We are very pleased to invite you to the International Scientific Conference “Sustainable Bioeconomy Development 2020: From Thinking Globally to Acting Locally” that will be held virtually on 25 June 2020.

The conference is organized by the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy and the Faculty of Economics and Social Development of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies.

The conference is dedicated to interdisciplinary scientific discussions and new ideas related to the following topics:

• Sustainability as a Key for Bioeconomy Challenges;
• Bioeconomy for Rural Development;
• Innovation to Investments, Markets and the Bio-Based Sector.

Within this conference, consortium of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project “BalticBiomass4Value” is organising a panel discussion “Bioeconomy: Seizing the Opportunity for Rural Areas” that will be held from 9:40 AM to 11:00 AM (Lithuanian time).

Themes of the discussion:

• Actions for developing sustainable bioeconomy in the Baltic States and other parts of the Baltic Sea Region, similarities and differences in applied approaches;
• Business model innovation for sustainable bio-based business development and what environment is needed that they would flourish;
• Role of rural areas in the equation of sustainable bioeconomy development, what benefits they may expect.

In collaboration with P&G (Procter & Gamble) Biobridges project is launching a call for innovative circular and bio-based solutions to answer the specific needs of these brands. On the 24^th of June 2020, in the context of an international webinar, industries, SMEs, Start-ups, Research centres, and other bio-based solution providers, will have a unique opportunity to pitch their ideas to P&G and start a proactive market dialogue with them, discussing on the pros and cons of possible solutions to address the specific challenges pre-identified by the Brands.

Why to apply? To get your circular economy and bio-based solution considered by a global brands and to grab the opportunity to initiate a market dialogue with them!

Who can apply? Bio-based industries, SMEs, Start-ups, Research centres, EU funded projects.

What type of circular and bio-based solutions P&G is looking for?

·         Bio-based liquid solutions for electric shavers cleaning systems (P&G -Braun)

·         Bio-based plastic or alternative disposable cartridge for electric shavers cleaning system (P&G – Braun)

·         Circular and/or Bio-based solutions and materials for manual toothbrushes (P&G – Oral-B)

We believe that you could be interested in participating! Please note that the deadline is the 5^th June 2020.

More information and detailed description of the challenges identified by P&G can be found here: https://www.biobridges-project.eu/news-events/news/p-g-and-biobridges-call-for-innovative-solutions/

To apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11L4vFxC9m02THBa_pq1MA5S6-IUeGcub_dm0ScY9P4M/edit

For additional information, please contact info@biobridges-project.eu

1.Future fish grows on trees (Björn Alriksson, RISE Processum)

The depletion of the fish stocks in the oceans has led to an intensified interest in novel feed ingredients for fish feed  in  aquaculture.The Swedish Innovation organisation RISE Processum is exploring a technology concept of turning wood into food by utilizing industrial residual streams for production of Single cell protein Single cell protein can be used as a sustainable substitute for conventional protein sources such as fishmeal and soy protein in fish feed.The technology concept has been proved at lab, pilot and demonstration scale and commercialization opportunities are currently being discussed.

2. Biocoal and biogas from wet organic waste (Peter Axegård, C-green)

C-Green has developed a process that converts wet biowaste from effluent treatment plants, biogas plants and manure into dry, sterile and odorless BIOCAOL. The wet oxidation not only produce heat by exothermal reaction lowering the COD-content in separated water, it also produces organic acids that will increase production of biogas. The GHG footprint is positive due production of biocoal and biogas and that GHG emissions from current sludge handling are reduced.Incineration of the biocoal makes it possible to utilize the energy content and nutrients in the sludge without spreading environmentally harmful substances and pathogens. The technology is now applied in demo scale at StoraEnso’s fluting mill (Heinola, Finland).

Safe your free webinar place now:http://ketbio.eu/resource?id=7255…

Webinar Start : 08/05/2020 12:00

Corona does not stop the student competition BISC-E. On the contrary, the crisis gives students extra time to work on their biobased product or process. TKI-BBE organizes a digital kick-off meeting on Wednesday 15 April at 3:00 PM.

The Challenge

All teams develop a bio-based innovation (product or process) and present their ideas via a participation file and a presentation to a jury of experts from industry and science. The presentation has to be accompanied by a few supporting documents explaining sustainability, technical feasibility and economic viability of your innovation.

The jury will assess these teams via an online preselection. The 3 best teams will be selected for the Belgian finals. Teams who continue through to the finals will have to submit a complete dossier. This dossier consists of the original participation file and presentation, as well as an updated version of the participation file and presentation based on the feedback of the jury that was given during the preselection and bsed on the coaching over the summer. In addition, the group needs to explain their progress and decision making in an extra explanatory letter to the jury.

All rules can be found in this document.

For Who?

The challenge is open for all BSc and MSc students. Due to the multidisciplinary character of the challenge it is recommended to embody multiple disciplines in your team, of which exact science should be one. Team members can come from different institutions.

Everybody wins

Participating in BISC-E will give you valuable experience in the emerging bio-based work field, in developing a new product or process with all its aspects and in presenting innovative ideas for a panel of experts. On top of that there are great prizes to be won.

How to apply

To register for the BISC-E, participants need to fill out this form with your presentation and submit it before 12 june 2020.

To be eligible for the competition you need:

 – A team name

– A team manager (one of the student team members)

– A supervisor

– Fill out the participation form

– Personal details of the team members

What

The student teams are asked to develop a bio-based product or bio-based process that could be integrated in the current (or near future) economy.

A bio-based product is a product composed in whole, or for a significant part, of biological material derived from renewable biological sources, including plant, animal or marine materials. Where product is defined as: substance, mixture of substances, material or object resulting from a production process, this can be an intermediate, material, semi-finished or final product.

Two tracks can be followed.

1. For innovation concerning a bio-based product.

2. For innovations leading to a bio-based process or bio-based improvements of a process step. Also services or other innovations strongly advancing the bio-based economy not leading to a touchable prototype product that can be presented fall in this category.

Timeline

12 June 2020 – Submission Deadline

7-8 July 2020 – Online Preselection

1 October – Belgian Finals

Prizes

First prize  €1000

Second prize €500

Third prize €250

Source: https://www.ugent.be/greenchem/en/recentactivities/biobasedstudentchallenge.htm