Multinational corporations such as KLM, Danone, L'Oreal and RABO Bank featured in the EFIB agenda

May 10, 2011 - PRLog -- EuropaBio, in partnership with IntertechPira, have announced the programme agenda, featuring KLM, Danone, L'Oreal, RABO Bank, Burrill & Co and Genencor, for the 4th annual European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology & The Biobased Economy – EFIB 2011.

Joanna Dupont-Inglis, Industrial Biotechnology Director at EuropaBio said: “We are pleased to bring EFIB to Amsterdam this year and to organise it in co-operation with NIABA, the Netherlands’ Biotechnology Industry Association. The agenda will feature a large number of leading Dutch organisations and will also included high level presentations from a range of international speakers. Although EFIB focuses largely on European industry, it has captured the interest from attendees around the world, including North America, Asia and Australia, which we are delighted about. We aim to continue attracting a truly international audience to help foster global cooperation.”

Taking place on 18-20 October 2011 at the Novotel Amsterdam City Hotel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, EFIB 2011 will feature over 60 speakers in 2 plenary and 6 parallel tracks evaluating the evolving context and growing significance of the industrial biotechnology sector.

2 plenary sessions will discuss timely topics including the role of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy reform in the bioeconomy, bioplastics markets, the use of the bio-based products by mainstream brands such as Danone and L’Oreal and the utilisation of biofuels by the aviation industry.

The views of governments and policy-makers will also be covered by presentations from the EU Commission and from Groenlinks, the Dutch Green Political Party. Multinational experts in the area of Industrial Biotech will assess future developments in the industry in addition to discussing successful strategies on how to bring new products to markets.

These and many more topics will be presented by representatives from Novozymes, Copa-Cogeca, RABOBank Group CSR, European Bioplastics, KLM, Evonik Degussa, Metabolic Explorer, Genencor and DSM. The closing plenary keynote speech will be delivered by Dr Roger Wyse from the leading biotechnology investment firm, Burrill & Company, who will outline challenges to financing a global biobased economy and opportunities for emerging markets.

6 tracks covering research, NGO perspective, innovation, strategy, policy, financing and business will be run in parallel, in sets of 3 on each day. The Research session will look into breakthroughs in industrial biotechnology and biorefinery research and feature speakers from the European Commission, Utrecht University, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Finnish Biorefine Programme, TNO, Wacker Chemie, ARD and Umea University.

The NGO discussion session, with representatives from NGOs, industry and policy makers will discuss how sustainability can be measured, visualized and implemented in sourcing and the value chain. It will provide a platform for NGOs involved in the development of policy in these fields to express their views and positions on where the challenges, threats and opportunities lie for Europe. The panel will include Prof Lene Lange of Aalborg University Copenhagen, Ian Hudson of DuPont, Willy de Greef of IBRS, Richard Perkins of WWF, Tone Knudsen of Bellona Foundation as well as representatives from IUCN and Solidaridad.

EFIB 2011 will feature 2 Innovation sessions, one on each day. Chaired by Prof Luuk van der Wielen of Delft University of Technology and Nicolas Denis of McKinsey & Company, these tracks will examine different innovative biobased products developed by Amsilk, Ortus Energy, Deinove, Süd-Chemie, BioAmber, Evocatal, Artes Biotechnology, C-lecta, CIB Frankfurt, Realco, Metabolix, Autodisplay Biotech, DSM Innovation Centre, Biocee, Ghent University, Graphite Resources and Purac.

Chaired by Joanna Dupont-Inglis, Industrial Biotech Director at EuropaBio (one of the organisers of EFIB), the Strategy track will discuss the importance of improving awareness and understanding of the bio-economy through targeted communications. Representatives from Novozymes, Genius, ASTM International, Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation and BIO.NRW will share their experience and analyse challenges and opportunities within this field. Five presentations will be followed by a panel debate on the subject of ‘Communicating the Knowledge-Based Bio-economy (KBBE)’.

The Policy, Financing & Business session will explore how to prosperously develop biobased products from feedstock to end product. This track will be chaired by Nathalie Moll, Secretary General of EuropaBio, and will include presentations from Süd-Chemie, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Family & Youth, FUBIO ForestCluster, CLIB2021, B-Basic, Roquette Freres, LISBP-INSA and Dalberg.

Full details of all presentations can be found on the event’s official website www.efibforum.com.

EFIB 2011 will also feature an exhibition with over 35 stands and an extensive networking programme including the pre-conference drinks reception, a Drinks Reception at the Heineken Brewery sponsored by the main event sponsor Genencor. In order to maximise networking at the event, 1-TO-1 Partnering Software, enabling participants to pre-arrange meetings, will also be available for all attendees.

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About EuropaBio
EuropaBio is the European Association for Bioindustries.
Its mission is to promote an innovative and dynamic biotechnology-based industry in Europe. For more information, please visit www.europabio.org

About IntertechPira
IntertechPira provides events, market research, publications, strategic and technical consulting to niche, emerging and high growth industries.

Market coverage includes industrial biotechnology, lighting and displays, clean energy, home and personal care, performance materials and chemicals. IntertechPira is a division of Pira International.