Golden opportunity to put 'green' innovation on world stage
Posted on 6 June 2006
The second Renewable Resources and Biorefineries Conference, organised by the University's Enterprise and Innovation Office and Green Chemistry Group, will showcase a huge range of pioneering products, innovations and research.The three-day event, which starts on 6 September, will feature leading academics, industrialists and policymakers from across the world.
Former Environment Minister, Michael Meacher MP, who will be a keynote speaker, has described the conference as the most important event on renewable resources in Europe this year.
We know that many academics and companies are at the cutting edge of research and technology and will take this opportunity to showcase their own expertise and products to this international audience.
Professor James Clark
Michael Meacher said: "The need to develop and use new feedstocks has never been greater, with mounting economic pressures as oil prices continue to soar and increasingly stringent legislation.
"This is an issue which affects everyone in the supply chain, from the end-users who must seek out innovative new products and processes, to the companies, large and small, who are developing them, and the academics who are forging new approaches to the supply of energy."
He added: "What sets this conference apart is the wide-ranging but cohesive blend of experts it will bring together, encompassing the disciplines of chemistry, engineering, biology, environmental studies, economics and social policy.
"It will play an important role in driving forward both the debate and decision-making on this important issue."
The Renewable Resources and Biorefineries Conference will be hosted by the University of York, in association with the University of Ghent, which was the venue for last year's inaugural event.
Michael Meacher will be joined by experts including Dr Gerhard Isenberg, former Head of Energy Strategy for Daimler Chrysler, Dr Wiktor Raldow, Head of the New and Renewable Energy Sources Unit for the European Commission, Dr John Pierce, Director of Biochemical Sciences and Engineering, Dupont, USA, and Dr Uma Shaanker, of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India.
Professor James Clark, who leads the University of York's Green Chemistry Centre, said: "We're delighted to have signed up some of the world leading experts in renewable resources and biorefineries, and their industrial and social implications.
"We know that many academics and companies are at the cutting edge of research and technology and will take this opportunity to showcase their own expertise and products to this international audience.
"For delegates, it will provide an opportunity to discover more about the latest innovations and the capabilities of science needed to switch to renewable resources.
"With speakers like Dr Gerhard Isenberg, they will also gain an insight into how the big companies are responding to the new legislation, which will be of particular interest to smaller companies in the supply chain."
Delegates or exhibitors wishing to attend the conference should register before 21 July to qualify for an early registration discount at www.rrbconference.net.
Notes to editors:
- The key themes of Renewable Resources and Biorefineries Conference will
be:
- Biofuels and Bio-energy
- Green Chemistry Methods
- Platform Molecules
- Biopolymers (and Fibres) / Biomaterials
- Investment and End Users Perspective
- European Policy and Socio-Economic Issues
- Biocatalysis
- Bioresources (including carbohydrates)
- Fermentation and Metabolic Engineering
- Chemical Products including oleochemicals
- The University of York was founded in 1963 with 200 students. Since then, it has expanded to over 10,000 students and has more than 30 academic departments and research centres. From its inception, the University has concentrated on strong viable departments and teaching and research of the highest quality. York is also rated 6th out of 172 Higher Education institutions for research, with 18 of its 23 departments rated 5 or 5*.
- The Green Chemistry Group is based in the department of Chemistry at the University of York. The group has a long established reputation for working closely with industry and fostering interdisciplinary research through close collaboration with chemical engineering and other disciplines. Members of the group are also involved in promoting the general concepts of clean technology towards an improved public understanding of science. The group works at the frontiers of modern chemical research in the areas of clean synthesis, catalysis, novel materials and application of renewable resources.
- The Department of
Chemistry at the University of York has an
excellent reputation for teaching and research. In the last Research
Assessment Exercise the department was awarded a 5 rating. It is led by
Royal Society of Chemistry prize-winners in all three branches of
physical, organic and inorganic chemistry. It has 46 members of
academic staff, more than 380 undergraduate students, 150 graduates and
90 research fellows.