2023 Bioeconomy ‘Pitch Event’ - Featuring multiple innovators supporting the future bioeconomy

AERSEEDS are aerodynamic nutrient and seed pods made from food waste. These innovative pods are designed to work with nature, leveraging the power of the wind to deliver essential nutrients and seeds to areas that have been depleted by human activity. By mimicking natural processes, AERSEEDS make it possible to cover large areas and reach difficult terrains; accelerating natural regeneration up to 10x. The initiative has three phases: soil regeneration, seed dispersal, and natural regeneration. With the emphasis on nature based solutions, Aerseeds’ goal is to create resilient and adaptable circular bioeconomy models that repurpose food waste, capture carbon in the form of biomass and reincorporate the value back into the economy through carbon credits. Most importantly integrating nature’s agency into the solution creating a full circle, closing the carbon cycle.

Read more https://aerseeds.com/

Theory and intuition can get you only so far in your materials R&D. Artificial intelligence, and especially machine learning (ML), provides a third dimension to your experimental planning: it helps you discover the next best experiment that you can learn from the most information. Matterhorn Studio streamlines the integration of ML in your laboratory and makes sure that your scientist can maximally include their hard-earned theory and intuition into the ML process. As a third pillar to your materials R&D,  Matterhorn Studio saves time, money and most importantly de-risks your research outcomes. Try our 5 minute tutorial today on https://matterhorn.studio and learn more about how you can make ML work in your laboratory.

Read more – https://matterhorn.studio

Global population is estimated to reach 10 billion people by 2050. Along with this is the exponential demand for meat, but animal agriculture is unsustainable with poor animal welfare. With 70% of arable land already used to grow crops to feed the animals we eat, how are we going to feed the world?

This has pushed for the growth of the cultivated meat or clean meat industry. This industry promises lower carbon emissions and land use by growing animal cells in the lab without animal slaughter. The first products are expensive chicken nuggets and burgers that do not have the right texture. At the very core of this problem, is fragmented biomanufacturing. Growing cells involve cycles of dissociation and re-attachment. At the very end you have a cell slurry that you then mix with plant protein to create your cultivated chicken nuggets.

At LiquiBio we create structure as we grow the cells. We create edible scaffolding from food production side streams or under-utilised crops. This allows us to simplify bioprocessing and provide scaffolding that are 100x cheaper than conventional alternatives. We then develop a continuous manufacturing platform and a network of bioreactors that allow for parallel manufacturing. The result is slaughter-free meat produced 10x faster with 10x lower capital expenditure that amplifies media cost savings.

Read more – LiquiBio LinkedIn

Nova Biochem is developing sustainable alternatives to traditional petrochemicals using waste streams from pulping and agriculture. We have validated our technology at lab scale and recently scaled up to a pilot using a water-based clean process to convert waste lignin into bio-based chemicals and building blocks. We plan to run our own biorefineries strategically located next to the waste generation industry and create a range of chemicals and materials for sale. Our experienced team includes experts in chemical and mechanical engineering, financial industry, industrial equipment building, and business development in sustainable industries.

The potential market for bio-based chemicals from lignin is significant, with the global aromatic chemicals market valued at £225.3 billion in 2020. Our process has received fantastic responses from industry leaders such as Solvay, Döhler, and Croda, and we collaborate with top lignin producers like Borregaard, Stora Enso, Metsa Group, and British SMEs like Bio-Sep and Lixea.

We are currently seeking £1.5M in Seed funding to develop our process further and prepare for a full-scale demonstrator. With industry attention and interest, we are excited about the potential for our technology to bring about a cleaner, more sustainable future. If you share our vision, we’d love to discuss how we can work together to achieve it.

Read more https://www.f6s.com/nova-biochem

Our software uses computational modelling to optimise downstream processes (DSP) for biomanufacturing, to accelerate R&D and reduce final production costs of alternative proteins and other synthetic biology products.

By conducting in-silico testing of billions of process parameter combinations, and evaluating the yield, purity, cost, waste and energy use we are able to provide optimal process recommendations. We combine machine learning models with mechanistic approaches to unite an understanding of the underlying system dynamics with the nuances of real-world operations.

Read more: https://www.newwavebiotech.com/

Buildings emit massive amounts of carbon long before their lights are even switched on. In fact, 11% of worldwide carbon emissions come from the manufacturing of building materials. The company’s proprietary thermal and acoustic insulation, feels and performs like foam but, unlike polystyrene, is completely renewable. The MykoFoam, utilises fungi network technologies to create a high thermal performance and fire resistant sheet that diverts cellulosic waste by-products from the paper industry from being incinerated. Our mission is to decarbonise the construction industry by manufacturing carbon-negative materials made from waste resources.

Read more www.mykor.co.uk

Geoff is a Fellow of the Inst of Directors, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Environmental Management & Accounting. He is also a member of the UK Trade and Business Commission; the Chair of CAPE – committed to climate education; and a Trustee of Lantra, the Society of the Chemical Industry, and the Association for Science Education.

Geoff’s passion is to close communication gaps especially those between policy makers, industry and education and ensure a sustainable future for all, with future business needs to the fore.

For over 20 years Geoff worked within BASF, the world’s largest chemical company including a decade on the plc board, with roles including communications, EHS, sustainability and corporate affairs. Today Geoff advises and consults to a wide range of organizational strategic and tactical groups covering the private, public and third sectors in arenas including sustainability, science, environment and further education.