Bioeconomy - present status and future needs of industrial value chains.

The necessary reduction of greenhouse gas emissions requires a comprehensive shift from fossil to renewable raw materials. This is accompanied by a fundamental reorganization of the value chains of the energy sectors and large parts of the manufacturing industry. In the long term, bio-based industrial raw materials will be processed preferentially by the chemical industry. In order to use the raw materials as fully as possible, sectors that support cascade use and the recycling of by-products and products after use will gain in importance. These are in particular the waste management and energy sectors, which will be integrated into the circular value chains of the bioeconomy. The industrial realization of these value chains depends essentially on the legal framework conditions, which must be developed further accordingly.

How to capture the bioeconomy's industrial and regional potential through professional cluster management.

The bioeconomy transforms the fossil-based economy by forming new value chains and linking until now distinct industrial sectors. It provides an opportunity for rural as well as industrialized regions. The transformation process can be accelerated by building bioeconomy clusters comprising industries, academia and investors. Using the model of the German cluster CLIB2021 the role of cluster organisations and professional cluster management in moderating the transformation process and gaining a competetive advantage is discussed. In addition examples of how cluster management supports the formation of an industrial consortium and the analysis of regional options are presented.

Sustainability of biofuels and renewable chemicals production from biomass.

In the sectors of biofuel and renewable chemicals the big feedstock demand asks, first, to expand the spectrum of carbon sources beyond primary biomass, second, to establish circular processing chains and, third, to prioritize product sectors exclusively depending on carbon: chemicals and heavy-duty fuels. Large-volume production lines will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission significantly but also low-volume chemicals are indispensable in building 'low-carbon' industries. The foreseeable feedstock change initiates innovation, securing societal wealth in the industrialized world and creating employment in regions producing biomass. When raising the investments in rerouting to sustainable biofuel and chemicals today competitiveness with fossil-based fuel and chemicals is a strong issue. Many countries adopted comprehensive bioeconomy strategies to tackle this challenge. These public actions are mostly biased to biofuel but should give well-balanced attention to renewable chemicals as well.

Ask the experts: the challenges and benefits of flow chemistry to optimize drug development.

Against a backdrop of a struggling economic and regulatory climate, pharmaceutical companies have recently been forced to develop new ways to provide more efficient technology to meet the demands of a competitive drug industry. This issue, coupled with an increase in patent legislation and a rising generics market, makes these themes common issues in the growth of drug development. As a consequence, the importance of process chemistry and scale-up has never been more under the spotlight. Future Medicinal Chemistry wishes to share the thoughts and opinions of a variety of experts from this field, discussing issues concerning the use of flow chemistry to optimize drug development, the potential regulatory and environmental challenges faced with this, and whether the academic and industrial sectors could benefit from a more harmonized system relevant to process chemistry.

How to turn industrial biotechnology into reality.

The emerging bioeconomy is pulled by consumers asking for sustainable products and processes, governments enforcing climate protection and industries demanding feedstock flexibility and last but not least it is pushed by progress in basic and applied science. It will use renewable carbon sources not only from agri- and silviculture, but potentially also from industrial flue gases - for example, from power generation and steel production. Connecting such industries with the future bio-chemical industry results in a challenging new value chain which connects thus far separated industries. Realising this value chain needs disruptive technologies in providing sustainable carbon sources and transforming them into precursors for biochemical production up to consumer products.

White biotechnology: ready to partner and invest in.

It needs three factors to build an industry: market demand, product vision and capital. White biotechnology already produces high volume products such as feed additive amino acids and specialty products like enzymes for enantioselective biocatalysis. It serves large and diverse markets in the nutrition, wellness, pharmaceutical, agricultural and chemical industry. The total volume adds up to $ 50 billion worldwide. In spite of its proven track record, white biotechnology so far did not attract as much capital as red and even green biotechnology. However, the latest finance indicators confirm the continuously growing attractiveness of investment opportunities in white biotechnology. This article discusses white biotechnology's position and potential in the finance market and success factors.