Hear from the bio pioneers who are bringing ground breaking sustainable solutions to the market, investors funding the acceleration, consumer facing brands who are integrating bio within their wider sustainability strategy and the community enablers who can supercharge scalability and commercialisation.
The program addresses every part of the industrial biomanufacturing ecosystem from farmer to consumer and everything in between.
Paul MacDonald, Partner & Head of Community, Bio Innovations Midwest
The bioeconomy is now, and the Midwest is leading the way. As biosolutions continue to be a driving force behind innovation, learn how they’re helping industries grow and consumers lead healthier lives, more sustainably. Join this fireside chat with global business leaders as we discover real-world examples powered by biosolutions and biomanufacturing.
Hosted by Rene Garza, Senior Vice President, Planetary Health Biosolutions, Novonesis
Chris Boeckerman, Vice President, R&D, Fabric & Home Care, P&G Chemicals and Surfactants, Fabric & Home Care Materials, and New Forms, P&G
Abby Ceule, Vice President Functional Systems, Corbion
Creating more robust domestic supply chains, enhancing our national security, becoming a global manufacturing leader and enhancing rural economies are all possible through bioindustrial manufacturing… but not without innovation, education and collaboration.
Doug Friedman, CEO, BioMADE
The world’s first commercial-scale, dry mill clean sugar production facility utilizing our Clean Sugar Technology™️ was recently commissioned by Green Plains in Shenandoah, Iowa. We look forward to a conversation on how this will positively impact the acceleration of the biomanufacturing industry to fulfil the promise of a more sustainable world.
Anand Sundaresan, Senior Vice President, Head of Clean Sugar Platform, Innovations & Strategic Partnerships, Green Plains
ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. ADM is one of the few companies that works directly with farmers to acquire sustainably grown crops for processing. Transforming these crops into usable derivatives creates the foundation of the biomanufacturing industry. Come learn how ADM is fueling the progression of today’s bioeconomy.
Chris Forgey, Senior Segment Director, ADM
HELM is committed to develop more sustainable solutions to support the change of the chemical industry. The complexity of this goal calls for the trustful collaboration with innovative partners who are prepared to combine their specific strengths and skills. The presentation illustrates how HELM is driving bio-based products and circular solutions towards market implementation.
Norbert Baum, Senior Executive Manager, Global Business Development Chemicals, HELM
Crystal Jones, Global Sales & Marketing Lead, QIRA
Everyone knows that ethanol is in our gas tanks and our beer, but most people don’t realize it’s also our best renewable feedstock for chemical production. Come hear our latest progress in scaling our platform technology to use ethanol to make biobased diapers, paints, coatings, adhesives, plastics, rubber, carbon fiber, and more.
Noah Helman, Founder & CEO, iMicrobes
Is there such a thing as a text book scaling up journey and if so what does it look like, how long does it take, what are the commercial milestones and what common mistakes are to be avoided at all costs. We hear the thoughts of a biomanufacturing startup and a number of commuity enablers whose job it is to steer startups from lab to industrial scale production as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Hosted by K.C. Belitz, Director, Nebraska Department of Economic Development
Mark Norman, Vice President – Economic Development, Greater Omaha Chamber
Cliff Fleener, Vice President – Sustainability & Environmental Affairs, Omaha Public Power District
Kelly Knopp, Principal & Founder, Citroniq
Nicole Sedlacek, Economic Development Manager, Nebraska Public Power District
For bioindustrials to reach their full potential, the costs of biomanufacturing must decrease. The current process of bespoke facility development and specialized financing is not-scalable. In this talk, Synonym will discuss the facility development process and outline strategies to standardize critical project components to lower engineering costs, speed development, and open pathways to lower-cost financing—ultimately enabling scalable impact across the industry.
Kelsey Weimer, Director, Strategy & Partnerships, Synonym
Our large team of patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys, commercial lawyers and IP litigators has helped thousands of businesses all over the world protect, enforce and maximise the value of their intellectual property. By providing your business with people whose legal, commercial and technical expertise exactly meets your needs, we can help you develop an investment ready IP portfolio/strategy.
Richard Gibbs, Patent Attorney, Marks & Clerk
This panel of bio pioneers will discuss the key drivers that are essential to the development and implementation of the U.S. bioeconomy strategy and sector. Under the microscope will be federal and state market access and pull policies such as tax credits. Infrastructure capacity. Domestic agriculture feedstocks such as corn and soybeans as the crucial foundation of bio-based products. Workforce development. The marketing and labelling of bio-based products and coordinated advocacy among the industry.
Hosted by Amy Davis, Head of Public Affairs & Communications, Novonesis
Jill Zullo, Senior EVP & COO, BioMADE
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Services, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
K.C. Belitz, Director, Nebraska Department of Economic Development
Sponsored by
AFYREN is a green chemistry company that offers the industry biobased, low-carbon ingredients thanks to its unique fermentation technology based on a completely circular model to replace the petro-sourced ingredients usually used in the formulations of many products. The presentation highlights the journey leading to our first industrial plant and how AFYREN is partnering to drive bio-based & circular solutions to the market.
Christophe Dardel, Strategic Partnerships Director, AFYREN
Optimizing, derisking and scaling up is not something that most companies do many times. At the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, we’re at it since 2010. Our state-of-the-art equipment from bench to 75 kL scale, experienced engineers and a well-structured approach give you the best chance of success.
Muriel Dewilde, Business Development Manager, Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
Many companies struggle to reach their sustainability objectives in reducing CO2 emissions. Purchased materials are a major contributor to CO2 footprint. Holland Colours will introduce their first biobased colorants with superior performance and low CO2 footprint. Also shared are key learnings and future steps for biobased colorants.
Jules Roelofs, Innovation Manager, Holland Colors
The bioeconomy in the United States is currently valued at $900 billion, $450 billion of which is direct bio-manufacturing. There is a long history of bio-solutions in the U.S. and much of it started right here in the Midwest. A prime example is the Cargill Blair NE site, where an ecosystem between farmer, grain processor, and downstream bio manufacturing partners bring the bioeconomy to life. In this session, we will highlight the importance of renewable agriculture – the history, challenges, and success of a 30-yr old refining campus – and a preview of how the future of bio-manufacturing is different from the past.
Josh Witt, Co-location Product Line Manager, Cargill
Sarah Jelken, Vice President, Industrial Segment Leader, Cargill
A deep dive into the limitless possibilities of corn. Corn’s role in accelerating the growth of industrial biomanufacturing from regenerative farming practices to feedstock to lab to market and closing the circular economy loop. A panel of thought leaders investigate what is happening today and what needs to happen tomorrow.
Hosted by Rachel Whitehair, Director of Innovation & Stewardship, Nebraska Corn
Reid Wagner, Executive Director, Nebraska Ethanol Board
Mark McHargue, President, Nebraska Farm Bureau
Alex Buck, Director of Industrial Innovation, Iowa Corn
Darren Siekman, Vice President, Policy and Industry Strategy, Valley Agriculture, Valmont
The first methane pyrolysis company in the world to achieve commercial scale is right here in Nebraska, producing low emission carbon black for tires and clean hydrogen, which will be turned into ammonia fertilizer to help feed and fuel the world. Learn about Monolith’s innovative process, our upcoming Nebraska expansion, and how our low emission ammonia fertilizer can help support a growing bioeconomy in the state and region.
Anna Wishart, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Monolith
Sponsored by
