CEFIC

Ambition: drive the European Bio-Based Market

BIOCHEM aims to support companies entering the rapidly emerging market for bio-based products. PNO has been the architect of the project and participates as a partner to this Euro 4.5m programme involving 17 innovation organisations across seven countries (UK, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Spain). The BIOCHEM consortium partners include innovation agencies, venture and public funding bodies and programme consultancies.

Over a three-year timeline, their mission is to develop a technical and business support toolbox to help at least 250 companies innovate in the bio-based products market.

There are several strong drivers for this project, particularly climate change - with a global target for an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 - and energy security. Bio-based non-food products typically come from plants, trees and bio waste with typical end products in the bio-plastics, bio-lubricants, bio-surfactant, enzyme and pharmaceutical sectors.

The EU currently accounts for about 30% of the global $77bn. bio-based products market – which is expected to more than treble by 2020.

EU Funding as an important facilitator

Public funding plays an important role to help realize the ambitions of SusChem and the European chemical industry, towards an innovative and sustainable sector and a crucial contributor to tackling the major societal challenges. PNO has been contacted by the European Federation for the Chemical Industry (CEFIC), to support the project design and EU Grant Proposal.

Ger Spork, CEFIC:

”In the strategic objectives of SusChem, to build from the success in Research, to also address the path towards Innovation, a specific action was developed to address the support needs for SME’s to contribute to an innovation-speed acceleration, in the area of White Biotechnology as a clear priority area within the SusChem agenda.

The support of PNO was requested to find a good fit with public engagement, which brought us at the INNOVA-call, and they prepared an excellent project package, based on the earlier work of the SusChem Horizontal Workgroup activities, as well as a very strong, complementary consortium, that includes also several of our National SusChem Platforms, which is seen to be key to be able to reach out to SME’s. Therefore this project will also be a structural enhancement of the collaboration between National and European level of our Technology Platform workprogram”

Ron Weerdmeester, PNO:

"Analyzing SusChems strategic objectives and the requirements of the EC’s DG Enterprise, we firstly identified lack of awareness of bio-based market potential, need for faster research and innovation, cross-border partnering, improved innovation management and access to finance as the main barriers towards a vibrant bio-based products market.

Then we designed the project’s main goals and a relevant complementary partnership, required to overcome these barriers.

Finally we developed the EU Grant proposal and supported the contract negotiations with the European Commission.

For PNO, the BIOCHEM project has been the start of a strategic partnership with CEFIC towards the realization of its strategic objectives”. As one of the BIOCHEM project partners PNO will contribute with its network of grant experts in 12 European countries to facilitate access to public finance for innovative organizations in the bio-based chemistry sector."

Acceleration of execution due to subsidy

Ger Spork, CEFIC:

“Similar to the strategic reason to drive projects as BioChem, the Chemical Industry is supporting extra emphasis to address its key contribution role for Sustainable Innovations related to Societal challenges. We are convinced that in a combined Industry – Public program, an extra push can be given to the lead rol of Europe in sustainable innovations. A partnership agreement has been set up with PNO, to develop and implement an Innovation program, that serves the Chemical Industry collaboration and ensures an alignment with Public Funding structures.

Although the period is still short, we are pleased with the professional consultancy services of PNO: the targets for 2010 have been set up in meantime and the results by year end will provide us strategic learning on the process as well as the services, for possible future enhancement, such as services to align National and European programs."

More information on CEFIC?

A full description of the BIOCHEM Project (full title: BIOCHEM – Eco-IP Partnership for Driving Innovation in the Sector of Bio-base Products) is on the INNOVA website. Are you interested in this project and/or wish to investigate grant opportunities for yourself in the chemical or biotech sector, please contact
Frederik Vandecasteele or Ron Weerdmeester.