Natural Fibertastic – Illustrates innovations from SMEs on natural fibers and bio-composites applications
09 May 2018
The Natural Fibertastic Workshop exhibited how innovative fiber technology can be used to make a difference in the bio-based economy. At the event in Bergen op Zoom the program was provided to the participants on paper made from grass residues. Thus a hands-on product of the bio-based economy was presented to all participants. The Natural Fibertastic workshop was characterized by a productive atmosphere, interesting discussions and many innovative concepts with international partners and participants from Belgium, Germany, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Poland. It was organized by Biobased Delta, REWIN, Province of North Brabant, Municipality Bergen op Zoom and the Natural Fiber Application Center in cooperation with the INTERREG NWE project BioBase4SME. Biobased Delta is a partner of the Horizon 2020/ BBI-JU project BIOPEN.
The BIOPEN project, well presented by Guglielmo Grosso (Innovation Consultant, CiaoTech Srl – PNO Innovation) aims to develop and to design a European open innovation platform. With this platform new applications and value chains for Bio-Based Products and technologies can be identified and the creation of partnerships to innovate processes and products is stimulated and supported. The new BIOPEN platform allows for the first time a simple research approach on relevant topics like alternative aromatics from green raw materials for the production of chemicals.
The emphasis at Natural Fibertastic workshop was on the use of (natural) fibres for materials for diverse applications, such as for construction and infrastructural projects.
In the morning the event started with a highlight: a tour visiting a couple of significant bio-based applications in the Delta region. In parallel sessions experts from all regions discussed about recent progress in the conversion from waste to sugars and finally to aromatics. After lunch in the plenary session several presentations were given related to circular and bio-based economy. In the afternoon a plenary programme comprised many practical examples and experiences by SMEs. In the morning as well as in the afternoon real-life cases, challenges and solutions within the scope of matters such as scaling up, quality, realisation and funding were subjects of discussions.
During the breaks and the lunch there were opportunities for matchmaking, and sufficient space for networking.
