Biobased technologies have become increasingly interesting nowadays as an alternative to sustain economic growth, protecting the climate and the environment. The safe and sustainable use of biomass has the potential to reduce the dependence on non-renewable resources and cut greenhouse gas emissions, offering substitutes for carbon-intensive products and reducing pressures on biodiversity. Expanding the base of resources and technologies for the production of chemicals, fuels, energy, materials and compounds with application in different industrial sectors is recognized today as an urgent need, both by industries as well as by policy makers around the world.

The creation of biobased processes still faces several technological challenges, which need to be properly addressed and overcome to allow a broader implementation of these processes on a large scale. Joint efforts between academia and companies, as well as the integration of interdisciplinary knowledge, can lead to innovative solutions able of impacting the economy, the environment and the society. Such cooperation is essential to move towards a greener and sustainable future!

Solange I. Mussatto

Head of Research group – Biomass Conversion and Bioprocess Technology (BCBT group), Technical University of Denmark | Member – IEA Bioenergy Task 42 “Biorefining in a Future Bioeconomy” | Co-chair – ESBES Bioenergy and Bioeconomy