On May 15 (only two weeks away!) the Renewable Materials Summit: Markets for Building the Biorefinery will take place in Fargo, North Dakota. The event will highlight and explore the companies and markets that are driving opportunities for returns on investment that leverage the emerging bioeconomy.
We spoke with Tim Welle, Program Manager with The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, to learn a little bit more. You can click here to register for the event or learn more.
Joel Haskard: What can people expect to learn at the Renewable Materials Summit?
Tim Welle: Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the emerging biobased economy. The world is changing for manufacturers and original equiptment manufacturers (OEMs) as petroleum prices increase and consumer demand shifts toward safer materials. Local companies are providing solutions, and are highlighted at The Renewable Materials Summit.
Our keynote speaker, Steve French, will discuss the emergence of lifestyles of health and sustainability (LOHAS) consumers and what it means for marketing products. Other speakers will highlight how they are approaching opportunities in this industry, including feedstock providers, the biofuels industry, product developers, and manufacturers. Renewable materials have many of the same impacts as biofuels, such as displacing oil and encouraging rural development.
Joel: Since most of our readers are interested in energy bio-based businesses, do you see any trends in the biomass or biofuels sectors in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest?
Tim: The biofuels industry will be a critical partner in the growth of the renewable materials industry. Both advanced biofuels and biobased chemicals will be a part of integrated biorefineries, where multiple biofuels and higher value biobased chemicals can be manufactured in one location. In fact, having a diverse set of outputs can actually enable long-term profitability of biomass processing.
In addition to diversification of products from biorefineries, the feedstocks used will continue to evolve. Many of the speakers at The Renewable Materials Summit have been involved in the processing of cellulosic materials for biofuels, biobased chemicals, or biocomposites. Both forestry and agriculture industries will be impacted by these developments.
More information can be found in The Minnesota Roadmap: Recommendations for BioIndustrial Processing.
Joel: Will there be examples of smaller, scalable biomass and/or biofuels projects that communities can implement?
Tim: Biofuels production will balance between the scalability of feedstocks and the process economics. For example, used cooking oil has emerged as a critical feedstock for biodiesel production. Multiple companies in Minnesota are pursuing opportunities to right-size biofuels production based on a given business’ or communities output of these feedstocks. Additionally, local manufacturers who could work with biobased plastic are certainly a rapid way to enter and build the biobased economy.
For more information or to register, click here or to see an agenda, click here. More details about the event are below.
Event Details
The Renewable Materials Summit: Markets for Building the Biorefinery
- Date: May 15, 2012
- Time: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (includes a continental breakfast and lunch)
- Location: The Holiday Inn Fargo, 3803 13th Ave. South, Fargo, ND 58103
The world is changing for manufacturers and OEMs as petroleum prices increase and consumer demand shifts. However, these trends also provide opportunities to add value in rural communities across North America. Be prepared: Attend the premier regional summit on renewable materials!
Join CEOs, VPs, and company leadership of the companies pioneering the emerging biobased economy, including POET, Natureworks LLC, Segetis, Reluceo, Aspen Research Corporation, FlaxStalk, and many more!
Co-located events included in a conference pass: The Consulate General of Canada is partnering with The BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota and LifeScience Alley to host a happy hour the evening prior to the conference. It will occur May 14th from 6-8 PM. See the next generation of industry leaders and innovative new technologies at the Student Poster Session.
Topics:
- Keynote Address: “Finding the sustainability sweet spot: Analysis of consumer trends in sustainability across the product lifecycle”
- Strategies for industry development and regional collaboration
- Panels of industry experts will discuss:
- Product and market development for renewable materials
- Emerging technologies and companies
- Biorefinery growth through innovation and partnerships
- Biofiber supply chain development
- Financing for research and companies
Links:
Click for more information or to register
Click here for the agenda
