Then and Now: 120 Bioeconomy Pioneers look at yesterday, today, inspirations and challenges

Greg Bohlmann

Then: In 2007 I was a member of SRI Consulting’s Process Economics Program (PEP) doing a technoeconomic study on bio-based polyols. PEP clients were increasingly calling for analysis of bio-based processes as alternative to traditional petro based processes beginning in the 1990s.

Now: I am an independent consultant assisting start-up companies in the industrial biotech industry. Many start-ups in this space are short of funding but still need experienced professionals to guide them through the challenges of commercialization.

Inspirations: Advanced bioeconomy technologies provide the opportunity to reduce our dependence on petroleum while at the same time creating opportunities for economic growth of rural areas. Also for some chemical targets, biological systems are more efficient.

Challenges: The large amount of funds needed both for R&D and also capital investment in production assets is a big challenge. But there are some sources of funding that take the long term view, which is absolutely necessary for these early stage technologies.