Summit Reaffirms North East's Position as UK's Green Capital

25th November 2009

Top bio-industrialists from Brazil, one of the most significant countries worldwide for renewable technologies and feedstocks, will join over 80 North East business leaders, scientists and academics at a top international conference being held in the region this week.


The ICIS Bioresources Summit, taking place at the Gateshead Hilton Hotel on Thursday (26th November), is sponsored by NEPIC (North East Process Industry Cluster) - delivers of the Regional Strategy for Transport Biofuels - and Northeast Biofuels.


Northeast Biofuels is helping to promote the North East as one of Europe's most important regions for the bio sector, along with partner, the Centre for Process Innovation, which is developing 2nd generation technologies in support of the regions developing biofuels and biorefinery industries.


With interest in renewable resources at an all time high, companies are beginning to realise the full impact bioresources could have on their businesses. The ICIS Bioresources Summit will not only focus on the latest developments from across Europe - but also on Brazil, one of the most important areas worldwide both for renewable feedstocks and also bio-applications.


The conference, introduced by key note speaker Dari Taylor MP, will discuss the advances in bio-engineering and their impact on biofuels, bio-polymers and other emerging markets. The conference will include sessions on Biofuel Production, Research Projects, Biofuel Activity in Brazil and Meeting the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) 2020 Targets.


Dari Taylor said: "It's not surprising that the Northeast of England is taking a lead in the UK in understanding the availability of Bioresources and how we best use them to reduce the carbon footprint of our society. In our region we have a rich heritage of solving scientific and industrial problems. Here in the NE we still have the scientific and engineering expertise to make an impact on climate change. We need to remember that Biofuels and Biorefinery activities, in which we are leading as a region, are likely to have a bigger impact on green house gas emission reduction than the introduction of electric cars. This is because as well as renewable fuels this work, lead by NEPIC, NEB, CPI and our Universities, has the potential to reduce emissions from cars, lorries, air travel and also a wide cross section of industry."


Brazilian representatives from Petrobras, Unica and Embrapa will be speaking at the event Biofuel Activity in Brazil and on specifically on subjects includingSugarcane andBioenergy technology development. Other Brazillian comapnies attending along side numerous other UK and international companies include Fermentec, CTC and Dedini.


Henrique Amorim, President of Fermentec, one of the Brazilian delegates to attend the conference said: "My colleagues and I from Brazil are pleased to contribute to the Bioresources Summit in Newcastle. Stan Higgins and John Brady and the NEPIC team have made us most welcome here. In our country we have taken a world leading position in the use of renewable fuels. In fact we now have systems in place that allow automobiles to use either ethanol of petroleum and consumers make a choice merely on the availability and price. We are here to share our expertise and network with likeminded companies. We wish to build on the relationship that NEPIC has with Brazil and hope that this will lead to many successful collaborations."


Stan Higgins CEO of NEPIC commented "This is the third time in three years that we have run this conference in our region alongside our colleagues from ICIS. We continue to attract significant international interest in this subject and as a result our region is becoming recognised as a major player in renewable materials."


This conference shows how industry can help to showcase the capabilities of the region internationally. Building up knowledge of the NE and its business capabilities abroad is a clear way of identifying new investment and trade opportunities. NEPIC has collaborated with UK Trade and Investment and One North East to bring many international delegations to the region over recent years. This is industrial activism in action. Many of those who will be attending the conference are the same business representatives, local authority leaders and MPs who this week expressed their backing of a ten point plan charting a path towards a more prosperous future for the chemicals industry. This includes the marketing of the region as a global investment location.


The action plan is being formulated to tackle the immediate and longer term challenges the sector faces, including cutting energy use, championing the training of the skilled workforce needed for tomorrow's industries and developing new processes to take maximum advantage of structural change within the industry.


ENDS/


Notes to Editor


The British Consulate in Brazil, based in Rio de Janeiro, and key Brazilian business leaders, visited the North East of England back in January 2006, to form pharmaceutical and drug discovery links with Newcastle University. Introductions with NEPIC staff helped develop business connections and advice on cluster growth.


With a growing business focus on biofuels and biorefining NEPIC staff travelled over to Brazil on a scoping mission during February 2008. Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies and industrial developments in the world, following the discovery of huge oil reserves of the coast. Brazil is a global leader in the use of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, and so is an obvious link with North East region, which is hoping to establish itself as the UK hub for the biofuels industry.


Following this successful visit, leading politicians from the Pernambuco region of Brazil then visited the North East in June 2009 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with NEPIC, to help develop inward investment opportunities and acquire advice on running an growing and successful industrial cluster.


The November 2009 inward mission, organised again by the British Consulate in Brazil, is therefore the fourth in a series of successful discussions and events.


Please visit www.icisconference.com/bioresources2009?cp=EMC-CHCEE-BIO_NEPIC to find out more about the Bioresources Summit, including agenda and list of speakers.


NEPIC, the North East Process Industry Cluster, represents over 500 chemical, pharmaceutical biotechnology and support companies across the North East of England. Together they represent the largest (25%) section of the economy in the region, contributing 10bn Pounds GDP to the economy each year, employing 34,000 people directly and indirectly supporting a further 200,000 jobs.


Further information can be obtained from Rebecca English, Marketing & PR Officer for NEPIC on 01642 442564 or rebecca.english@nepic.co.uk.

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