Attendees Gain Knowledge, Make Connections At 5th Bio-Based Summit

The 5th Annual Bio-Based and Sustainable Chemicals Summit, held last week in San Diego, California, brought together nearly 200 industry leaders to discuss and debate the critical developments the industry is currently facing, including innovative feedstocks, end-user applications, and progress of established and new chemical production platforms and applications. Session topics included "Feedstocks for the Future — Availability and Selection," "Direct Conversion of Biomass to Sugars or Other Products," "C3 – C6: Biobased Building Block Chemicals," "Emerging Biobased Polymers and Monomers," and "Spurring Market Adoption — Brand Owner and Chemical Major Perspectives." In addition, there were case studies presented on biobased acrylic acid, biobased succinic acid, and licensing efforts in cellulosic biofuels.

Kathleen M. Roberts, Executive Director of BRAG and Chair of the Summit, commented that "It was exciting to hear of the remarkable progress this innovative industry has made over the last few years. As a young industry, there is tremendous value in the larger community coming together to collaborate and compare notes on the science, business, and regulatory successes, as well as setbacks. I was very impressed with the in-depth case study presentations, the frank panel discussions, and the thought-provoking question and answer sessions. It was an honor to be among this gathering of the best and brightest in the sector."

Lawrence D. Sloan, President of SOCMA, added that "This conference brought together true start-ups, advanced start-ups ready to license their technologies to big chemical companies, industry consultants, non-profits, government agencies, and financing professionals, offering attendees four days of excellent networking opportunities. The case studies helped highlight the fact that industrial biotechnology has the potential to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels while utilizing waste agricultural products that would otherwise be discarded. For the most part, the so called 'green premium' does not exist, and the early innovators must compete ever harder against the incumbent players."

Those who did not attend are encouraged to watch for news of the 6th Summit, tentatively scheduled for February 2015. There are a number of excellent upcoming conferences at which BRAG will present and/or lead panels, including the BIO World Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May 2014, and the 18th Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference in Bethesda, Maryland, in June 2014. See the "Seminars and Conferences" page of BRAG's website for details.

Copies of 5th Annual Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Summit presentations are available by contacting chad.howlin@lawbc.com.