the code SUS15.

Energy Fest in Amsterdam

From May 24 to 28 the Startup Fest Europe is taking place in the Netherlands under the patronage of Prince Constantijn van Oranje. This exciting cluster of events is designed to connect innovative talent and their breakthrough technologies with investors and corporate innovators worldwide. As part of this event on Thursday 26 May Shell, DSM, Eneco, Rockstart, Sungevity and Salesforce are hosting an Energy Fest at the Shell Technology Centre in Amsterdam. The event will explore how innovators are tackling the biggest energy transition challenges.

Energy Fest promises to be an exciting day of energy technology innovation featuring breakthrough solutions and disruptive technologies in the start-up ecosystem. Energy Fest will experiment with taking collaboration and creativity to a new level that can tackle our current energy challenges and tap into new opportunities. The event offers accelerated match-making between venture capital investors, corporate innovation programmes and start-up companies to stimulate collaboration as well as ‘bigger picture’ insights from government and thought leaders.

If you are a start-up, corporate, venture capitalist or someone with an interest in energy innovation then you should attend Energy Fest to hear leading experts speak at the Energy Fest conference and panels. The speakers include Maros Sevkovic (Vice President of the European Commission responsible for the Energy Union policy), Bertrand van Ee (CEO of the Climate KIC), and Rob van Leen (Chief Innovation Officer at DSM).

Connect and collaborate
The event will allow delegates to connect and collaborate with great thinkers from Silicon Valley and The Netherlands, to explore our Start-up Village displaying a multitude of exciting energy start-ups and enjoy facilitated matchmaking between start-up companies, venture capitalists, corporates, start-up accelerators and potential customers. You can also discover the corporate innovation support programmes available to innovators and start-ups at Shell, DSM, Salesforce and Eneco.

You can also attend our start-up pitch competitions. Energy Fest will hold an open pitch competition focusing on three areas ripe for innovation:

• Renewable Energy & Storage
• IT in Energy, and
• Oil & Gas

If you are a start-up looking for funding and acceleration then you cannot afford to miss this opportunity to present your ideas to a broad audience of potential investors and an expert jury.

How to register
Attending the Energy Fest is free of charge, but there are only a limited number of places available. To reserve your place, please click on this link to register today!

Save the date: Industrial Technologies - Creating a Smart Europe June 22-24

The Netherlands Presidency of the European Union will be hosting the European Conference Industrial Technologies 2016 to be held from 22 to 24 June 2016 at the RAI Conference Centre in Amsterdam.

Industrial Technologies 2016 will be the largest networking conference in the field of new production technologies, materials, nanotechnology, biotechnology and digital technologies in Europe with more than 1 250 high level delegates expected.

The conference's advisory board includes a number of SusChem stakeholders - not least SusChem's Chairman of the Board Dr Klaus Sommer.

"Innovation is the basis of Europe’s competitiveness. In particular piloting and demonstration facilities are important to bridge the gap between research and competitive business," says Dr Sommer. "New technologies play a key role in this effort, signified by e.g. the focus on Key Enabling Technologies."

"Europe would benefit from a stronger sense of community between innovation and technology players. The conference is a great opportunity to network but also to emphasize the importance together with the European Commission," concludes Dr. Sommer.

Creating a Smart Europe
The three day conference will bring together personalities involved in research, industry, education, finance and policy activities from  manufacturing and process industry and technology domains from all over Europe to identify priorities that are crucial to strengthen the European industrial innovation ecosystem and deliver ‘A Smart Europe’.

Reasons to attend include:

• Inspiring keynotes and eye-opening site visits
• Interaction to identify priorities for the policy agenda
• Networking with European players in research, industry, finance and policy

Registration is now open and 'early bird' fees will apply until 15 April.

A provisional schedule for the conference is available. To keep up to date with developments for the conference visit the conference website and subscribe to the conference newsletter. You can also follow the conference on Twitter via @IndTech16.

Amsterdam videos on SusChem YouTube

During the recent Amsterdam SusChem Stakeholder meeting our media partners for the event, ICIS Chemical Business, made video interviews with many of the participants. Three of these videos have now been uploaded onto the SusChem YouTube channel for wider distribution.

The three videos available on the SusChem YouTube channel are:

• SusChem board members Peter Nagler of Evonik and Gernot Klotz from Cefic discussing the role SusChem can play in EIPs.

• Marcel Wubbolts of DSM talking about the importance of the bio-economy to Europe.

• Klaus Sommer of Bayer describing how work on one of the SusChem inspired EIPs/PPPs on resource efficiency in the process industry is progressing.

The videos are also accessible via the YouTube sidebar on this blog.

Further coverage of the event can be found via the special issue of ICIS Interactive published earlier in the week.

We hope you enjoy our coverage of the Amsterdam event! You can keep up to date on all SusChem activities by:

• Following this news blog
• Visiting the SusChem website
• Following @SusChem on Twitter

The Suschem Amsterdam Stakeholder event was an offical event of the International Year of Chemistry 2011.

ICIS Interactive - SusChem Special

A special issue of ICIS Interactive hosted and edited by John Baker, one of ICIS Chemical Business' most experienced editors, has just been published. This digital newsletter features images and viewpoints from the SusChem Stakeholder event in Amsterdam.

The publication covers all aspects of the SusChem Stakeholder event from 17 May and encompasses articles on the how, why and when of European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs), SusChem's goals and current work in this area, and gives insights on many other aspects of SusChem's programme.



A series of video interviews are featured including:

• Waldemar Kütt from Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn’s cabinet explaining European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs).


• SusChem board members Peter Nagler and Gernot Klotz discussing the role SusChem can play in EIPs.


• Gerard van Harten from Dow outlining why industry needs to get involved.


• Marcel Wubbolts of DSM talking about the importance of the bio-economy to Europe.


• Nelo Emerencia of VNCI and SusChem Nederland explaining why SusChem national platforms have a key role to play.


• Klaus Sommer of Bayer describing how work on one of the SusChem inspired EIPs on resource efficiency in the process industry is progressing.

The Amsterdam event panel discussion and closing remarks are also covered by photo features.

To access this ICIS Interactive Special either click on the cover image above or click here. The ICIS Interactive will then open in a new window.

Amsterdam Event in Pictures

A small selection of images from the SusChem Amsterdam event.


SusChem board members and event organisers relax during the evening before the main event on a trip around Amsterdam's famous canals.


Waldemar Kütt from Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn's cabinet makes a point on EIPs during his plenary speech.


Renée Bergkamp, Director-General of Enterprise & Innovation, in the Netherlands Economic Affairs ministry, described how the Dutch government supports chemical innovation.


Gerard van Harten, CEO of Dow Benelux, being interviewed by John Baker of ICIS for ICIS Interactive.


During lunch delegates could view the exhibition 'Our Children on Water' organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry.


The Resource Efficiency in the Process Industry workshop gets under way in the afternoon.

Many more photos will be available via the ICIS Interactive report available soon.

An Excellent Stakeholder Dialogue

The 9th SusChem Stakeholder in Amsterdam was a dynamic event that again showed SusChem to be the European network for sustainable chemistry in Europe. Delegates discussed and contributed to SusChem's plans for European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs - see separate report) and caught up on other SusChem developments.

SusChem board member Peter Nagler (right) of Evonik summed up the event saying "We have had a good and interesting day, a lively discussion and good ideas on how to drive things forward."

With respect to the EIPs he noted a key word: Simplicity. "It is a challenge to all of us to build a saleable story, to get better understanding by all stakeholders - indeed all Europeans to actively support these critically important initiatives," Nagler said.

Commitment
Nagler also stated that the chemical industry is fully engaged with the EIP task as are the European Commission. He sensed differing opinions in the various EU Member States on detail, but all welcomed the EU2020 Agenda where it engaged with national priorities. It was likely that each country would assess their commitment to each EIP on a case-by-case basis.

But there was a need for speed and focus to achieve the ambitions of the EU2020 Agenda. The initial task was to build a common understanding of the challenges in order to build common targets. Nagler speculated if technology platform can change mentalities? In particular to promote entrepreneurship in Europe - is it a mindset or can we educate people to be entrepreneurs? "In any case SusChem must promote further dialogue with stakeholders and the wider society," he stated.

EIPs: work in progress
The Commission's EU2020 implementation process was evolving and the four SusChem work groups' activities were ongoing. The aim to achieve concrete plans by mid-2011 had been pushed forward by the workshops in Amsterdam.

The key messages that chemistry and the chemical industry are solution provider was loud and clear. The essential role of SusChem in EIPs was to align stakeholders and drive deliverables.

A further key message was that the value chain approach championed by SusChem was the way forward. "Within the workgroups this afternoon it became clear that there is no one component in the value chain that can deliver comprehensive solutions alone: we need to engage the whole value chain," Nagler emphasised.

Over the next year SusChem had plenty or work to do and would look forward to the first substantial steps forward for EIPs in its areas of interest.

EIP viewpoints
Earlier delegates were welcomed by Gerard van Harten (left) CEO of Dow Beneluxand Chair of the SusChem national platform in the Netherlands. He wished everyone an "inspiring day". He believed that the SusChem national platforms provided a vital link between EU and national R&I activities. The day's programme was outlined by Peter Nagler who encouraged the audience to "think big". He compared SusChem to the event venue - the Beurs van Berlage. "Both were created to create value and improve competitiveness," he stated. "Sustainability is a comprehensive innovation opportunity."

Following a video message from Cefic president Giorgio Squinzi, Waldemar Kütt from Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn's cabinet described the evolution of the EIP concept. He said that EIP proposals should not cover too broad a policy area, needed to "focus on a few 'killer' activities" and must be targeted to aligning existing R&I tools. He anticipated announcements on the next "wave" of EIPs in September or October following evaluation of the initial EIP on Healthy Aging.

Dutch civil servant Renée Bergkamp, Director -General of Enterprise and Innovation in the Economics ministry, described the R&I policy landscape in the Netherlands. Chemistry had been identified as one of the country's top nine sectors. Each of the "top sectors" had a "top team" including industry, SMEs, science and government to plan national priority programmes. Netherlands would consider engagement with EIPs on a case-by-case basis in terms of how they fitted with national policy.


Following a coffee break a lively panel discussion led by EU journalist Willy de Backer (above far right) saw Waldemar Kütt (right) and Gerard van Harten joined by Janneke Timmerman - a government member of the Dutch "top team" for the chemistry sector - that really opened up discussion on EIPs to stakeholder questions.

ICIS Interactive reports
ICIS - the SusChem media partner for the Amstersdam event was active videoing interviews with speakers and SusChem leaders during the day and will be producing a special edition of the digital publication 'ICIS Interactive' on the event and SusChem developments in the very near future.

The SusChem 9th Stakeholder event was proud to be an official event of the International Year of Chemistry 2011.

Follow the SusChem event on Twitter

SusChem News is tweeting 'live' from the stakeholder event in Amsterdam. Comments and images from the event are being posted at the SusChem twitter page. Blogs to follow later today.

SusChem twitter account can be accessed at http://twitter.com/Suschem

Chem industry uniquely placed to deliver EIPs

In a news release today (17 May) at its Amsterdam Stakeholder event, the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem) announced the next steps in its plan to play a leading role in four critical societal challenges for Europe. These steps, unveiled at the SusChem annual event in Amsterdam, aim to further demonstrate the chemical and biotechnology industry as an essential partner in the EU Innovation Union.

There is a way to bring innovative ideas to market in much shorter timescales. However, speeding up delivery depends on a radically new approach to innovation, i.e. through wide-scale collaboration that stimulates innovation simultaneously at various stages of the value chain.

The chemical industry, one of the few European industries that still retains world leadership, is acknowledged as a principle source of innovation for other sectors in Europe.


“The chemical and biotechnology industry is uniquely positioned to be an active value chain captain in Europe,” commented Peter Nagler (right), of Evonik and SusChem Board member responsible for innovation. “SusChem builds on its excellent track record of cooperation with a whole range of industry sectors across national borders – by doing so, it is already putting the Innovation Union into practice.”

SusChem has developed proposals in four areas where sustainable chemistry has a leading role to play:

• Resource efficiency - Bringing energy savings in a demonstration plant that allows reduction of CO2 emissions by 50% and increasing the use of renewable feedstocks by 20% beyond 2020 along the value chain

• Water efficient Europe - Reducing competition between the public and private sectors for scarce water resources.

• Smart cities - Improving energy storage and renovating housing

• Raw materials for a modern society - Addressing scarce resource issues through new materials initiatives and improved recycling / reuse efficiency

“Neither the public or private sector can do it alone. These partnership proposals have the potential to improve the quality of life in Europe and deliver key gains for society as a whole,” concludes Nagler. “They can also drive new markets and make a major impact on various business sectors. The time is right therefore to give our stakeholders a clear-cut proposal of what our industry can achieve in the Innovation Partnerships.”

More background on the proposed EIPs can be found on this blog posting.

SusChem is a European Technology Platform that brings together stakeholders from many different backgrounds to boost sustainable chemistry with a focus on technology, research and innovation issues. It was founded in 2004 by Cefic and EuropaBio.

Visit the SusChem website at: www.suschem.org

Amsterdam Registrations Accelerate!

Registrations for the SusChem Amsterdam Stakeholder event have accelerated over the Easter break. But organisers are looking for as wide a participation as possible as SusChem debates major new programmes that could have a significant impact for the sustainable chemistry community in Europe.

The Amsterdam event comes at a key moment in the development of SusChem’s proposals for its involvement in European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) and the next European Research and Innovation Framework programme.

“The SusChem board feel that stakeholder consultation on the SusChem proposals and recommendations is of great strategic importance,” explains Ger Spork, Innovation Manager at Cefic and SusChem coordinator. “The Amsterdam meeting is key in terms of both timing and getting stakeholder input on how the European sustainable chemistry community can make a leading contribution to addressing some of society’s major challenges.”

“Although we are always open to receive input from our stakeholders at any time, the Amsterdam event will be the main forum for debate. Participants can learn more about both the EU 2020 programme and the SusChem proposals, but also make a direct input to the planning,” continues Spork.

Our Beurs van Berlage venue is limited to 150 participants and current registration rates indicate that the event will reach the maximum capacity, so to avoid disappointment register now !

EIPs explained
One of the main aims of the event is to give an insight on the aims and objectives of EIPs. Following an outline of SusChem’s proposed role in achieving the EU2020 agenda objectives from SusChem chairman Paul-Joel Derian, delegates will get a briefing on EIPs from both the perspective of the European Commission and a Member State.

The Commission view will be given by Waldemar Kütt a senior member of Research and Innovation Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn’s cabinet. Dr. Kütt obtained his PhD from the Technical University in Aachen in solid state physics and semiconductor technology before working as a technology and innovation consultant with a focus on patent licensing deals and financing of start-ups. He joined DG Research in 1997 and is currently responsible for the co-ordination of innovation and SME policies in the life sciences area.

A Member State point of view will be described by Renée Bergkamp who is currently Director-General of Enterprise and Innovation at the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. She graduated in law at the VU University in Amsterdam and began her government career in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries with subsequent appointments including time at the Ministry of Justice and further senior roles in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and in the Ministry of Agriculture.

EIP panel
After coffee the morning session will conclude with a panel discussion on how to ensure Member State engagement, support and participation with EIPs where Waldemar Kütt will be joined by the President of Dow Benelux Gerard Van Harten and a number of Member State representatives. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Willy de Backer.

Gerard van Harten was appointed President and Chairman of the Board of Dow Benelux, responsible for all Dow locations in Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg, in March 2002. Gerard joined Dow in 1977 as a Process Engineer at the Dow Terneuzen site after graduating in Chemical Engineering from the Technical Universite Twente. His career in Dow has seen him alternating between positions of increasing responsibility in Terneuzen and Dow’s Freeport, Texas facilities.

The afternoon session in Amsterdam is dedicated to workshops on the proposed SusChem programme for EIPs. Details of the proposed projects and the session itself will be covered in a subsequent news blog. More programme details can be found on the SusChem website.

IYC Art Exhibition at Amsterdam Meeting

SusChem stakeholders will have the opportunity to take an exclusive preview of an international art exhibition during the SusChem Annual Stakeholder event in Amsterdam on 17 May.

During the lunch interval the exhibition “Our Children on Water” will take place. Created by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) as a contribution to the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) this unique international art exhibition consists of artwork created by children from three African and six European countries depicting the role that water plays in their lives.

The three African countries involved are South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia and the photo below ((C)Zoe Heaton) shows children from Abyot Public School in Ethiopia getting involved.


The artwork has been produced under the title 'Water: Refreshment or Responsibility?' The resulting collection of artwork displays breathtaking imagination and shows children's views on water from many different, thought-provoking perspectives. The artwork in addition helps to draw attention to the role of chemists in industry and academia in providing safe and clean water around the world.

European tour
The exhibition will take place in Beurs Van Berlage in Amsterdam on 17 May. Following exhibition at the SusChem Amsterdam event "Children on Water" will tour major European cities including London, Frankfurt, Prague, Rome and Barcelona throughout 2011 in collaboration with a number of European and African chemical societies. The official launch for the exhibition will be held at the European Parliament in Brussels in June.

The "Our Children on Water" project is a high profile exhibition that serves to showcase the chemical community’s involvement in the pursuit of clean and safe water for everyone.

Register for Amsterdam Stakeholder Event

SusChem’s 9^th Stakeholder Event takes place in the heart of Amsterdam on May 17^th 2011. This year the focus for discussion will be on sustainable chemistry’s role in ensuring the EU 2020 Agenda boosts prosperity in Europe and specifically how SusChem stakeholders can get involved in European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs).

As previously announced the 2011 SusChem Stakeholder event will be held in the historic Beurs van Berlage conference facility (below) in central Amsterdam. The venue situated between the city's Central Station and de Dam square. The event's working title is 'Partners for Sustainable Growth - Chemistry at the roots of the EU 2020 Strategy'.

EIPs are the new large-scale Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) - part of the EU's 2020 Agenda and Innovation Union - designed to accelerate the pace of innovation and make sure that Europe’s world-class research and commercial strengths are employed effectively to bring sustainable products and services rapidly (and profitably) to market.


EIPs are designed to deliver the sustainable business development promise of benefits for people, planet and profit. Clearly the chemical sciences and industry has a pivotal role in boosting innovation and competitiveness across Europe and can play leading roles in a number of EIPs.

Morning session
During the morning of the Stakeholder event delegates will learn how the EIP concept was developed and will be deployed from Commission officials and government representatives. SusChem chairman Paul-Joel Derian (below) will outline the platform’s role and aspirations for EU 2020. A panel discussion will cover the interface between EIPs and Members State authorities with interventions from the Commission, academia, industry and stakeholders.


After lunch there will be three parallel workshops on EIPs that are of particular interest to the chemical community:

• Resource Efficiency
• Water Efficient Europe
• Smart Cities

The workshops will provide stakeholders with information on the proposed programmes in these areas and seek input on their draft Roadmaps and Work Programmes. These EIPs represent real opportunities for collaborative partners along their respective value chains to be at the forefront of the Innovation Union.

Innovation agenda
The European innovation agenda – the EU2020 agenda – has been decisively shaped to encourage European enterprise to invent and adopt sustainable solutions to address the major challenges facing society. SusChem is determined to take a leading role in EU2020 initiatives dedicated to innovation, resource efficiency and industrial policy, and to bring strong support to achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe.

The proposals for the successor to FP7, currently under consultation, will be designed to support and implement EU2020 policies.

As a multi-stakeholder platform, with a structure that covers both pan-European and national entities, SusChem is ideally suited to engage in broad dialogue on innovation topics and to strengthen cross-sectoral and transnational cooperation covering the full value chain.

Get involved - register today
The Amsterdam Stakeholder event is your opportunity to get involved with, and contribute to, innovation programmes that have the potential to drive new markets and make a major impact on the sector and the European economy as a whole.

You need to know about the challenges and opportunities involved in the EU2020 agenda. You need to ensure that your organisation’s perspective is part of the discussion.

For more details on the 9^th Stakeholder event visit the SusChem website, consult the draft agenda for the event or go direct to the registration page.

SusChem News looks forward to seeing you at to the SusChem Stakeholder Event on May 17^th and getting your input on SusChem’s plans to get the chemistry right for EU2020 success!

The SusChem Stakeholder Event in Amsterdam is part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011.