Roger Kilburn, Scottish IB Development Group chair and Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) chief executive, is kicking off the congress by explaining how IBioIC is unlocking biorefining potential in Scotland.
Roger will present the ‘Biorefinery Road Map – Building a Sustainable Future’, which is a body of evidence assembled by the Scottish IB Development Group to demonstrate Scotland’s global competitiveness in biorefining and attracting inward investment.
He will highlight the ability of the nation to utilise over 27 million tonnes of biobased waste and coproducts generated per year.
The Biorefinery Road Map demonstrates the opportunities manufacturers have to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and increase the emphasis on sustainability by using biological resources instead of traditional petroleum-based methods.
Roger will explain to delegates how Scotland’s location and geography provides competitively priced, green, renewable energy from wind which has the potential to power biorefineries across key resource streams, including agricultural and forestry biomasses, whisky co-products, and carbon dioxide.
This provides both the feedstock and the energy required to utilise industrial biotechnology to manufacture useful products and drive Scotland’s transition to a low-carbon future.
Roger Kilburn, Scottish IB Development Group chair, said: “I am delighted to be able to position Scotland as a key player in a global bioeconomy at the congress.
“The Bio World Congress is the perfect platform for IBioIC to establish and strengthen direct relationships with many leading companies, individuals and institutions and detail how IBioIC is facilitating the development of symbiotic relationships between Scotland’s feedstock, infrastructure and innovative biorefining technologies to build new value chains.
The National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology for Scotland was launched in 2013 with the aim of increasing industrial biotechnology turnover from £189 million to £900 million by 2025.
It was acknowledged that biorefineries would be key to help achieve these goals and the Biorefinery Roadmap for Scotland supports this ambition.
The congress takes place in Iowa, the home of more plant and soil scientists, and Bio-refineries, than any other US state. It runs from July 8 to 11.
IBioIC staff and member companies will also be attending the congress to meet potential partners and go on site tours and learn from other experts in the IB sector.
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