Events

Bioeconomy Innovation

Day 2023

Forests cover over 54% of the Basque Country’s land area; they are vital green infrastructure. Sustainable forest management can help adapt forests to the changing climate, balancing the production of wood, non-wood products and ecosystem services.

Advancing in more efficient and circular use of forests is necessary to produce a new generation of materials that could help the “biologisation” in different economic sectors, reducing the carbon material footprints. 

The Basque Circular Bioeconomy Action Plan has adopted this vision. Its implementation requires bridging the knowledge-innovation gap, speeding up the implementation of new solutions, and strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration.

  • When: 4 October 2023
  • Where: Yimby aretoa, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

The Bioeconomy Innovation Day on 4 October 2023 is the perfect opportunity to connect with key actors in the bioeconomy innovation ecosystem and discover new opportunities to drive the green transition.

Connect with key actors in the bioeconomy innovation ecosystem from research, forest management, industry, business, finance, government and civil society, and discover new opportunities to drive the green transition. 

Don’t miss this opportunity, and add the event to your calendar.

Agenda for Wednesday (4 October 2023) – CEST

Get your ticket:

  • 8:15 | Registration
  • 9:00 | Welcoming words
  • Bittor Oroz, Vice-minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Food Policy
  • 9:10 | Regenerative forestry: Boosting economic growth and natural assets side by side
  • Timo Lehesvirta, Leading Nature Expert, Metsä Group
  • 9:35 | Why Investing in the European Bioeconomy?
  • Ananya Manna, Investment Director, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF)
  • 10:00 | Introduction to the Sessions and Networking Methodology
  • Leire Barañano, General Director, Neiker

Session 1 Sustainable and Multifunctional Forestry

  • 10:05 | Challenges and Opportunities for European Forestry
  • Bart Muys, Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, KU Leuven, Belgium
  • 10:30 | Solution providers
  • Zerticarbon: Blockchain-certified carbon sink solutions
  • HAZI: Digital tools for forest inventory and monitoring
  • Fortra: Traceability of wood products by the Xunta de Galicia
  • ArboFiRM: Digital twins of forest to mitigate forest fires by Arbonaut
  • VigilanTree: Artificial Intelligence and image classification to better understand our Ecosystems by Cesefor
  • 11:30 | Networking & coffee break

Session 2 Advanced Bio-based Materials 

  • 12:00 | Policy and Market Trends in the Material Use of Biomass
  • Michael Carus, Managing Director, nova-Institute GmbH
  • 12:25 | Solution providers
  • Evolgene: Cellulose nanocrystals for industrial and biomedical applications
  • Axalko: High-end bicycle frames made of natural fibres
  • Biorefformed: Mediterranean biorefinery to produce added value products
  • 13:30 | The Basque Green Deal and the Bioeconomy
  • Arantxa Tapia, Minister of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment
  • 14:00 | Lunch and networking

Session 3: A Boost for the Forest Bioeconomy Innovation Lessons from European Regions

  • 15:00 | Presentation of best cases of the acceleration and support of the bioeconomy in European regions: 
  • Irish Bioeconomy Foundation: Discovering the full potential of the Irish Bioeconomy
  • Enkarterri: New accelerating service of the bioeconomy in Euskadi
  • BioBoost: Accelerating the bioeconomy in Catalonia
  • Business Joensuu: Bioeconomy Innovation in the forest capital of Europe
  • Bioeconomy Austria: The gateway to the Austrian bioeconomy
  • Coffee, local sweets & Networking 
  • 17:30 | End of the Bioeconomy Innovation Day

Meet our innovators

Evolgene blue logo

Evolgene

Evolgene is a biotechnology company that applies advanced genetic research and innovative technologies to develop solutions for various industries. The company has created a process to produce cellulose nanocrystals that could be used in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sustainability sectors. This biomaterial is obtained from various cellulose sources using ancestral enzymes.

axalko bikes logo

Axalko

Axalko Bikes specialises in designing and producing lightweight, high-quality, and eco-friendly electric bicycles using natural fibres and wood as raw frame materials. With a fusion of innovative engineering and eco-conscious principles, their bikes blend style, functionality, and environmental responsibility.

Life biorefformed logo

Biorefformed

Bioreformed is a pilot plant that strives to advance the field of bioremediation and environmental restoration. Their primary goal is to enhance sustainable Mediterranean forest management by upgrading an existing biorefinery through torrefaction and pyrolysis (TP) to produce renewable fuels and chemicals from forest biomass. The project’s main focus is on utilising natural processes and microbial systems to rehabilitate polluted environments, improve soil health, and restore ecosystems.

Zerti Carbon

Zerti Carbon, a company that offers certified carbon sink solutions using blockchain technology, is dedicated to advancing climate-smart forestry solutions, connecting forest owners with companies interested in neutralising carbon emissions. Working with forest owners to restore and keep forests healthy and to help them connect with companies and individuals.

Hazi

HAZI coordinates and catalyses strategic projects to boost the competitiveness and sustainability of the food and forestry value chain, as well as to revitalise the rural and coastal areas of the Basque Country.

Fortra logo

Fortra

FORTRA is a digital tool available to forestry companies and consumers to provide traceability to wood-based products, recording the operations carried out by all the companies that are part of the transformation process from the forest to the market.

Arbonaut logo

ArboFIRM by Arbonaut

Arbonaut offers various web, desktop, and cloud-based software solutions and mobile applications. Arbonaut Fire Risk Management (ArboFiRM) uses information based on remote sensing data (mainly LiDAR) to support decision-making for the prevention and extinction of forest fires in natural areas and wildland-urban interface.

Vigilantree by Cesefor

VigilanTree is an AI-based solution for monitoring natural events. Forest management requires automation of the inputs to information systems and the automated classification of images in a low-cost technology with enormous potential for controlling harvesting, public use, biodiversity research, timber transportation, human pressures on land, pest control or identification of fauna. This cloud tool gives managers a real-time alert system of what is happening in their land based on image classification and automatic learning.

Gelzhäuser Forst

Gelzhäuser builds Organic Tiny Houses with individual solutions and unique designs from natural solid wood according to the cradle-to-cradle principle. No glue or chemicals are used to ensure the highest level of health for a perfect home.

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Organisers

Neiker
Logo Eusko Jauralitza Gobierno Vasco