22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 23-26 June 2014, CCH Congress Center Hamburg

Business-to-Business, Business-to-Science, Science-to-Industry

The particular quality of the EU BC&E combines one of the largest biomass science and technology conference with a leading Biomass industry and technology exhibition, attracting the entire professional Biomass community from around the globe.

This event is held at different venues throughout Europe and is trend-setting for the Biomass technologies and applications. It provides a state-of-the-art Biomass Exhibition and Scientific Conference, as well as innovative Parallel Events and represents the entire Biomass value chain.

A taste of issues at stake

"In the last years the research community has accomplished significant progress in all fronts of biomass and bioenergy with key breakthroughs in several areas. In parallel the guiding principles on biomass sustainability raised ethical, trade, business-related, and policy issues associated to biomass availability, competition amongst the different uses of biomass as well as endless discussions on the complex issue of land use raising uncertainties in the mind of consumers, the civil society and the policy makers. The research community appears divided especially when modelling and predictive work is concerned ensuing in further confusion for the stakeholders. Simultaneously it is recognised by all that biomass and bioenergy is the main avenue that has to be driven upon if we are to attain the European and global climate change targets that have been set. Only the biomass & bioenergy industry can bridge the gap by undertaking reliable and well reasoned investments with social responsibility and political accountability" - Industry Committee Coordinator, Kyriakos Maniatis, European Commission, DG ENER.

Therefore, the key focus of the 22nd EU BC&E will be interaction between research, industry and policy makers. For this purpose the conference programme will be structured to satisfy the needs of both the wider audience and the scientific specialists by involving close interactions between the pure science, the industrial exploitation of the results of the research and the policy makers who provide the framework for research and industry. The programme will offer overviews of the latest scientific findings, industrial progress and political landscape and will extend from biomass itself to conversion processes for biofuels, bioenergy and biorefineries and to industrial applications and impacts on the environment.

"This will be a challenge for organisers and participants alike, but interaction and integration of the 3 main arms of the conference (research, industry and policy) are essential if biomass is to make a continued significant contribution to the developing low-carbon economy. Indeed, Europe has ambitious targets for 2020 and beyond for sustainable biomass, bioenergy, biofuels and biorefineries" - Technical Programme Chairman, David Baxter, European Commission, JRC.

The 2014 Conference marks the first edition where the call for abstracts is open not only for scientific presentations but also for industry-oriented presentations. To attract and engage industry, the Executive Committee has decided to set up an Industry Committee to deal with the continuously increasing number of industry-oriented abstracts and to promote the interests and needs of the Bioenergy Industry.

Why Hamburg?

Hamburg clearily represents an ideal location for the 22nd edition of the EU BC&E. Winner of the European Green Capital Award in 2011, it has, in fact, achieved high environmental standards and good performance levels in terms of cycling and public transport indicators and has defined targets and future plans with respect to climate change. It has set ambitious climate protection goals such as reducing its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020 and by 80% by the year 2050.

Provided by Eta Florence Renewable Energies