2015 BIO World Congress to showcase Canada’s bioeconomy

“This Montreal meeting will once again help connect Canadian scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and policy makers with global leaders; and in turn will help drive economic progress while addressing issues such as climate change,” said Brent Erickson, executive vice-president for BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section. “The Canadian government and provincial government agencies are supporting the development of a bio-based economy in Canada. Canada’s industrial biotechnology companies are commercializing solutions to address existing and emerging global issues such as the need for renewable energy, climate change, and the reliance on petroleum-based products. And Canada has a vast resource of biomass feedstocks from timber to wheat straw and more.

“We look forward to bringing BIO’s world congress back to Montreal, where Canadian and American industrial biotechnology companies have formed strong partnerships over the years.”

“Canada’s economic and geographic diversity, universities and strong scientific research capacity has led to the emergence of a number of vibrant biotech clusters in every region of the country,” added Andrew Casey, president and CEO BIOTECanada. “Leveraging local strengths, these clusters are supporting the growth of a vast array of companies that are leading the development of biotech innovations to help meet the social imperative of addressing the global challenges resulting from a growing population as well as an already changed and continually changing environment.

“From the development of new sustainable fuels to the creation of new technologies, Canada’s biotech sector is a global leader in helping to re-engineer economies and transform how we live our lives.”

“It is with great excitement that we will be hosting our Advanced Biofuels Symposium (ABS) in Montreal on July 22 to 24, 2015, right after the World Bio Congress on Industrial Biotechnology,” said Dr. Donald L. Smith, president and CEO of BioFuelNet Canada. “We’re proud to be linked to the World Bio Congress, especially at this pivotal time, where there is a growing shift to bio-based fuels and materials. Both conferences complement one another given their focus on the bioeconomy, and will help drive the development of bio-based industries in Canada and around the world.”

“For over a decade, the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) has strongly supported Canada’s growing bio industry and BIO’s World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology,” stated CIC executive director Roland Andersson. “This Montreal meeting will once again help connect Canadian scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and policy makers with global leaders; and in turn will help drive economic progress while addressing issues such as climate change.”

“Canada has abundant and sustainable forest resources to support a wide variety of industrial biotechnology applications. The World Congress is an excellent venue for bringing the different sectors together to explore the opportunities,” says Paul Lansbergen, vice-president of regulations and partnerships at the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC).

The Success Stories Plenary will host a panel of industry leaders to discuss the steps taken to gain commercial success in their sector of the biobased economy. 

Vincent Chornet, co-founder, president & CEO of Enerkem, and Robert Graham, CEO and chairman of Ensyn, will share their stories on how through industrial biotech their Canadian-based companies have contributed to the growth of the world’s bioeconomy.

This year’s breakout sessions will include panelists representing several Canadian universities including the Queensland University of Technology, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, University of Ottawa, University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières and the University of Guelph. 

Attendees can also expect representatives from such Canadian organizations as ViciBio Pty Ltd., Life Sciences Queensland Ltd, and the National Research Council Canada.

All programs at the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology are open to attendance by members of the media. Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters working full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press credentials.

For more information on the conference, please visit www.bio.org/worldcongress. For assistance, please contact worldcongress@bio.org.