Dr. Murray McLaughlin to Speak at Global Bio-based Chemicals Conference in Rotterdam

Dr. Murray McLaughlin will be speaking at the upcoming Bio-based Chemicals Conference and Exhibition in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The March 13-14, 2013 event will be part of Europe’s largest bioeconomy event - the 8th Annual World Biofuels Markets. Taking place at the Beurs - World Trade Center, the event deliver the latest strategy updates from the chemical giants, news from successful joint ventures of the past 12 months and key supply chain overviews, as bio-based chemicals and products continue towards commercialization.

Dr. McLaughlin is Executive Director of the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre and President and CEO of the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance.

As we move deeper into the 21st century, the need to manufacture transportation fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals with renewable biomass is becoming increasingly apparent.

To convey this message and to bring together biomass and chemical industry stakeholders to discuss renewable options in the new bioeconomy, the Canadian Bioenergy Association, in partnership with the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, will be holding a workshop to discuss various pathways from forest and agricultural biomass to advanced biofuels, bio-chemicals, and bio-products. At this workshop, we will:

Provide an overview of the availability of forest and agricultural biomass;
Discuss current biofuel and bio-chemical developments in Canada, with an emphasis on the Sarnia-Lambton Biohybrid Chemistry Cluster;
Showcase current Canadian bioeconomy projects and technologies;
Highlight overseas developments in bio-refining and bio-chemicals;
and more!

Click Here to Download a Preliminary Agenda for this Event

Post-Conference Tour: On the day following the conference (May 2), we plan to visit some key sites in the Sarnia area pertaining to biofuel and biochemical development, including the Lanxess Bio-Industrial Commercialization Park, Suncor's bio-ethanol production facility (the largest of its kind in Canada), a greenhouse that utilizes waste CO2 from local industry, and more!

Registration: The full price of registering for the one-day workshop is $300, but we have a series of early-bird discounts, and until February 28 the cost is only $230! And as always, CanBio members get additional discounts. The cost of registering for the post-conference tour is $90. You can register by downloading a registration form and submitting it by fax; or you can click here to register online.

Sponsorship: This event is a great opportunity to learn more about the next phase of biomass development, and to promote your company or organization as a key participant in the development of Canada's bioeconomy. Sponsors receive significant exposure through our website and e-blasts, as well as at the event itself. Contact us for more information.

Accommodation: We have negotiated a special guestroom rate of $115 at the Holiday Inn for all conference delegates. To book your room under our room block, click here. Please book your accommodation early, as rooms may run out. Instructions on booking accommodation will be made available shortly.

Researchers, Entrepreneurs, Industry Leaders and Investors:

The 2013 Sustainable Chemistry Summit, presented by GreenCentre Canada, will map the journey of green chemistry technologies from lab to market.

Following the path of innovation, the Summit will start with sessions on the genesis of discoveries, unfold along each step of the journey toward commercialization, and culminate with a look at real-life examples of technologies that have made it.

The Sustainable Chemistry Summit will connect you, educate you and inspire you - leaving you with the tools you need to chart your own course from lab to market.

Agri Innovation Forum - The Much Anticipated Partnering Conference

The Agri Innovation Forum is the new, much anticipated annual partnering conference focused on building connective tissue and facilitating meaningful introductions between agri-entrepreneurs, corporate strategics, and investors from across North America. Program content explores cross border syndication, pollination and bio-economy leadership in what is proving to be an era of unprecedented change.

9:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. Board of Directors/Members meeting (OAFT members only)
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. Afternoon session registration
1:00 – 1:15 p.m. Stephen Thompson, Economic Development, Tourism and Marketing –
City of Port Colborne. Port Colborne's Carbohydrate Valley is quickly becoming the site for leaders in Canada's bio-based economy. With road, rail, water and air transportation networks, Carbohydrate Valley's bio-based businesses have strategic access to global markets. Carbohydrate Valley is leading the bio economy as the only location in Canada with local access to corn sweeteners and citric acid. Stephen will present a short video showcasing the area.
1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Sharon Grant, Vice President, Finance & Administration -
Jungbunzlauer Canada. Sharon will provide an overview of the process at the JBL plant in Port Colborne. This plant ferments dextrose supplied by the adjacent Casco plant, using fungi to produce citric acid. Product is supplied to the food and industrial markets. In its ten year history in Port Colborne, the company has reinvested and continues to do so. The citric acid supplies both new world markets and SE Asia.
2:00 – 2:45 p.m. Dean Tiessen, President – New Energy Farms Ltd. Dean will update us on some of the global activities of New Energy Farms, as well as scientific developments on new varieties and planting methods by New Energy Farms. Dean acts globally.
3:00 – 3:45 p.m. Ian Moncrieff, President and CEO – Canadian Biofuel. Ian will outline the creation of Canadian Biofuel (Springford, Ontario) and issues associated with feedstock supply. Importantly, he will talk about global market opportunities. Who would have guessed pellets to Italy in large volumes?
3:45 – 4:30 p.m. Gord Surgeoner, President – Ontario Agri-Food Technologies. Gord will speak of Agriculture: An Economic Engine of Ontario. Agriculture tends to focus on "buy local, Foodland Ontario, business risk management, etc. We need to communicate to governmentand society that the food industry is the number one employer in the manufacturing sector; that there has been or occurring over $2 billion in capital investment in value-added processing in Ontario food, fuel, green chemistry, etc. Primary agriculture is key.
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Cocktail reception and networking.

This year's annual meeting will be held in Sarnia, Ontario at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club - 500 Errol Road West, Sarnia, ON N7V 1X7

We will be having four keynote speakers:
Mr. John Cross, Chair, POS Biosciences - "Changing the Greatest Game: Agriculture for a Healthy World".

Dr. Sorin Cohn, President, BD COHNsulting - "Gaining Economic Value beyond Research & Development".

Mr. Don O'Connor, President, (S&T)2 Consultants Inc. - "Environmental Issues with Feedstocks for Biofuels & Biochemicals".

Mr. Brian Baynes, Partner, Flagship Ventures - "From Innovative Ideas to Commercialization - a VC Perspective".

The Bioeconomy Innovation Forum will provide a unique opportunity for decision makers from industry, academia and government to discuss specific challenges or opportunities in the bioeconomy sector. Participants and speakers will discuss actions that can help the sector to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities.

The Bioeconomy Innovation Forum is an initiative of Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Join us in the home of Canada's emerging hybrid chemistry cluster to share up-to-date information about best practices in the bio-economy.

Presented by the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre, this International Conference will provide a unique and outstanding opportunity to learn about and discuss the risks to commercialization of bio-chemicals and bio-products. Share your experience and ideas with industry, government and institutional experts.

Canada is one of the few countries in the world that can support a large-scale bio-economy due to its abundant and sustainable biomass resources. Existing and emerging companies are aggressively developing early stage technologies that have the potential to successfully move forward to the commercialization stage.

BIC National Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to visit the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre, a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research with funding from the Government of Canada.

The World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing attracts business leaders, investors and policy makers in biofuels, biobased products, and renewable chemicals. Entering its ninth year, the event will bring together more than 1,000 attendees. The Congress offers unique networking opportunities, an overview of the latest technological developments, and real world scenarios for bringing technological solutions to market. The event features discussions of high profile topics related to climate change, sustainability, new sources of fuel, financing, and policy. The conference also offers business partnering opportunities, utilizing a computer system that assists companies and investors in arranging confidential one-on-one meetings with other attendees. This conference will highlight the industry's growth, the importance of this industrial and environmental biotechnology for generating green jobs, making greener products and cleaner processes all aimed at building a biobased economy.

The 7th annual World Biofuels Markets Congress & Exhibition 2012 brings together the entire value chain of the biofuels industry to do business. Europe's largest biofuels conference provides the opportunity for attendees to network with leading experts from the following sectors: aviation biofuels, advanced biofuels, biorefinery platforms, finance & investment, biodiesel production, bioethanol production, automotive futures in bioenergy, biogas in transportation and more. Europe’s largest biofuels congress and exhibition attracts more that 1,500 attendees from more than 60 countries. Dr. Murray McLaughlin, President and CEO of the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, is one of the bio-based chemicals speakers at the conference.

The Sustainable Chemistry Alliance and Bioindustrial Innovation Centre are sponsors of this event.

Overview:
In 2030, what will Alberta's bioindustrial sector look like and where will it fit within the global bioeconomy? What will a biorefinery look like and how will it be supplied? What technologies will be widely employed and what products will dominate the market? What impact will the Biorefining Conversions Network have on the sector?

Dr. Murray McLaughlin will act as moderator for a panel discussion titled The Chemical Industry's Quest for a Biobased Supply Network and Infrastructure.

Overview:
Driven by a need to meet the demands of consumer product manufacturers and their customers and by the economic necessity of hedging against high oil prices, the chemical industry is busy developing a whole new set of biobased platform chemicals, intermediates and end products. This development process requires the build-out of an entirely new supply network and logistics infrastructure. Partnering arrangements have become a key feature in this build-out. This panel of industry leaders will discuss what business models and strategies members of the industry are exploring to build this network and infrastructure and how partnering fits into the industry's plan.

A.J. (Sandy) Marshall, president of Lanxess in Canada and a board member of the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA), will be the industry keynote speaker at this year's MTN conference. Other speakers include: Dr. Murray McLaughlin, SCA president and BIC executive director; and Dr. Don Hewson, managing director and industrial liaison at the University of Western Ontario Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Campus. The conference takes place at The Research Park.

Overview:
Driven by a need to meet the demands of consumer product manufacturers and their customers and by the economic necessity of hedging against high oil prices, the chemical industry is busy developing a whole new set of biobased platform chemicals, intermediates and end products. This development process requires the build-out of an entirely new supply network and logistics infrastructure. Partnering arrangements have become a key feature in this build-out. This panel of industry leaders will discuss what business models and strategies members of the industry are exploring to build this network and infrastructure and how partnering fits into the industry's plan.