Click HERE for French press release in PDF format
Click HERE for Dutch press release in PDF format

Today the Royal Belgian Academy Council of Applied Science (BACAS) publishes a report showing how biological production processes (white biotechnology) can create the sustainable products that are good for people, planet and profit. The reports says white biotechnology is becoming a main contributor to green chemistry, where renewable resources such as sugars or vegetable oils are converted into a wide variety of fine and bulk chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biocolorants, solvents, bioplastics, vitamins, food additives, biopesticides, enzymes and biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel. "We welcome the Academy's report which we hope will better inform politicians and the public about how industrial biotech products offer significant ecological benefits and frequently show technical performance benefits," says Hugo Schepens, Secretary General of EuropaBio, the European association for bioindustries.

Bioplastics - a case in hand...
Bioplastics, for example, made from sugars or vegetable oils rather than from fossil resources such as petroleum, can be easily discarded with the rest of organic waste and left to decompose on the compost heap, eliminating the need for expensive recycling or waste disposal by burning or landfill. If bioplastics were used in Europe to meet our disposable packaging needs, this might reduce waste by 15 million tons per year, representing a volume equivalent to that of about 20,000 olympic swimming pools. Moreover, instead of filling up our landfills, valuable compost would be generated, to the benefit of our gardens and agriculture.

Other white biotech products...
Today, almost all antibiotics and a large part of our pharma drugs are made by fermentation processes, as are vitamins, organic acids, amino acids, ethanol, sweeteners, enzymes, etc.

White biotechnology has turned into a key competitiveness factor for the chemical industry. Europe is the world's most important chemicals producer, employing about 1.7 million people in some 25,000 chemical companies. At present, about 5 % of all products from the chemical industry involve biotechnological processes and this percentage is expected to jump to between 10 - 20 % by the year 2010 and further increase thereafter. The penetration of industrial biotechnology is largest in the segment of fine chemicals, where it is expected to reach 30 to 60% by 2010.

From renewable raw materials...
Industrial biotechnology typically uses renewable raw materials such as sugar beets, wheat or corn instead of fossil resources such as petroleum, natural gas and coal. "Whereas the price for fossil resources such as petroleum will continue to go up, agricultural raw materials are becoming increasingly cheaper. Contrary to common belief, we have now reached the point where renewable raw materials are only half as expensive as their fossil counterparts. The only limitation is the technology to efficiently convert these renewable raw materials into useful products and industrial biotechnology is the key technology in that respect" says Dr Wim Soetaert, Ghent University, one of the report's authors.

As for energy and petrol ...
About 85% of our energy needs come from fossil resources, one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. "Kyoto now obligates us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. This means that in the next 6 years, Belgium needs to reduce its emissions by about 14% to meet the Kyoto target," says Dr Soetaert. Renewable energy can play a key role in that respect. Up to now renewable energy sources cover only 5.8% of the total energy consumption in the EU.  Car fuel accounts for the EU's greatest dependence on fossil fuels. The Commission wants biofuels to make up 5.75% of total engine fuel consumption in Europe by 2010.  Today that percentage is just 0.3%. Agricultural crops (biomass) could again replace fossil fuels, and be converted in biorefineries into bioethanol, biogas or biodiesel. Bioethanol is obtained from sugar beet, wheat or corn by fermentation and can be used in mixtures with petrol by normal cars. Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils such as rape seed oil and can be mixed without any problem with normal diesel fuel.

"To meet the Commission aims, some 9.3 million tons of bioethanol will need to be produced in Europe in 2010, requiring about 3.7 million ha of wheat and sugar beet. This figure should be compared with the 5.6 million ha of set aside farmland, for which the EU pays farmers to produce absolutely nothing," says Dr Erick Vandamme, Ghent University, and co-author of the report. "Industrial biotechnology can contribute significantly to the sustainable development of our society and at the same time create new markets for common agricultural crops."

What recommendations?
In view of the strategic importance of industrial biotechnology for the future of Europe and Belgium, and the lack of a consistent policy in this area, the Academy proposes a number of policy recommendations directed towards industry, European and national authorities.

The Academy stresses that industrial biotechnology is an application-oriented and multidisciplinary scientific domain that integrates several disciplines such as microbiology, chemistry, molecular biology, biocatalysis, fermentation as well as environmental and engineering sciences. The development of this technology should be promoted by applied research programmes that bring together these disciplines and are specifically directed towards industrial biotechnology.

The academy particularly points at the difference with the US that is presently investing heavily into industrial biotechnology research programs: "Europe is not doing enough to develop this new technology and the European chemical sector may quickly lose the dominant position it still enjoys today". A number of other political and fiscal measures, such as detaxation of bio-fuels are particularly urgent in all European countries.

The Academy recommends the creation of a "technology platform for industrial biotechnology", both at national and at European level. This should include all stakeholders in order to develop a long-term vision and strategy for industrial biotechnology. This must ensure that the European Commission, the national governments, the industry and the academic world can co-operate fruitfully towards the common goal: the sustainable development of our society.

Belgium to take the  initiative...
The Belgian University of Ghent was the first to successfully discover plant genetic engineering; Belgium now wants to lead the way on white biotechnology. Belgian Minister for the Economy, Energy, Foreign Trade and Science Policy Fientje Moerman, supports the creation of a Belgian Interdisciplinary Platform for Industrial Biotechnology (BIPIB)...

"This is excellent news. It will help the Belgian chemical industry to adopt the latest technologies and so keep the sector as one of the leading industries in our economy" says Dirk Carrez, Secretary General of BelgoBiotech, the Belgian Biotechnology Industry association which is part of Fedichem (the Belgian Chemical Industry Association). "Let's also hope that other member states will follow Belgium's lead and forge links with scientists who are able to develop the cutting edge industrial biotechnology processes that we need."

The Royal Belgian Academy Council of Applied Science (BACAS) is a steering committee created by the Belgian academies of science (Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique and Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunsten).

EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, has 35 corporate members operating worldwide and 23 national biotechnology associations representing some 1200 small and medium sized enterprises involved in research and development, testing, manufacturing and distribution of biotechnology products.

BelgoBiotech was created in 1992 as a professional section within Fedichem (The Federation of the Belgian Chemical Industries), and represents the most important biotech companies in Belgium.
 

Further resources on white biotechnology
EuropaBio resource page
http://www.europabio.org/pages/white_biotech.asp

Bioprocesses can be route to sustainable future, say studies
http://www.europabio.org/pages/ne_wb_100403.asp

BelgoBiotech web site
http://www.belgobiotech.be/code/page.cfm?id_page=45&lang=EN

OECD report - the application of biotechnology to industrial sustainability
http://oecdpublications.gfi-nb.com/cgi-bin/OECDBookShop.storefront/EN/product/932001061P1