Shaping the Future Biobased Landscape in Europe!

The Plant Based Summit will take place on 19 – 21 November 2013 in Paris. The event is branded as the place to connect with fellow professionals from the whole biobased value chain this year! The Summit follows up on the successful European Congress on Plant Based Chemistry in 2011.

In 2013 the biobased economy is in the process of going mainstream and deserves an event reflecting these new stakes. The Plant Based Summit is hosted by the ACDV (the Association for Plant Based Chemistry) and recognizes the industry’s need for a dedicated international forum where users and producers of biobased products can find a full spectrum of processes, new materials and solutions.

Biobased Chemistry is at a tipping point and is about to leave its niche status to become a crucial actor in a paradigm transformation of the global chemical industry the organisers believe. Biobased products with their strategic potential represent a new lead market worldwide, generating the necessity to create the efficient technology and market conditions for the future of this promising sector.

The Plant Based Summit is the natural platform for the most involved actors and innovative performers and aims to attract more than 1 000 participants, 100 speakers, 50 exhibitors around 40 conference sessions and round tables. Speakers will include SusChem board member Peter Nagler from Evonik and Rob Kirschbaum from DSM.

The venue for the Plant Based summit is the Pavilion d’Armenonville on the edge of the
Bois de Boulogne in the French capital. This charming renovated 18th century hunting lodge combines the elegance of ‘Belle Epoque’ architecture with the very latest conference technology.

Plant Based Programme
The summit programme aims at gathering all the decision makers of the chemical industry value chain with a conference agenda divided into four thematic streams:

• Industrial and consumer products
• Plastics and Materials
• New and Emerging technologies
• Global context

Industrial and consumer products will look at  the latest innovations and developments in applications of biobased components for formulations, either industrial formulation: lubricants, adhesives, plasticizers, paints, coatings, inks and solvents etc. or formulations dedicated to consumer goods: home care, personal care and so on

Biobased plastics and plant based materials represent an important part of the bioeconomy growth opportunity and this session will cover the latest developments and innovations, targeting plastics production and formulation as well as new markets opportunities. Biobased plastics performance could be equivalent to fossil-based plastics but based on renewable resources will be more sustainable. The new biobased materials can also bring new functionalities and are finding applications in almost all applications, including building, transportation, sport, packaging etc.

New and Emerging technologies for biobased products production will reflect the recent emergence of synthetic biology, the development of biotechnology applications and at the same time growing interest for new industrial technologies: gasification, supercritical fluids, microwaves, electric pulsed fields, membranes technologies, microreactors etc. with a focus on potential application to biomass transformation for biobased chemicals and biomaterials production.

The Global Context summit thematic stream will be divided into four sessions:

• Resources for the biobased economy
• Financing the biobased economy
• Promoting innovation – Cooperation projects
• Sustainability and Standardisation

More information
For more information on speaking or exhibiting at the summit or to register, visit the event website. There is also a Plant Based Summit LinkedIn group to join!

SusChem at 'Entrée en matière'

The SusChem exhibits on the Smart Energy Home (SEH) and F³ Factory (see below) are amongst a multitude of attractions featuring advanced materials and material science at the 'Entrée en matière' exhibition organised by Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Paris.

This major exhibition runs from today (19 October) to 31 October in the Trocadéro Gardens close to the Eiffel Tower in the French capital.

The SusChem exhibits were organised via the Union des Industries Chimiques who have more images from the exhibition on their Facebook page.

The exhibition covers all types of matter from the elements to galaxies, cells to neutrinos showing the beauty of nature and the excitment of science.

Entry to 'Entrée en matière' is free and the exhibition is designed to be accessible to all ages from 8 to 80 and beyond. Attractions include films, documentaries and debates with specialists.

The major themes of the event are: 'Exploring Materials', 'Transforming Materials', 'Materials for Life', and 'Dream Materials'. A number of special event days are scheduled including a 'Chemistry' Day on Saturday 29 October from 10h00 to 19h00.

In addition two conferences are being organised. On 21 October a conference on "Chemical Careers" is being held at 14h30, while the conference on 27 October at 14h30 the topic is "Decoding chemicals labels".

Not to be missed!

Plant-based Chemistry in Paris

The first European Congress on plant-based chemistry will take place in Paris on September 5 – 7. Plant-based chemistry constitutes a major avenue for progress in developing sustainable chemistry in Europe. Plant-based chemistry could enable a significant alternative feedstock resource from within the European agricultural community.

The two-day congress 'Plant-based Chemistry for 2020' will take place in the Maison de la Chimie in Paris and will welcome some 400 delegates representing the main plant-based chemistry players (including academic researchers, industry representatives, policymakers and venture capital providers) in Europe with the focus on achievements, challenges and opportunities for this field.

On the first day participants will discuss the state of play in biorefinery concepts from a number of perspectives in the morning, and assess the market for plant-based bioproducts in 2020 in the afternoon.

Policy and impact
On September 6 the programme will look at European policy statements and their likely impact by 2020 during the morning sessions. This session will include a contribution from SusChem on its position on the Knowledge-based Bioeconomy from SusChem board member Marcel Wubbolts.

The afternoon session will look at incentives and regulation and also feature the 2011 awards ceremony for the Agrobiobase bio economy competition.

In addition technical visits to a number of company facilities are possible on Wednesday September 8.

More details of the programme can be found here and details of the registration proceedure here.

The congress is co-organised by the Association Chimie du Vegetal (ACDV), Axelera, the European Renewable Resources and Materials Association (ERRMA), the Germany-based Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR), the French Industries and Agro-Resources cluster (IAR), the UK’s National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials (NNFCC) and the Union des industries Chimiques (UIC) – the French chemical industry body.