Maine, United States
GRC - Biomass to Biobased Chemicals and Materials
Event: Feedstocks and Processes for Sustainable Manufacturing of Chemicals and Materials
The Biomass to Biobased Chemicals and Materials GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
Chemical manufacturing is critical for achieving sustainable development and a high quality of life for the global population. It underpins 95% of all manufactured goods and contributes US $5.7 trillion and 150 million jobs to the global economy. However, the chemical industry is also the world’s largest industrial energy consumer, third largest producer of direct CO2 emissions, and has inadvertently facilitated the release of toxic and persistent chemicals into the Earth’s ecosystem. Sustainable manufacturing of chemical building blocks from renewable (waste) carbon feedstocks, notably biomass, could mitigate climate change and environmental pollution through a new circular economy. Transitioning to carbon-neutral feedstocks while relying on existing manufacturing processes will fail to address waste and toxicity issues and disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities. Achieving an industry transition of the requisite magnitude necessitates a rethink of the centralized and capital-intensive technologies employed in today’s chemical manufacturing. This GRC will unite researchers and stakeholders from diverse sectors to overcome fundamental challenges in feedstock selection, and the design and scale-up of new (notably catalytic) routes to bioderived molecules and materials...