An official WCEF Side Event (World Circular Economy Forum) held under the auspices of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2021
Time: 10:00-12:10 CEST
Digital lunch (for participants wishing to network afterwards): 12:10-13:00 CEST
This timely Nordic-Netherlands roundtable will focus on creating a shared need between Nordic-Dutch frontrunners with the aim to lead and accelerate the transition to a Circular Bioeconomy 2.0. It will gather a select group of Nordic-based and Dutch corporate leaders and frontrunners who are leading by example as well as four key EU decision-makers and Members of the European Parliament. This is the very first time that such a virtual roundtable is being organised.
Both the Nordics and The Netherlands have historically enjoyed very close biocircular business and investment relations and can learn from each other’s successes, challenges and experiences, while at the same time collaborating more intensively and co-ordinated on European and international levels. As frontrunners, the Nordic region and The Netherlands have excellent qualifications and are well placed to take a united and leading position in the transformation to a biocircular economy 2.0, both in the EU and globally.
The Nordic-Netherlands Roundtable is co-hosted by:
Business Finland, represented by our guest of honour and co-host Nina Kopola, Director General and CEO
Circular Biobased Delta, represented by Willem Sederel, Chairman
Holland Circular Hotspot, represented by Freek van Eijk, Director, who also serves as the Vice Chair, Circular Biobased Delta and as a member of the Coordination Group, European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)
Nordic Circular Hotspot, represented by Peter Michel Heilmann, Managing Partner
Agenda
Roundtable part 1: Biorefineries and circularity—the path towards a BioCircular Economy 2.0?
Time: 10:00-11:00 CEST
A warm welcome from Oslo
Cathrine Barth and Einar Kleppe Holthe, Managing Partners, Nordic Circular Hotspot
Brief introduction by the Nordic-Netherlands Roundtable moderators
Peter Michel Heilmann, Managing Partner, Nordic Circular Hotspot
Freek van Eijk, Vice Chair, Circular Biobased Delta; Director, Holland Circular Hotspot; Vice-Chair of the Coordination Group, European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)
Guest of honour and keynote speaker
Nina Kopola, Director General and CEO, Business Finland
Brief welcoming remarks
H.E. Mrs. Päivi Kaukoranta, Ambassador of Finland to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Brief corporate presentations of frontrunners
Neste Corporation (Finland)
Jeroen C. Verhoeven, Vice President Production Partner Management, Renewable Polymers and Chemicals, Neste
BTG Bioliquids (The Netherlands)
Gerhard Muggen, Managing Director, BTG Bioliquids
UPM - The Biofore Company (Finland)
Jyrki Ovaska, Executive Vice President, Technology (CTO), UPM - The Biofore Company
Fortum Bio2X (Finland)
Dr. Heli Antila, Vice President, Biobased Solutions, Fortum
Roundtable discussion: BioCircular Economy 2.0—Netherlands-Nordic leadership and collaboration in Europe
Jeroen C. Verhoeven, Vice President Production Partner Management, Renewable Polymers and Chemicals, Neste
Jyrki Ovaska, Executive Vice President, Technology (CTO), UPM - The Biofore Company
Dr. Heli Antila, Vice President, Biobased Solutions, Fortum
Gerhard Muggen, Managing Director, BTG Bioliquids
Franc Bogovič, Member of the European Parliament (EPP, Slovenia), Chair of the Bioeconomy Working Group of the European Parliament Intergroup on “Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development”
Dirk Carrez, Executive Director, Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC)
Nico van Dooren, Director New Business Development & Portfolio, Port of Rotterdam
Wrap-up and close of part 1
10-minute break: 11:00-11:10 CEST
Roundtable part 2: Nordic and Dutch biocircular economy clusters—opportunities for co-innovation, collaboration, new products and markets
Time: 11:10-12:10 CEST
Brief introduction and welcome by the moderators
Peter Michel Heilmann, Managing Partner, Nordic Circular Hotspot
Freek van Eijk, Vice Chair, Circular Biobased Delta; Director, Holland Circular Hotspot; Vice-Chair of the Coordination Group, ECESP
Brief presentations of Nordic and Dutch clusters, hubs and projects
Presentation: 10-year plan for Circular Biobased Delta, 2020-2030 (The Netherlands) (5 mins)
Circular Biobased Delta is an alliance of Dutch provinces, businesses and knowledge centres in the delta region of North Brabant, Zeeland and South Holland. It is spearheading green chemicals to bring about the transition to a biobased economy. Co-operation between knowledge centres, public authorities and industry (from SMEs to multinationals) is at the heart of its work. Circular Biobased Delta complements its development of green chemicals with an application-based regional agenda based on local co-operation. More than 50 SMEs are working with knowledge centres, development companies and the Chamber of Commerce. Biobased Delta is one of the five bio-based clusters participating in the BiOPEN project.
Willem Sederel, Chair, Circular Biobased Delta; Non-Executive Director, Synova LLC
Presentation: Brightlands Chemelot Campus’s Circular Hub strategy (The Netherlands) (5 mins)
Brightlands Chemelot Campus, the first European Circular Hub, is based at the Chemelot Industrial Park in Sittard-Geleen. It boosts innovation and business growth by giving tenants access to talent, knowledge, infrastructure and entrepreneurship. At this innovation hub, scientists and entrepreneurs from 90 companies and institutes work together in conducting research on (bio)circular chemistry as a basis for the development of high-quality materials, chemical processes with lower CO2 emissions, and biomedical solutions. The campus, together with Chemelot Industrial Park, forms one of the largest research and industrial sites in Europe.
Bert Kip, CEO, Brightlands Chemelot Campus
Presentation: NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS (Norway)
Bergen-based NORCE is a new and forward-looking research institute, with expertise in a wide range of fields and strong communities of knowledge. NORCE delivers research and innovation in energy, health care, climate, the environment, society and technology. NORCE’s solutions address key challenges for society and contribute to value creation on the local, national and global levels. NORCE’s research on the environment, ecosystem, aquaculture and biotechnology contributes to solutions and innovations for the bioeconomy of the future—a reduced footprint on the environment, and new growth for manufacturing and industry.
Hans Kleivdal, Dr. scient., Executive Vice President, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS
Presentation: The Bioeconomy Regions in Scandinavia (Sweden and Norway)
The Bioeconomy Regions in Scandinavia (BRS) is an Interreg Sweden-Norway project, with the Region Värmland, Paper Province, Dalarna Region, IUC Dalarna AB, Västra Götaland Region (VGR), Fyrbodal Association of Local Authorities, Innovatum Science Center, Viken County Municipality and Innlandet County Municipality as partners.
Monika Svanberg, Project Manager, The Bioeconomy Regions in Scandinavia
Roundtable discussion
Willem Sederel, Chair, Circular Biobased Delta; Non-Executive Director, Synova LLC
Bert Kip, CEO, Brightlands Chemelot Campus
Hans Kleivdal, Dr. scient., Executive Vice President, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS
Monika Svanberg, Project Manager, The Bioeconomy Regions in Scandinavia
Prof. Emmo Meijer, Chair, ChemistryNL (Dutch Top Sector for Chemistry), Chair, EIT RawMaterials/ERMA (European Raw Materials Alliance) and emeritus part-time Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology
Dirk Carrez, Executive Director, Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC)
Dr. Agnieszka Szyk, President of the Board, INNOWO; member of Coordinating Group, European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and Leader of the Food Waste, Food System and Bioeconomy Leadership Group, ESCEP
Reflections and some recommendations
Prof. Emmo Meijer, Chair, ChemistryNL (Dutch Top Sector for Chemistry), Chair, EIT RawMaterials/ERMA (European Raw Materials Alliance) and emeritus part-time Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology
Wrap-up and close of part 2
Digital networking lunch (optional)
Time: 12:10-13:00 CEST
Meet the Nordic Circular Hotspot’s Managing Partners, liaise with some of the roundtable speakers and have lunch virtually.