Sustainable chemistry in action: Driving jobs, growth and investment in Europe

Share

BRUSSELS, June 08, 2015 – Today and tomorrow at its annual Stakeholder event (#SusChem2015) the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem) will be discussing how sustainable chemistry can continue to deliver jobs, growth and investment in Europe.

Following the publication of the SusChem Strategic Innovation and Research Agenda (SIRA) delegates at the event in Brussels will focus on the platform’s priorities for the next Horizon 2020 calls and on working to ensure greater involvement from SMEs in SusChem and Horizon 2020 projects and initiatives.

SusChem Chairman Dr. Klaus Sommer said: "We have the new SusChem SIRA which is clearly aligned to European priorities. Our task today is to identify the key issues and technical priorities that we can take forward to maximise the impact of the SusChem SIRA.”

"In FP7 SusChem inspired a portfolio of role model or flagship projects such as the F3 Factory and the Smart Energy Home projects. We need to define SusChem’s flagship projects for the next phase of Horizon 2020,” he continued.

The stakeholder event will feature keynote speeches, breakout sessions and a panel discussion to work on these issues and set SusChem’s work programme for 2016-2017.

Six breakout sessions

The main theme of #SusChem2015 is 'Propelling Sustainable Chemistry to Exciting New Frontiers’. The first day  will focus on the implementation of priorities from the the new SusChem SIRA in six parallel breakout sessions. The session topics show the intimate involvement of sustainable chemistry in almost all aspects of society. The six sessions will cover:

  • Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials led by Philippe Krafft of Solvay who will examine how sustainable chemistry can improve Europe’s access to critical raw material, develop the CO2 value chain, reduce solid wastes, make use of low-temperature wastewater, and enable effective industrial symbiosis
  • Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy chaired by Jens Rieger of BASF will have an emphasis on chemistry and materials for energy storage with the main challenge being to enable full integration of renewable energy sources into Europe’s power systems.
  • ICT and the Chemical Industry led by Thorsten Potter of Bayer will look at how smart processes and smart materials can deliver improved competitiveness for  the chemical (and wider process) industries in Europe
  • Sustainable and inclusive bioeconomy orchestrated by Joanna Dupont of EuropaBio will cover challenges in sustainable and productive agriculture and forestry, adding value to wastes and residues, resource efficiency, using CO2 as a (bio)feedstock, and new markets for platform (biobased) chemicals
  • Health, Demographic Change and Well-being led by Rodney Townsend of the Royal Society of Chemistry will focus on the challenge of  modelling the pharmokinetic processes underlying diseases and ageing to improve targeted delivery of Active Ingredients and to model and design the most effective delivery vehicles including new ideas for flexible, scalable  manufacturing systems
  • Smart, Green and Integrated Transport chaired by Peter Nagler of Evonik will examine the chemical and material challenges of clean and green vehicles (especially electric vehicles) and how to reduce energy consumption across transport applications through lightweight materials, vehicle temperature management and the development of ‘greener’ tyres.

Open Innovation for SMEs

A major part of the second day of the #SusChem2015 focuses on SusChem's goal to foster collaboration between larger chemical players and SMEs with an Open Innovation SME workshop. This special event will be followed by a poster session and a Horizon 2020 brokerage session. Participants will experience first-hand the creation of new partnerships as innovative SMEs from across Europe pitch their brilliant ideas and technologies to bigger chemical companies in three technical fields:

  • ICT for chemical and biotechnology processes
  • Eco-innovation technologies
  • Advanced materials and nanotechnologies

Coinciding with #SusChem2015 the platform is publishing a new guide to innovation funding for SMEs in Europe. The publication outlines five dedicated SME funding schemes and describes how SusChem can help SMEs get involved with collaborative research and innovation projects.

SusChem’s Network of National Technology Platforms (NTPs) will also present and demonstrate their vital role in the SusChem eco-system by leveraging national government funds, working with SMEs and initiating cross boarder cooperation.

#SusChem2015 takes place at the Sheraton Rogier Hotel in Brussels, Belgium on 8 and 9 June. The full programme for the event is available here.

MORE INFORMATION: Please visit the SusChem website or contact directly Esther Agyeman-Budu, Cefic communication manager for research and innovation, at eab@cefic.be.

Note to editors: SusChem is joint initiative between Cefic, DECHEMA, EuropaBio, GDCh, ESAB and RSC that has the objective to revitalize and inspire European chemistry and industrial biotechnology research, development, and innovation in a sustainable way. More information on the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem) can be found here: www.suschem.org

2024 Message of SusChem Chairman
News

2024 Message of SusChem Chairman

Read more