Innovators Magazine, Biotech edition, Feb 2020 by Innovators Magazine (OnePoint5Media)

Feb 2020

BIOTECH IS SAVING OUR PLANET - BRUCE FRIEDRICH TALKS PLANT-BASED FOOD - FASHION MAKEOVER LOOKS SUSTAINABLE

Welcome

Biotechnology &...

ow will we tackle the climate emergency? Fix broken food systems? Grow a circular economy? Power our world sustainably? Slow progress in answering these questions contributed to January’s news that the Doomsday Clock is now at 100 seconds to midnight. The iconic Doomsday Clock from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a symbol of the ‘gravest perils facing humankind’, has never been closer to the final hour.

Food > Bruce Friedrich Europe > Joanna Dupont-Inglis Cities > Meritxell Díaz Santos & Nikolai Jacobi Collaboration > Dr Sandra Piesik

Fashion > Lynn Wilson

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FEATURE Scotland’s Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre

IBioIC conference

It is no surprise then that the United Nations (UN) is calling for a Decade of Action. And while there are no quick fixes, biotech innovations offer some of the sharpest solutions for cutting the myriad of Gordian Knots blocking the way ahead.

Climate Change > Johann Partridge

Nordic Investment Sustainable Scotland

In this fifth annual special on the sector, we explore the ways biotechnology is responding to the climate crisis, defining the future of food, impacting the UN Global Goals and reshaping the world of fashion. We have some fantastic people explaining the how, including our inspiring columnist, Dr Sandra Piesik, Joanna Dupont-Inglis, Secretary General of EuropaBio, and Bruce Friedrich, Co-founder of The Good Food Institute. We also step inside Scotland’s Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) to discover why it continues to excel at connecting national and international stakeholders.

Adeel Aslam, Bouygues Energies & Services

Q&A

Dates for your diary European Biotech Week 9th European Conference on Sustainable Cities & Towns European Forum on Industrial Biotechnology (EFIB)

Iain Robertson

Editor

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Innovators Magazine is a OnePoint5Media publication

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CHANGING APPETITES

How can we use food technology to address world hunger and environmental degradation? Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director, The Good Food Institute gfi.org

ince they were first set forth in 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have been an important framework for our efforts to make the world a better place. Since I was in high school, I’ve been focused on the second goal, ending hunger and food insecurity. Few other things matter to an individual who is hungry or doesn’t know what their family’s next meal will be. Yet many things make it difficult to ensure food security for our ever-expanding global human family. For example, in the early 2000s, according to a World Bank report, biofuel production drove global food prices up 75 percent. The impact was so severe that U.N. Special Rapporteur on food policy Jean Ziegler called the diversion of crops to biofuels “a crime against humanity.” Given the amount of hunger and poverty in the world, using crops to make biofuel – and thus depriving people of food while driving up the price of the remaining harvest – could well be considered a crime against humanity. But the extent to which we convert crops into biofuels pales in comparison to the amount of crops we feed to chickens, pigs, turkeys, and other animals. It is natural to think that feeding global crops to animals is not a problem because we then eat the animals. But the vast majority of calories we feed to farmed animals don’t get converted into edible meat. Instead, they are used by the animal as she grows her entire body – including bones, feathers, and organs – to slaughter weight. In fact, the World Resources Institute has found that to get one calorie of chicken meat, we have to feed a chicken nine calories of our crops. It’s as if we had nine plates of food ready to serve our growing population, but instead, we just threw eight of them away. That’s 800 percent food waste. Just as with biofuel production, feeding crops to animals is worse than just wasteful. By not feeding these crops directly to people, we drive up the cost of the remaining crops even further, exacerbating malnutrition and starvation around the world. It was this impact on the cost of grains – and thus global malnutrition and starvation – that led U.N. Rapporteur Ziegler to call biofuels a “crime against humanity,” and it’s why we should be at least as concerned with the practice of feeding crops to animals. This inherent inefficiency also leads us to overuse many other limited resources. If we are growing nine times more calories than we are actually consuming, we are using that much more land, water, fertilizer, and pesticides, and herbicides. We’re also using more fossil fuels to plant, harvest, and ship all these extra crops. Given that the current system of meat production is unbelievably wasteful and destructive, why do we put

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up with it? Why is animal agriculture growing in almost every single country in the world? The answer is simple: people want to eat meat. Luckily, today there are companies making meat directly from plants. Plant-based meat is vastly more efficient, avoiding the downsides of food waste and environmental degradation. One of these companies is Beyond Meat, founded by Ethan Brown in 2009. When Ethan learned about the impact of industrial animal agriculture, he started wondering: what is meat? He realized that meat is simply a combination of lipids, amino acids, minerals, and water. Thus, an idea was born: creating environmentally-friendly plant-based meat that could satisfy the most dedicated meat eater. Ethan found investors and hired food scientists, plant biologists, chefs, and other culinary experts. Today their Beyond Burger is sold at many restaurants and in the meat cases of many grocery stores. When Bill Gates, who is an investor in Beyond Meat, tried Beyond’s chicken strips, he said he couldn’t tell the difference. Gates declared: “What I was experiencing was more than a clever meat substitute. It was a taste of the future of food.” Tyson Foods – the biggest meat producer in the US – was so excited that they invested twice in the company. Another major plant-based meat company is Impossible Foods, created by former Stanford biochemistry professor Pat Brown (no relation to Ethan). Impossible is backed by the richest person in Asia, Li Ka-shing, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, Google Ventures, Bill Gates (again), and many more. The Impossible Burger is so good that it’s first public champion was David Chang, who had previously removed all vegetarian entrées from the menus of all of his restaurants. If you can win over David Chang with plants, you can win over anyone. But for those holdouts who insist on animal meat, other advances in food technology could save us from the many harms animal agriculture creates. The most promising of these technologies is cultivated meat. Back in 2005, Dr. Uma Valeti, a Mayo-Clinic-trained cardiologist, was thinking about the process of reconstructing heart tissue. This led him to wonder, “Why couldn’t we do this with animal flesh and build meat using standard tissue engineering techniques?” In 2015, he launched Memphis Meats to grow meat directly from animal cells. Their backers include Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and venture capital kingmaker DFJ. Both Tyson

and major meat conglomerate Cargill, the largest private company in the United States, have invested in Memphis. But given the many harms currently caused by industrial animal agriculture, we must not be dependent on only Silicon Valley and the private sector. One of the world’s leading think-tanks, Chatham House, declared that governments will be unsuccessful in holding climate change to less than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050 unless their populations consume less meat. Chatham House’s suggested solution is for governments to educate their populations and encourage meat reduction. While I admire the belief that we just need more information and then we will prioritize the climate when making our food choices, I think that our friends at Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and Memphis Meats have a better solution. We don’t need to change consumer behavior. We need to make products that compete with animal-based meat on the basis of the factors that dictate consumer choice: price, taste, and convenience. We need to change meat production to be better for food security, the environment, and public health. Given what is at stake, governments should back the development of plant-based and cultivated meat, as these technologies are obvious solutions to huge and imperative global problems. The US government currently puts $3 billion a year into agricultural research. China invests even more. Just consider what could happen if governments used these resources to form plant-based meat and cultivated meat research centers at major universities and institutions around the world. Yes, we face many pressing global threats today, but one powerful and simple solution is staring us right in the face: plant-based and cultivated meat. Everyone from individual scientists and investors to the world’s governments can and should be a part of reimagining meat and building a better future for us and future generations.

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“

We don’t need to replace meat. We need to reimagine meat.”

Horizon 2030:

A new vision for transformative, innovative biotechnology

By Joanna Dupont-Inglis, Secretary General, EuropaBio

‘A revolution is taking place in the knowledge base for life sciences and biotechnology, opening up new applications in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental protection’ *Political awareness of this

potential dates back to 2001, when the European Commission recognised life sciences and biotech through the adoption of its life science and biotechnology strategy. Nearly twenty years later, the world has changed significantly – the globalisation of the economy, the rise of China and the US, amongst others, as a key competitors, the growing awareness that world challenges require global solutions and the growing realisation of the beneficial impact that innovation in biotechnologies and digital solutions will have for people and planet. Europe needs to keep pace, as the revolution of life sciences and biotech accelerates. No other industrial sector has seen so many breakthrough developments in the past decades, taking genome editing tools, which represent a technological milestone in terms of speed, accuracy and the potential for new therapies, products and processes. Biotechnology is able to significantly address unmet medical needs, enable smarter, more efficient use of natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quantity and quality of food and feed. In industrial processes, biotechnology enables the development of bio-based

products in a range of sectors helping reduce CO2 emissions and support a circular bioeconomy. Industrial biotechnology has led to the creation of new, sustainable products and services from bio-based chemicals to plastics, and food to fuel and feed. A stable, predictable and transparent regulatory framework will stimulate further industry investment in cuttingedge sustainable technologies, cementing the EU as a global market pacesetter, and enabling the achieving of its international climate obligations. In medicine, biotechnology contributes to a healthier society by addressing unmet patient needs, notably in the areas of cancers and rare diseases, through life-enhancing and life-saving new therapies. With an ageing population that brings increasing pressures on European health systems through

chronic diseases, cancer and a rise in infectious diseases, biotechnology can contribute to a healthier and stronger society by addressing unmet needs through new therapies. For example, a new treatment of cancer or a rare disease is 72% likely to come from an emerging biopharma company. In agriculture, biotechnology offers sustainable food solutions through applying newest technologies. Biotechnology, (including genetic modification of crops), has increased farmers’ yields and incomes while reducing CO2 emissions, and the need for farmer inputs. Meanwhile, a science-based, risk-proportionate and nondiscriminatory regulatory framework that allows for gene editing in crops could pave the way for products which offer health and consumer benefits,

*Source: Life Sciences and Biotechnology: A Strategy for Europe, European Commission (2002) 5

such as lower carcinogenic potential and biofortification, along with enhanced shelf life and reduced food waste. With the European Green Deal, the new European Commission has set out an ambitious roadmap towards a climate neutral continent in 2050. With that, Europe strives to become a global frontrunner and lead the way in tackling the climate crisis. Taking the potential of biotechnology and life sciences in benefitting people and planet, a renewed focus and impetus on life sciences and biotechnology are all the more necessary. Regaining leadership in the sector should be a fundamental priority for the EU. The development and support of a new life sciences and biotechnology strategy on EU level, is a key pledge in our 2019 Industry Manifesto . EuropaBio and its members stand ready to support policymakers and stakeholders as they look to make this vision a reality. The right moment to act is now. Together with AI no other industrial sector is as well positioned as biotech at the intersection of enhancement of quality of life, knowledge, innovation, productivity and environmental protection to help in this mission.

Moving away from linear solutions T

o live in a truly sustainable society, an economic model is required that separates economic growth from resource depletion and environmental degradation, replacing the linear ‘produce, consume, discard’ model with a circular one. ICLEI – local governments for sustainability, a network of local and regional governments committed to sustainable development, helps guide local governments in their transition to a Circular Economy. Working on a wide array of projects and initiatives, which tackle issues of production, consumption and waste prevention from multiple perspectives, and topic areas – from plastics to bio-waste, ICLEI is helping cities move from linear to circular solutions.

TWO PROJECT WHICH ARE CURRENTLY ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES ARE BIOVOICES, AND CIRC-PACK.

iclei-europe.org/topics/waste-circular-economy

CIRC-PACK

The CIRC-PACK project is leading a multi-pronged charge on plastic waste, turning it into a resource for high street consumers and specialised industry. This project, which started in spring 2017, consists of three different demonstration cases. The first demonstration focused on producing new bio-based polyesters, biodegradable or compostable for some certain applications, with enhanced properties using renewable resources instead of fossil feedstock. These new plastics have been used for the manufacturing of trays, bottles, coffee capsules, jars, films and pallets. The second demonstration aimed at improving the recyclability of multilayer and multi-material packaging, including, for instance, paper or different types of plastics, which is known for being difficult to recycle. This has been achieved through smart eco-designs - using the new materials developed during the first demonstration - that make it easier to collect, sort and recycle the waste, in turn reducing environmental impact. The third demonstration focuses on enhancing existing sorting and recycling processes through new monitoring systems and technologies, increasing recovery rates and ensuring quality and reliability of the recovered materials to be reinserted in the same value chain - thereby closing the loop. | circpack.eu |

BIOVOICES

The way industrialised societies currently produce and consume, i.e. the linear take-make-discard model, puts countries at risk of overstepping planetary boundaries, puts pressure on the regenerative capacity of the earth’s ecosystem and diminishes the natural resource base. The bioeconomy is a key strategy claiming to work against these drivers to alleviate pressures on the natural environment, while creating new business opportunities, jobs and growth. The EU has rolled out its 2018 Bioeconomy Strategy (European Commission, 2018) which aims to provide a strategic framework for shifting the economic resource base in Europe from a linear model, drawing on finite raw materials, to a circular model that is grounded on innovative renewable materials from land and sea biomass, as well as waste. Nonetheless, the share of the bio economy in terms of EU GDP is still low (34 percent, according to 2018 European Commission reporting) and most people are working in low-tech bioeconomy sectors. The reasons for this are manifold and range from low acceptance for biobased products among customers, to technical challenges with material property requirements, to political frameworks as well as labelling and standardisation, which lags behind the dynamic development in the bioeconomy. Through the BIOVOICES project, partners from seven EU countries are working together to engage stakeholders from academia, industry, policy and civil society. The project has identified a number of barriers for market uptake of bio-based products and is working through an innovative methodology to develop transdisciplinary and multiperspective solution pathways, creating a network of mobilisation and mutual learning. Big levers for strengthening market uptake are for example, public procurement, feedstock management and supply chains, standardization and certification. | www.biovoices.eu | 7

Cities & Towns

er 2020

e transformation happens!

e.cities d-towns-4ab0a8110

www.mannheim2020.eu

9TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE CITIES & TOWNS MANNHEIM I GERMANY I 30 SEPT - 2 OCT 2020

14.01.2020 15:42:44

Dr Sandra Piesik, 3ideasme.com

Bio-regional collaboration for bio-materials

Bio-economy and bio-materials are not new concepts. If we look back at the history of human development, almost everything was ‘bio’, evolving around natural local resources. Bio-materials always formed part of local economies and material culture. Geography, the climate zones of the world and their regional characteristics hold clues for the bio-universe not only from the environmental and ecosystems perspective, but also from our engagement with the ‘bio-world’. Arid desert climates are good examples of the mutual equilibrium we once had. In the extreme environment of scarce resources, the agricultural cultivation of date palm had a multifunctional role from nutrition to income for framers. Date palm oases offered a wide range of ecosystem services from biodiversity and climate regulation to cultural services. Date palm production generated waste too: a bio-material in the form of dry palm leaf that needed to be cut-off annually from the tree for the next year’s harvest. The ingenuity of indigenous peoples and the Arab tribes led to the construction of cities and entire neighbourhoods from this unprocessed bio-material and some Arabian Gulf cities, such as Dubai in 1950, had 4,000 date palm leaf houses inhabited by around 12,000 people. The circular economy city model was also replicated on the smaller scale of villages, individual houses and products such as beds, chairs and small-scale domestic furniture. This bio-universe ended in the 1970s with the discovery of oil and modernisation. Today, date palm is cultivated in 46 countries, generating in total, approximately 10.3 million tonnes of waste that is, in fact, unprocessed bio-material which is predominately landfilled. Climate emergencies, the pursuit of sustainable development goals, self-sufficiency, social cohesion, geopolitics and

security might be sufficient reasons for re-engaging with the biouniverse we once had. Looking back at the various technological revolutions starting from the First Industrial Revolution (1760), the Second (1870) and the more recent Third IT-Data Industrial Revolution (1996) and the Fourth AI-Robotic Industrial Revolution (2016), we can say that some bio-materials, in particular indigenous bio-materials, did not undergo industrialisation. They also did not undergo a manufacturing and processing evolution that can fit within todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industry standards. Technology development and transfer, adaptation, research and development leading to innovation remain pivotal in bio-materials for the development story from the perspective of small to medium size enterprises, women and youth empowerment, particularly in desert regions. Nature, like climate change, does not have political boundaries. To address the unresolved issue of indigenous and endogenies technologies of bio-science and bio-materials, bio-regional collaboration is imperative for a new form of sustainable industrialisation that can be achieved through the diversified use of processed bio-materials. This can be achieved through building upon existing partnerships and frameworks of North-South collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagement by governments, higher education and research laboratories, business, civil society and indigenous peoples. Accelerating, encouraging and enabling innovation is critical for an effective, long-term global response to climate change and for promoting economic growth and sustainable development. Human and Social Capital Bio-materials for development are inevitably related to human capital and the bottom - up approach to development. Recognising the social aspirations of people, especially the younger generation, trapped at times between two worlds of the bio-universe of the past and the captivating potential of the fourth industrial revolution is crucial. What kind of aesthetics will this new biomaterials create? How will this fit within the traditional cultural framework of the past captured in museums and in the stories of their grandparents? We have to wait and see when societies will be ready to take on this challenge, and to some extent they are doing so at their own pace. Individual civil society and NGO activities are a promising start for long-term sustainable transformation. True transformation capital can only be delivered with the support of national and local governments and changes in policy frameworks that will enable the just transition of bio-science and at the same time bio-materials. Extending the scope of adaption to the adaptation of existing technologies related to material science may open the door for sustainable industrialisation. These are long-term processes that can only be achieved through multilateral bio-regional collaboration within the frameworks of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, the implementation of which holds critical clues for regaining the bio-universe we once had.

By D R

SAN D

RA P I

Sources FOSTAT | Paris Agreement Images, modified morphology of date palm leaf sample ÂŠ Dr. Y. Zhou, Dr. S. Piesik, Nama/Irthi

ESIK

Put your fashion foot forward & trust in tech By Lynn Wilson

he queen of fashion herself, Anna Wintour, has made her views known about fashion and sustainability. It’s a welcome influential voice in a sector that is using up global raw materials at an alarming rate. According to a new report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) global fashion production has doubled in the last 15 years but we are wearing 40% less clothing. This has led to a global figure of over 92 million tonnes of postconsumer clothing landfilled annually.

worn by He n n a V i r k k u n e

P n, ME

“IT’S TRUE WE CAN’T PRODUCE ENOUGH NATURAL RAW MATERIALS TO CLOTHE THE PLANET. BUT WE CAN TAKE NOTE OF THE WORK OF IBIOIC AND SUPPORT THE INNOVATORS AND SCIENTISTS WHO ARE WORKING TO CREATE A MOONSHOT FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRY”

Spin nova dress

he planet is in crisis and in the past month, you probably bought more clothes for the Christmas season – 12 million of us will have bought a novelty jumper with flashing lights and sequins. Research by environmental charity, Hubbub, said that this purchase was one of the worst examples of fast fashion, a sector now recognised as hugely damaging to the environment. A recent study by Plymouth University also found that acrylic garments release nearly 730,000 microfibres per wash, five times more that polyester-cotton blend fabric and nearly 1.5 times as many as pure polyester. Environmentalists are shouting loud and relentlessly pursuing governments to make changes. The younger generation, with Greta Thunberg as their spokesperson, are worried about the future. So how can fashion respond? Trusting in our science and technology skills is one way. This is not a new concept. Fifty years ago, NASA gave us the Apollo 11 moon landing, a project so ambitious it generated its own metaphor; a ‘moon shot’. The technology used in the astronauts’ moonboots that helped them walk on the Moon eventually found its way into the Nike Air trainer. We can also get inspiration from the days before we were bombarded by the vast range of clothing brands. My gran is an example of the make do and mend brigade. Jumpers were knitted and then unravelled to make a bigger garment as you grew. Socks were darned and clothes altered. This idea of valuing the clothes you own and wearing them again and again is being touted as a new idea, but we knew then it was a necessity. We know now this is the way to start thinking about clothes and is the definition of a circular economy – getting the most value we can and then re-use or recycle at the end of a garment’s life.

FOCUS ON

Lynn Wilson, Consultant, is Chairing the Fashion and Circular Economy session at the 6th Annual IBioIC Conference on the 5th and 6th February 2020.

images credit presstigieux via Fashion for Good

The fashion industry is realising that the current consumption is unsustainable and is being helped by the work of start-ups in the industrial biotechnology (IB) sector, who are using plant-based sources to produce or process sustainable solutions for textiles, dyes and finishing chemicals for clothes and finding ways to recycle used garments and develop industrial closed loops for garment processes. This is the continuous cycle the fashion industry needs to try and achieve. Such companies will be showcasing their technology in Glasgow at the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre’s (IBioIC) Annual Conference, where I am chairing a session on Fashion and the Circular Economy. An example of this is Spinnova, who produces a recyclable fibre made from FSC certified wood pulp, in a simple, ecological process, without using harmful chemicals or microplastics. The fabric was used to create a stunning evening dress worn by Henna Virkkunen, MEP, at the recent Independence Day event in Finland. It is also critical that we educate fashion, textiles and design students in driving change. Dr Kate Goldsworthy, University of Arts, London and Co-Director of Centre for Circular Design, whose work with textile and fashion students is doing just that, gets them to think sustainably about a garment’s life cycle at the beginning of the design process. Dr Richard Blackburn from University of Leeds will also talk about his work on the impact of using science to create sustainable cosmetic products and processes which he has also brought successfully to market. I too will be sharing my experience of advising students from University of Edinburgh, MSc in Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology who recently competed in the prestigious iGEM (igem.org) competition in Boston in November. They picked up a silver medal for their project titled ‘Bioremediation of Azo dyes and synthetic silk production’. The team were inspired by companies such as Colorifix who are leaders in the field of biosynthetic solutions for dyeing in the fashion industry. It’s true we can’t produce enough natural raw materials to clothe the planet. But we can take note of the work of IBioIC and support the innovators and scientists who are working to create a moon shot for the fashion industry. It’s pragmatic and one small step for man is a giant leap for planet earth. 12

FOCUS ON

Scotland to showcase innovation ambitions

he international industrial biotechnology (IB) conference, now in its sixth year, is expected to attract over 450 delegates to Glasgow this week, with innovative companies exhibiting their smart solutions to a global audience. A scientist by training, Vivienne is the Head of Engagement at Genomics England and is also a UK Research and Innovation Board Member. Her significant writing and broadcasting experience presenting audiences with the science solutions inspired a generation of scientists, through her previous role on the BBC Tomorrow’s World programme. Here she has some advice to those attending the conference. She said: “Industrial Biotechnology start-ups need to get out and tell people what they are doing, quickly demonstrating the solution to a problem. Scientists can sometimes struggle to communicate to policy makers and the public the significance of what they are doing to save the planet.

Vivienne Parry, scientist, writer and broadcaster, is one of the keynote speakers at the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) Annual Conference.

“

KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SHOW THE REAL VALUE IN YOUR PRODUCT AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT IT CAN MAKE TO EVERYDAY LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WHEN I LISTEN TO SOMEONE PRESENTING THEIR CONCEPTS, I WANT THEM TO EXCITE ME ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THEIR PRODUCT IN A WAY THAT IS NOT HYPED, BUT IS REALLY CLEAR.”

Mark Bustard, Commercial Director at IBioIC echoes Vivienne’s advice: “The recent BioCity UK Life Science Start-Up Report revealed Scotland is the leading UK centre for environmental and agricultural biotech start-ups, with positively disproportionate growth to the rest of the UK which is great. But to truly succeed, a change in mindset from great science to successful manufacturing is needed if they are to capitalise on their innovations. The move to manufacturing generally happens with significant capital investment which they secure from being able to demonstrate robust processes clearly to prospective backers .

examples of award-winning organisations who are doing just that by driving science to generate and make products. They are creating workforces of innovators who are interested in manufacturing. Scotland has an eco-system that supports and develops IB talent and IBioIC’s scale-up facilities provide a platform for academics and entrepreneurs to accelerate growth and demonstrate proof of concept. Our expert team can also help them to get their voice heard by key stakeholders and work with them to drive a positive and supportive environment for the continued growth of IB in Scotland.”

“Scotland has a national plan for IB, and as a nation, it is rich in natural resources. We just need to capitalise on it in a similar way the Nordic countries have. There is a growing appreciation and support for the role bio-based industries have in tackling the climate change emergency and creating a circular economy to meet the Government’s net zero carbon targets by 2045. Companies like ScotBio, Cellucomp and Celtic Renewables are all fantastic

Mark Bustard

Tackling climate change through an innovative bioeconomy Johann Partridge, Operations Director, IBioIC

Biotechnology is a critical part of our journey towards a net-zero 2045 and fundamental to achieving a circular, zero-waste economy on a local, national, and global scale. In contrast to using chemical processes to extract high value chemicals from crude oil, biotechnology offers alternative processes to manufacture conventional and replacement products, which are derived sustainably from plants, fungi, algae, marine life and microorganisms. Small companies and start-ups working to address circular economy challenges are often led by someone with entrepreneurial spirit and a brilliant idea. Scotland is a hot-bed of these innovators, but we need to do more to support their journey to commercialisation so their ideas see the light of day. IBioIC’s ScaleUp Centres are offering that support, helping companies successfully progress to make a tangible difference. In fact, Scotland is already leading the UK as a centre for environmental and agricultural biotech start-ups, with positively disproportionate growth to the rest of the UK, according to the recent BioCity UK Life Science Start-Up Report. There’s no doubt that there is real creativity in the science and research carried out in labs across Scotland. But how do we turn this into tangible products and processes? To truly succeed, a change in mind-set is needed if start-ups are to capitalise on their innovations, and translate great science into successful manufacturing. However, this is not easy, as the move to manufacturing generally requires significant capital investment. Specialist equipment is prohibitively expensive on its own, before you even consider the appropriate lab space needed to operate it. And then there is the cost of staff, and months spent testing processes. Costs quickly stack up.

Turning great science into successful manufacturing So how do start-ups demonstrate robust processes clearly to prospective backers? How can Scotland support scientists to transform their innovative ideas to real processes and sustainable products that can help to address the climate change emergency? Working as part of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) team, the key challenges that I see and hear on a regular basis are how scientists are struggling to test their processes in a way that demonstrates proof of concept and the potential to scale-up their products to much larger quantities. IBioIC helps entrepreneurs and companies to do just that. IBioIC’s Bioprocessing Scale-Up Centres support companies to de-risk commercialisation and fast track environmentally friendly processes and products to the global market. The facilities offer access to a wide range of equipment to help companies optimise and test their bioprocesses from simple flask to pilot scale production. IBioIC’s expert team are on hand to offer advice and assist with all aspects of their projects from development of technical work programmes, identification and securing of funding, to practical delivery. For me, there is nothing better than witnessing the journey of start-ups who have used our scale-up and lab facilities, as they realise their ambitions by turning their science into commercial solutions that can help to tackle climate change. The successes of pioneering Scottish biotech companies like 3F BIO and MiAlgae are examples of what is being achieved.

IBioIC 2020 15

FEEDING A GROWING POPULATION

Feeding a growing population

MiAlgae is another organisation that we’ve worked with and witnessed their progress through successful funding rounds to take their product to market. Created from whiskey byproducts, MiAlgae estimate that just 1 tonne of their microalgae product can feed up to 30 tonnes of wild fish and is a more sustainable source of omega-3, as fish stocks continue to fall as oceans warm. Not only is this a healthier and greener alternative, it also has the potential to make the whisky industry carbon negative. MiAlgae first approached IBioIC back in 2014 to support their early stage bioprocess development work to pilot scale. “We are creating a valuable supply of nutrients for the animal and fish food industries, using a low value co-product form the whisky industry, therefore using the planet’s resources more efficiently. But this wouldn’t have been possible without the technical support and expertise of IBioIC and their network. Equipment costs are prohibitive for almost all startups, so using the Flexbio lab facilities helped us to demonstrate that our processes were robust and scalable meaning we could secure funding to move to the manufacturing stage.” explains Douglas Martin, Managing Director, MiAlgae.

INDUSTRIAL CO-PRODUCTS TO SUSTAINABLE OMEGA-3 With demand for protein increasing at 10m tonnes per year, traditional protein farming is an unsustainable way to feed our growing population. 3F Bio’s zero waste solution uses a patented dual integrated process that converts feed grain into food, feed and fuel. 3F BIO successfully delivered their proof of concept programme in RapidBio, IBioIC’s Glasgow based facility. Access to scale-up equipment within the Centre enabled them to develop and optimise their process at pilot scale, whilst commissioning their own equipment and operating systems. As a member of IBioIC, the company also benefited from enhanced support through project funding and access to the technical networks. “The work we carried out at IBioIC’s scale-up facilities combined with the breadth and depth of the IBioIC network, was essential in helping us to build a robust process which de-risked our offering to funders. This helped us enormously in securing investment to scale our manufacturing process towards commercialization.” explains Dr Paul Hudman, Technical Director, 3F BIO.

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest

IBioIC invests in the Nordic countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; knowledge and experience

s it the access to plentiful natural resources and available biomass- the acres of natural forests and miles of pristine oceans? Or the political will and financial systems in place to support research and development? When it comes to climate and environmental issues the Nordic countries have a great reputation. The efforts and successes to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels are an example to all of us in the industrial biotechnology sector.

cotland’s bioeconomy has ambitious growth plans supported by political will - the Government has set a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. It has made a great start by supporting well established biotechnology companies, providing scale up facilities for spin offs and start-up companies, whilst creating and supporting a highly skilled workforce. However, all eyes are on our close neighbours in the Nordic countries as they are leading in exploring the potential for new bio-based products and new markets IBioIC is developing its international reputation by hosting experts from Norway, Sweden and Finland - who are leading the way on bio-refining based on wood, seaweed and fish waste - to share their experiences and expertise about

bio-refining successes. Our members and delegates will also benefit from the Flemish expertise in value chains. The role of clusters in Nordic countries facilitates change and progress. Maria Hollander, Chief Executive Officer, Paper Province, an industrial cluster in Sweden’s forestbased bioeconomy, will address how this cluster uses this country’s abundant forest, aiming to turn away from plastics and towards wood and paper-based products. CLIC Innovation is a cluster owned by leading international companies and Finnish research organisations, Teija Laitinen, Head of Bioeconomy, CLIC Innovation Ltd is speaking in the session and will be able to share how CLIC facilitates breakthrough solutions in bioeconomy, circular economy and energy systems. The importance of value chains to integrate sustainable processes on renewable feedstocks, is the key area of expertise to be offered by Frederik De Bruyn, Business Development Manager, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO). This week, he will also speak about the conversion of lignin into high value products. And from Norway, Nofima, a research institute based in Tromso, worked with 606 projects in 32 countries last year. Ragnhild Whitaker, Research Director Marine Biotechnology will talk about its key successes and specifically about biorefining of fish waste and by-products as well as algae. The session will also include a perspective on how to increase renewable bioresources in the chemical industry from Yamini Panchaksharam, Consultant, E4tech and her insights into bioenergy and sustainability projects. The session will be Chaired by Sarah Hickingbottom, Chief Executive of Biovale. Johan Belfrage, Technical Development Manager at IBioIC said: “We are delighted the Nordic countries are joining us this year. They are the shining examples of what can be achieved. They are providing solutions that disrupt our ways of thinking. They are, with their strong commitment to sustainability and abundant bioresources, at the forefront of bioeconomy development and this has resulted in a vibrant region for research, innovation and commercialisation of new bioeconomy solutions.”

THE SESSION CALLED ‘BIOREFINERY AROUND THE WORLD’ TAKES PLACE ON WEDNESDAY 5TH FEBRUARY AT 4PM

Sustainable Scotland

how biotechnology is tackling the climate emergency

Society is mobilising to reduce the human impact on our planet, recognising that both small individual changes and large political influence is needed to address the climate emergency. Economic growth drives the demand and production of food, fuel, and the chemical building blocks that make up the components of the lifestyle products we’ve come to rely on. The major source of these consumables is the fossil fuel industry, which, along with agriculture, are responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions that have contributed to the emergency we are facing. It is widely accepted that net-zero 2045 should slow, and ideally reverse the effect of centuries of imbalance we’ve had with nature, but only if we act now. We’re not yet willing, on a large-scale, to make dramatic changes to our lifestyle and consumer habits, so where does society go from here? Biotechnology – the technology that enables the bioeconomy - is a critical part of the solution. In contrast to using chemical processes to extract high value chemicals from crude oil, biotechnology offers alternative products, or alternative processes to manufacture existing products, which are derived sustainably from plants, fungi, algae, marine life and microorganisms. More simply put, it’s a means to produce materials, medicines, fuels and other things that we use every day, from sustainable natural sources. Biotechnology is seen as a disruptive innovation, disrupting the traditional industries that have significantly contributed to the climate emergency through consumer demand. Consumers can decide whether biobased products offer a solution to maintaining lifestyle choices while decreasing our impact on the environment if policy makers ensure there is legislation to support the growth of the bioeconomy sector. The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) has been challenged to drive the economic growth the bioeconomy in Scotland. The Centre is leading the way in developing and supporting collaborations in which both commercial and academic research supports industrial problem solving, whilst working with policy makers to enable disruptive innovation. The strength of these

partnerships will ensure that Scotland continues to be a world-leader in IB, attracting inward investment and entrepreneurial activity to futureproof a net-zero carbon manufacturing industry for the 21st century. There are endless opportunities for entrepreneurs to find solutions to the climate emergency using the outputs we have traditionally discarded from food waste streams and the whisky or forestry industries. Many biotechnology companies are also seeking new ways to make things without generating any waste (zero waste), and capturing and re-using carbon emissions to stop them getting into the atmosphere. Just as important as economic growth is the concept of a “just transition” from traditional industry to a flourishing bioeconomy. As we move away from petrochemicals and expand the biotechnology sector, it’s crucial to ensure that noone is left disadvantaged. This means creating new jobs, training and re-training people, and ensuring the cost of food, products and energy doesn’t rise as the transition away from petrochemicals takes place. The just transition to a low carbon economy is a huge opportunity for Scotland to demonstrate how it’s possible to have a growing industry, increased energy security, farming resilience and biodiversity, without widening inequality further. For example, growing an indigenous crop to supply a local biorefinery will secure a range of jobs throughout the new supply chain, from farming and production to processing and supplying the biofuel and chemical building blocks to undergo downstream high value manufacture. In addition, without international shipping of bioethanol and sugar, Scotland will vastly reduce the transport emissions associated with import, helping to reduce the impact of poor air quality on the most vulnerable in society. Biotechnology is a critical part of the solution to the climate emergency, will you support it’s ambitions and help to deliver our commitment to net-zero 2045?

28 September - 4 October 2020

Q&A

with Adeel Aslam Technical Director, Bouygues Energies & Services

ouygues Energies & Services is increasingly the partner of choice for industrial process stakeholders. We spoke to Adeel Aslam, Technical Director, to find out why.

CONNECT How can interested companies and organisations connect with you? www.bouygues-es.co.uk/contact linkedin.com/company/68332 adeel.aslam@bouygues-es.co.uk

How does Bouygues Energies & Services support industrial process projects?

What are the key benefits of engaging with Bouygues Energies & Services in this way?

Bouygues Energies & Services supports industrial process projects by working with our clients from the early business engagement and strategic business consulting stage. We do this by understanding clients’ and investors’ needs, objectives and expectations from an early stage. We are able to provide sustainable scale-up strategies which are supported by our in-house team, design and build solution capabilities for pilot plant, demonstrator and full scale manufacturing facilities. With our unique approach, we can develop solutions from an early feasibility stage. This streamlines the assessment and selection of suitable technologies for the process; both existing and emerging. During the further design development, we maintain a key focus on lean manufacturing and asset lifecycle modelling, whilst considering future business needs. The result is investment programmes which deliver the highest return on investment from day one.

When we are engaged from the early stage of a project’s development, we can help transform our client’s science, ideas and vision into commercial reality. We do so in an accelerated and collaborative manner, whilst de-risking technology investments. This is supported by our unique consultancy ‘in-house’ offer and approach, with single point accountability. We are involved in a wide range of sectors, including Industrial Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, Lifesciences, so we are able to transfer the knowledge, experience and interchange ideas and innovations into the Industrial Biotechnology sector. In a highly collaborative way, we share, transfer and connect knowledge utilising open innovation models. We found that the involvement and early stage engagement are extremely valuable for both us and clients. This approach also bring us close and allows us to create a strong trusted relationship.

How would you kick-start a new project using a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study approach?

How do you keep your methods agile and innovative in an ever changing landscape?

Before kick-starting a new project, we need to clearly understand the client or investors’ objectives, targets and expectations. Working in this way allows us to offer a bespoke solution to fit their requirements. We do not believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach. All of our FEED studies are tailored specifically for our client’s needs to ensure that the project critical success factors are delivered. Whether or not a project brief exists, the studies are aimed at reviewing, questioning and implementing all the project and design requirements in a structured format. To understand our client and deliver to their expectations, we build the FEED study around a set of client and design team interactive data gathering workshops. During these workshops, all key project stakeholders are present and given the opportunity for critical input into the development and understanding of project requirements. Workshops are aligned to suit the type of project being undertaken but will normally begin with a Process or Architectural review where the project brief will be developed and the main facility process flows will be drawn out from first principles.

We regularly review our offer and approach and complement it with the latest tools and technologies. We have utilised the latest design software and also introduce technologies that can enhance our customer experience. For the last 10 years we have deployed 3D walkthroughs and recently we have introduced VR/AI into our solutions. We are constantly thriving to deploy new technologies and design software that can enhance our customer experience. We also have an approach of continuous learning and open innovation; we keep informed of changing regulatory and statutory requirements by regularly attending a wide range of forums and play an active role in a number of industry networks. We strive to keep up-to-date with the everchanging landscape of industrial processes and technologies by continuing to build strong relationships with our key value chain partners.

Maucher Jenkins is a leading Anglo-German Intellectual Property firm with offices in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and China and represents many well-known biotech companies and brands throughout the world Maucher Jenkins is a full-service intellectual property firm advising clients on patents, trade marks and designs. Our firm provides a comprehensive service in the protection, maintenance and enforcement of Intellectual Property (IP) assets in a range of sectors including life sciences, industrial biotechnology, medical devices and technologies, pharmaceuticals and chemistry, electronics, telecoms, artificial intelligence and digital health, physics and engineering. We have extensive experience in preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications on an international scale, including in the US and Europe. We have offices in the UK located in London, Edinburgh, Farnham and Cambridge and international offices in Munich, Freiburg, Basel, Beijing, Shenzhen and Nanjing. Our attorneys are experienced in helping clients navigate the changing patent landscapes in various technical fields to ensure the best protection for their technology. In addition to providing advice regarding patentability, drafting, filing and prosecuting patent applications, the Maucher Jenkins team are skilled in monitoring competitors' patent portfolios and identifying potential strengths and weaknesses. They can provide opinions on freedom to operate, perform due diligence when clients are preparing to expand their business, and pursue those who are infringing our clients' IP rights. In addition to the above, our services include landscaping, searching, portfolio advice and management, cost forecasting and litigation. At Maucher Jenkins, we understand the importance of providing good IP advice to companies to assist in the development and commercialisation of their products. In particular, we have experience of advising start up companies and entrepreneurs as they start their innovation journeys. We also offer an IP audit service to companies which can be useful when speaking to potential investors.

visit us at www.maucherjenkins.com 23