SSPE-CT-2005-022681

EPOBIO

Realising the economic potential of renewable resources – bioproducts from non-food crops

Instrument: Integrating and Strengthening the European Research Area

Thematic priority: 8.1 Policy-orientated research. Tools and assessment methods for sustainable agriculture and forestry management

FINAL ACTIVITY REPORT

Period: 1 November 2005-31 December 2007 Date of preparation: January 2008

Start date of project: 1 November 2005 Duration: 26 months

Project Coordinator: David ClaytonOrganisation: Centre for Novel Agricultural Products

Department of BiologyPO Box 373University of YorkYorkYO10 5YWdc530@york.ac.uk

EPOBIO Final Activity Report – 2005/2007

Contents

Executive Summary

Section 1 – Overview of activities, project objectives, summary of outputs, relation to state of the art

Section 2 – Methodologies and approaches taken, results and outputs from Work Packages

Section 3 – Consortium management

Section 4 – Impact on industry or research sector

Section 5 – Other Issues

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List of attachments

Appendix 1 – Final plan for using and disseminating the knowledge

Annexes

1. Website homepage2. BioMatNet homepage3. Posters – EPOBIO Greece Workshop 4. EPOBIO Newsletters5. Report: Cell wall saccharification6. Report: Production of wax esters in Crambe7. Report: Alternative sources of natural rubber8. Report: Crop platforms for cell wall biorefining – lignocellulose feedstocks9. Report: Oil crop platforms for industrial uses10. Report: Crop platforms of the production of chemicals and biopolymers11. Report: Science communication and the potential of sustainable resources12. Report: Public attitudes towards the industrial use of plants - the EPOBIO survey13. Report: Micro- and macro-algae: Utility for industrial applications14. Report Workshop 1, Wageningen May 200615. Report: Workshop 2, Greece May 2007 16. Report: Building the European Knowledge Based Bioeconomy (KBBE)17. Revised front-lined bar chart 18. EPOBIO Wageningen workshop posters19. A4 copies of two posters presented at the Biorefineries meeting in Finland 20. A4 copy of poster prepared for a Workshop on the Structure and Function of Primary and Secondary Cell Walls21. EPOBIO leaflet22. BioMatNet Information card 23. BioMatNet/EPOBIO CD-Rom 24. Website version of ‘Public Perception’ questionnaire 25. EPOBIO social attitudes survey questionnaire26. Revised list of deliverables27. Example of ITEM update

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Executive Summary

Background

1. EPOBIO (www.epobio.net) was an international Science to Support Policy project funded by the European Commission in Framework 6 and with the co-operation of the United States Department of Agriculture. The aim of the project was to realise the economic potential of sustainable plant-derived raw materials. A key objective was to design new generations of bio-based products derived from plant raw materials that will reach the market place 10-15 years from now.

2. Building on the work of the US/EC Taskforce in Biotechnology Research, EPOBIO incorporated and took forward the extensive discussions and analyses on plant-based bioproducts that took place during 2004 and 2005. Those discussions established criteria to select Flagship themes that represent important areas for new international R&D activities aimed at delivering the new generation of bio-based products. The Taskforce identified three Flagship themes - plant cell walls, plant oils and biopolymers - as important areas for new international R&D activities.

3.Each Flagship theme was developed within a framework of its environmental impact, economics and regulatory frameworks, attitudes and expectations of policy makers and the public, and a communication strategy. This integration of technical and non-technical issues in an holistic approach and analysis required close integration with environmental scientists, agronomists, experts in legislation and regulations, socio-economists, policy-makers and the public to evaluate proposed products and ensure the products developed are beneficial to our society and for our planet. Uniquely, EPOBIO examined scientific potential in this wider social context.

4. Incorporated into EPOBIO, the BioMatNet database of information ensured dissemination of information concerning EC supported RTD projects and related activities concerning the development of renewable bioproducts and biofuels from agricultural and forestry derived raw materials.

Summary of project objectives

5. The goal of EPOBIO was to identify key areas of research and technology development relating to the use of plant-derived raw materials as industrial feedstocks that can stimulate the sustainable economic growth of the agro-industrial sector. It had two main objectives:

To investigate and analyse the three defined Flagship areas of plant-based renewable resources with recognised potential significance as industrial feedstocks for the development of bioproducts and applications with economic, environmental and societal benefits.

To communicate the information and understanding gained to stakeholders across supply chains as well as the public and policymakers.

6. It was intended that the outputs of EPOBIO increase awareness amongst stakeholder groups and provide the basis for future decision-making on national and

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community RTD policy. Outputs also helped the identification of priorities for future non-food research and supported the integration and strengthening of the ERA.

The EPOBIO Consortium

7. The partners in the EPOBIO initiative were:

In Europe:

CNAP, University of York - UKPlant Research International – The NetherlandsMax Planck Institute, Golm - GermanyNational Hellenic Research Foundation - GreeceCPL Scientific Publishing Services - UK

Hamburg University - GermanyUniversity of Agricultural Science - SwedenUniversity of Lausanne - SwitzerlandMetabolic Explorer - FranceNovamont - ItalyBritish Sugar - UK

In the USA:

USDA Plant Gene Expression Centre / Berkeley - USAUSDA Albany – USA

Results achieved

8. The key outputs of EPOBIO include a series of twelve reports published during the project; the EPOBIO Workshops which identified priorities for action and reported results; the development of specific policy recommendations to take forward the bioeconomy; and, a wide-ranging series of dissemination activities. These major achievements can be summarised as follows:

Publications and Reports from Flagships and support themes

9. The publications and reports delivered during the EPOBIO project are as follows:

(a). Three Flagship-specific reports published in October 2006:

Cell Wall Saccharification Production of Wax Esters in Crambe Alternative Sources of Natural Rubber

(b). A series of crop platform reports published in April 2007 as follows:

Crop Platforms for Cell Wall Biorefining: Lignocellulose Feedstocks Oil Crop Platforms for Industrial Uses Industrial Crop Platforms for the Production of Chemicals and Biopolymers.

(c). Reports published in April 2007 by the Communications and Social Attitudes support themes:

Science Communication and the Potential of Sustainable Resources Public Attitudes towards the Industrial Uses of Plants

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(d). A final report published in September 2007 combining the input and expertise of the Flagship desk researchers:

Micro- and Macro-algae: Utility for Industrial Applications

(e). Workshop reports

Reports from each of the Workshops published in September 2006 and September 2007 respectively.

(f). Review of research in the Knowledge Based Bioeconomy (KBBE), available in printed form and on CD-Rom.

10. In addition to the two periodic reports and the final report to the European Commission, all twelve reports were published on the Website and, with the single exception of the report of the Greece Workshop, in booklet form for distribution to Consortium partners, national funders, industry, researchers and other stakeholders. This, along with articles published in scientific journals (see para. 27) that acknowledged the contribution of EPOBIO, represented a significant enhancement on the work programme originally envisaged when the project proposal was agreed for funding.

EPOBIO Wageningen Workshop May 2006

11. The first EPOBIO Workshop was held in May 2006. Over 180 delegates attended the Workshop which consisted of a series of plenary presentations addressing the global, EU and US perspectives in the biorenewables sector. Presentations also looked at the implication of the expansion of the bioeconomy for agriculture in the EU and the potential of the bioeconomy in developing countries. The EPOBIO unique concept was explained to delegates and was set in the context of other developments in the EU, primarily through the various Technology Platforms, with which EPOBIO has sought to develop strong links.

12. Breakout sessions addressed the Flagship themes in detail, identifying the top priorities for future work by the EPOBIO desk researchers. Other preliminary discussions took place on environmental, agronomic and economic analyses as well as social attitudes and communications issues. A final plenary session reviewed the priorities identified and the future direction of the work.

13. A summary report of proceedings was placed on the website within 72 hours of the end of the Workshop. The full report of Workshop proceedings was available on the website in July and was subsequently printed and distributed to attendees, Advisory Board members, research funders and policy makers across Europe and in the US. Copies of the report were made available to all of the attendees at the October 2006 Biorefineries Conference in Helsinki.

EPOBIO Workshop 2

14. The Greece Workshop was held in May 2007. The EPOBIO Administrator and the partner at the National Hellenic Research Institute handled the organisation and administration.

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15. The 2007 EPOBIO Workshop was attended by around 100 delegates representing a wide range of international experts from the scientific community, academia, industry and policy development. There were representatives from across the world – for example, from the US, Canada, China, New Zealand and Japan. This clearly illustrated the range and strength of current activities addressing the economic potential and future development of the bioeconomy globally

16. The Workshop focussed on the potential of green plants to use solar energy and manufacture raw material feedstocks, which offers a major way to address issues of paramount importance and to deliver the future needs of society in a sustainable way. The EPOBIO team reported on the work undertaken since the 2006 Workshop, examining the future potential of the bioeconomy in the context of relevant regulatory and policy issues, global developments and industrial perspectives on sustainability. The results showed how the EPOBIO process had been used to provide a framework for validation of research priorities and a thorough evidence base to inform decision-making.

17. In order to provide the workshop delegates with background information on the EPOBIO project and activities of the various work packages and Flagship themes six posters, designed to a common format, were displayed during the course of the workshop.

18. The EPOBIO presentations at the Workshop were accompanied by the publication of five reports prepared specifically for the event:

Crop platforms for cell wall biorefining – lignocellulose feedstocks Industrial crop platforms for the production of chemicals and biopolymers Oil crop platforms for industrial uses Public attitudes towards the industrial uses of plants: the EPOBIO survey Science communication and the potential of sustainable resources

19. All of these publications, the full report of the Workshop and the various presentations made during the event have been made available on the EPOBIO website.

Contribution to policy making

20. In its early stages EPOBIO identified key policy makers and research funders in the European Union and information and reports were circulated on a regular basis to these stakeholders. The Project Director and Coordinator met with officials in the European Commission to discuss current policy on the development of the bioeconomy in Europe and well as the key finding from EPOBIO reports. Each report prepared by EPOBIO analysed policy impacts and barriers and contributed to the development of future policy. Also, EPOBIO contributed to the development of policy papers prepared by others, for example, Europabio. Finally, the Coordinator gave a presentation at the 2007 workshop analysing the key issues concerning the use of science in policy making and how they can better be integrated.

21. Reports included a series of policy recommendations:

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Policies must be coherent, integrated and coordinated. Innovation in plant and industrial biotechnology should be supported. Policies should support development of the whole supply chain. A communication strategy is essential. Pilot projects have a role to play. Measurable sustainability indicators should be developed.

Each of these is considered in more detail in paragraph 2.134 below. 22. In addition, we made two specific recommendations in relation to the field production of platform chemicals/biopolymers and the opportunity for value added co-product manufacture in energy crops. The first concerns set aside: this should be reconsidered in the next round of CAP reform. The second concerns the risk that permanent crops used for the non-energy bioeconomy will not be eligible for the single farm payment. We considered this regulatory barrier an urgent issue for consideration by the European Commission.

Dissemination activities

23. In addition to the published reports, the dissemination activities of EPOBIO have included the presentation of the public face of the project through the website www.epobio.net, which can be accessed in seven languages, and the generation and dissemination of information through the website. The BioMatNet website, which listed specific research programmes and relevant non-food crops projects up to December 2004, was re-established and expanded through integration with EPOBIO. Individual project reports or summaries of other activities on the BioMatNet website, termed ‘ITEMs’ were reviewed and revised as necessary. New ITEMs were added as necessary and a total of around 2100 were on the website at the conclusion of EPOBIO.

24. The first CD-ROM was produced for the second EPOBIO Workshop. The CD-ROM was entitled ‘BioMatNet CD-ROM 7 – non-food agro industrial research’. This contained copies of the websites, links to over 1000 other bioproducts websites and the EPOBIO Flagship reports. The second ‘Building the European Knowledge Based Bioeconomy (KBBE). The impact of Non-Food Research 1988-2008’ was produced in December 2007. Distribution was developed as a package containing the printed report and the two CDs. 25. For the EPOBIO website, an on-line audience accessing up to 18,000 web pages per week was developed. For BioMatNet, statistics show the number of visitors each week reaching in excess of 25,000 during 2007. The EPOBIO website also provided a mechanism for internal communications within the project. This work package has disseminated the seven EPOBIO newsletters at four-monthly intervals.

26. The full range of materials disseminated through the EPOBIO website is:

Published reports Workshop posters, both EPOBIO Workshops and other events Papers for the EPOBIO Workshops EPOBIO Newsletters ITEM updates EPOBIO leaflets

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BioMatNet/EPOBIO CD-ROMs

27. Finally, further added value was achieved for EPOBIO through the publication of four articles where the contribution of the project was formally acknowledged. The citations are as follows:

Van Beilen JB, and Poirier Y (2008) Production of renewable polymers from crop plants. Plant J. Accepted pending minor revisions.

Van Beilen JB, and Poirier Y (2007) Establishment of new crops for the

production of natural rubber. Trends Biotechnol. 25 : 522-529.

Van Beilen JB, and Poirier Y (2007) Guayule and Russian dandelion as alternative sources of natural rubber. Crit. Rev Biotechnol. In press

Van Beilen J, and Poirier Y (2007) Prospects for biopolymer production in plants.

Adv. Biochem. Engin. Biotechnol. 107 : 133-151.

28. A fifth article is in preparation for publication in 2008. This is a perspective article on Miscanthus, prepared for the new journal Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining (Biofpr).

Other impacts

29. EPOBIO links science with product development and the policy framework needed to boost uptake. Its outputs can be used to underpin the future development of the bioeconomy in Europe and beyond. The knowledge gained from EPOBIO will assist the sustainable development of biorenewables and zero-waste biorefineries in the emerging knowledge-based bio-economy of this new century.

30. At a time when oil prices have moved beyond $90 a barrel it is important to note that there is potential to bring new economic benefit to a range of stakeholders including farming and manufacturing industry. EPOBIO has, in its Flagship areas, designed a way forward for the EU to realise the economic potential of bioproducts from non-food crops by highlighting research targets that can be addressed in Framework 7 and we are pleased to note that all of the Flagship areas are being taken forward by other Consortia through the first round of FP7 funding. Through the process developed in the project and the various outputs produced, EPOBIO has also provided a foundation to support action on biorenewables in the US and elsewhere globally, including developing countries.

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Section 1: Overview of activities, project objectives, summary of outputs and relation to state of the art

Background

1.1 EPOBIO was an international project funded through the European Union’s 6 th

Framework Research Programme to realise the economic potential of sustainable plant-derived raw materials. The EPOBIO objective was to design new generations of bio-based products derived from plant raw materials that will reach the market place 10-15 years from now.

1.2 Since fossil reserves are finite there are increasing concerns about availability, security of supply and the cost of oil and petrochemicals. In addition, there are challenges linked to the increasing quantities of fossil oil needed for continued industrial growth and expanding consumer demand. Bio-renewables offer society a sustainable means of meeting the growing demand for energy and products produced from renewable and sustainable sources. There is also potential to develop products that will significantly reduce contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.

1.3 Modern biotechnology can underpin future economic growth, employment and the development of sustainable non-food crops and processes. Work is needed to help stimulate increased and more effective investment in research and to support the acceleration of innovation. The identification of barriers to the deployment and growth of new technologies is equally important.1.4 EPOBIO encompassed and built on the foresight and the foundation established during 2004/2005 by the US/EC Taskforce in Biotechnology Research - ‘Plant-based bioproducts: creating value from renewable resources’. A series of US-EC workshops, including those held in Albany (April 2004) and Beltsville (March 2005), developed a strategic vision paper to underpin and direct a new vision for US-EU collaboration in agricultural and industrial biotechnology and set out the main technical and societal constraints that face the biobased product industry. The workshops also established and adopted criteria to select Flagship themes that represent important areas for new international R&D activities aimed at delivering the new generation of bio-based products. Those criteria are:

•User / consumer benefit

There is a need for projects to provide societal benefit across the entire supply chain from farmers and growers to manufacturing industries and consumers. The benefits must be demonstrable, taking account of sustainability, environmental impacts and climate issues. Both developed and developing countries must be considered when potential benefits are assessed.

• Scientific challenge

It was judged that the scientific challenge needed to be so great that coordinated activity from both the US and the EU was required to achieve a solution. The consequence of this is that projects would be expected to require large-scale, complementary, multi-disciplinary and multinational input. The integration of green and white biotechnology was one of the areas highlighted as presenting both a major new opportunity and also a significant challenge.

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• Economic benefits and risk analysis

There is a need for each project to have a risk-benefit analysis, assessment and management plan compiled that covers the whole supply chain from raw material input to product output. The analysis, incorporating economic cost/benefit and direct environmental impact/benefit should consider the project as a continuum from research through to demonstration of proof of concept.

• Private sector involvement

Private sector involvement demonstrates the value of the project and industry input helps project planning and awareness of supply chain issues linking the grower to the end-use consumer. Industry involvement would be pre-competitive. Projects would end with a proof of principle demonstration pilot and so would not involve marketing of specific products.

1.5 US-EU discussions addressed the issues around developing flagships and other co-operative activities needed to face these challenges. Through the prioritisation of the scientific areas and technologies relevant to the design of future areas of collaboration, the US/EC Taskforce endorsed the relevance and development of the first three Flagship themes – plant cell walls, biopolymers and plant oils. It was envisaged the Flagship themes would be developed in field-based and fermenter applications, often involving multi-disciplinary teams, building on advances in plant and microbial sciences and their associated technologies.

Overview of project objectives

1.6 The goal of EPOBIO was to identify key areas of research and technology development relating to the use of plant-derived raw materials as industrial feedstocks that can stimulate the sustainable economic growth of the agro-industrial sector. In focussing on the design of new generations of bio-based products derived from plant raw materials that will reach the market place 10-15 years from now, the EPOBIO aim was to have significant engagement with industry in the pre-competitive phase of product development.

1.7 The finite nature of fossil reserves and the increasing cost, both in monetary and environmental terms, of extracting those reserves are key drivers. When the EPOBIO project began industry was making investment decisions based on an oil price of $30 a barrel but prices have now reached in excess of $90 per barrel. Security of supply and dependence on imported product are seen as important issues. In addition, there are challenges linked to the increasing quantities of fossil oil needed for continued industrial growth and expanding consumer demand. Bio-renewables offer society a sustainable means of providing alternative energy and products whilst, at the same time, reducing environmental impact.

1.8 A key aim of EPOBIO was to provide a foundation which it would be possible to use to realise the economic potential of plant-derived raw materials by designing new generations of bio-based products derived from plant raw materials. In order to achieve this, EPOBIO’s international initiative brought together the science, technologies and the supply chains needed to develop high utility products. Each Flagship theme was

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developed in the context of its environmental impact, economics and regulatory frameworks, attitudes and expectations of policy makers and the public, and a communication strategy. Our holistic approach ensured we were working closely with environmental scientists, agronomists, experts in legislation and regulations, socio-economists, policy-makers and the public to evaluate proposed products and ensure the products developed are beneficial to our society and for our planet. Uniquely, EPOBIO placed scientific potential into this wider social context.

1.9 The EPOBIO initiative can be represented as follows:

1.10 The knowledge gained from EPOBIO will underpin the development of biorenewables in the emerging knowledge-based bio-economy of this new century. The programme demonstrates ways forward for the EU to realise the economic potential of bioproducts from non-food crops. The outputs of EPOBIO support action on biorenewables in the US and elsewhere globally, including the developing world. EPOBIO linked scientific potential with product development and the policy frameworks needed to facilitate uptake.

1.11 EPOBIO incorporated and further developed the BioMatNet database of information that makes available the results of RTD projects supported by the European Commission in the area of biological materials from non-food crops.

1.12 Within the overall goal, the specific project objectives of EPOBIO were:

- To investigate and analyse the three defined areas of plant-based renewable resources with recognised potential significance as industrial feedstocks for the development of bioproducts and applications with economic, environmental and societal

Flagship areas

plant cell walls plant oils biopolymers

user / consumer benefit

scientific challenge

economic benefits and risk analysis

private sector involvement

Criteria for choice

Support areas

economics / regulations

environmental attitudes / expectations

communication

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benefits. These areas are plant cell walls in relation to biorefining, plant oils and biopolymers. The content of these Flagship programmes is being determined through the collection and analysis of both technical and non-technical data to identify individual bioproducts and applications that will deliver optimal benefits for the EU and have relevance for the US.

- To communicate the information and understanding gained to stakeholders across supply chains as well as the public and policymakers, to increase their awareness and provide the basis for future decision-making on national and community RTD policy, the identification of priorities for non-food research and support the integration and strengthening of the ERA.

1.13 Communication of the development and outputs of EPOBIO included two dedicated EPOBIO workshops, the first of which was held in Wageningen in May 2006 and the second in Greece in May 2007. In addition there were a series of written reports, newsletters, presentations at conferences arranged by others and dissemination through the dedicated website. The awareness of stakeholders and the non-specialist general audience of the potential of the science and technology of plant-based renewable resources was raised through activities in the communications and social issues work packages. This is addressed in detail in the description of the results and outputs of those work packages.

1.14 Results in relation to the specific objectives and deliverables are assessed in the detailed description and explanation of the work undertaken in each of the work packages.

Achievement of outputs/deliverables

1.15 All of the deliverables for the period of the project have been achieved and there have been no deviations from the workplan, except for an increase in the number of reports produced and published. A description of achievements is contained in each section dealing with the individual work packages. The major achievements linked to specific deliverables, can be summarised as follows:

The EPOBIO Website

1.16 The EPOBIO website was established in December 2005. It contains a comprehensive description of the background to EPOBIO as well as full details of the EU and US partners and the institutes for which they work. The selection criteria for the Flagships were set out, along with full detail of the Flagships and support themes. At each point it is possible to identify both the leaders of the Flagships and the desk researchers who worked on both the Flagships and the support themes.

1.17 The Website incorporated access to relevant details of activities taking place in the US, particularly in the areas of biotechnology, biorefineries and biobased products.

1.18 Through the website, readers could access the EPOBIO reports and newsletters, contact relevant individuals and register to receive further information. News items were listed and there is access to the BioMatNet database of information (www.biomatnet.org - see annex 2) on RTD projects funded by the European Commission, which was incorporated into EPOBIO.

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1.19 A closed section of the site that could be accessed only by members of the consortium was used for management of the project. This site provided access to key papers and also the reports prepared by the desk researchers setting out their activities for the week. By this means the Project Coordinator and the Project Management Committee were able to form a view about the effective working and interaction of desk researchers who were geographically dispersed.

1.20 Finally, the website incorporated the facility for translation into 6 languages other than English, including Chinese. A copy of the EPOBIO homepage is at Annex 1.

Organisation and delivery of Workshop 1

1.21 The Wageningen Workshop was held in month 7 of the project, at the end of May 2006. Given that this was early in the project and that the systems and processes needed for the project to be organised efficiently and effectively were being set up at the same time as the workshop was being organised it was decided that additional resource was needed. A conference administrator was brought in to arrange bookings and to put in place the practical administration of the Workshop.

1.22 Over 180 delegates attended the Workshop which consisted of a series of plenary presentations addressing the global, EU and US perspectives in the biorenewables sector. Presentations also looked at the implication of the expansion of the bioeconomy for agriculture in the EU and the potential of the bioeconomy in developing countries. The EPOBIO unique concept was explained to delegates and was set in the context of other developments in the EU, primarily through the technology platforms Plants for the Future, Sustainable Chemistry – Industrial Biotechnology and the Forest-based Sector. This was followed by breakout sessions to address the Flagship areas in detail, identifying the top priorities for future work by the desk researchers. Other preliminary discussions took place on environmental, agronomic and economic analyses as well as social attitudes and communications issues. A final plenary session looked at those priorities and the future direction of the work.

1.23 In order to provide the workshop delegates with background information on the EPOBIO project and activities of the various work packages and Flagship themes a series of posters was designed to a common format and displayed during the course of the workshop in the entrance hall.

1.24 A summary report of proceedings was placed on the website within a few days of the end of the Workshop. The full report of Workshop proceedings was available on the website in month 9 and was printed and distributed in months 9 and 10. It was sent to Workshop attendees, the EPOBIO Advisory Board, the European Commission, USDA, policy makers, research funders and industrialists. Copies were made available to all of the attendees at the October 2006 Biorefineries Conference in Helsinki.

Organisation and delivery of Workshop 2

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1.25 The Greece Workshop was held in month 19 of the project, May 2007. The EPOBIO Administrator and the partner at the National Hellenic Research Institute handled the organisation and administration.

1.26 The 2007 EPOBIO Workshop was attended by around 100 delegates representing a wide range of international experts from the scientific community, academia, industry and policy development. There were representatives from a wide range of countries – for example, from the US, Canada, China, New Zealand and Japan. This clearly illustrated the range and strength of current activities addressing the economic potential and future development of the bioeconomy globally

1.27 The Workshop focussed on the potential of green plants to use solar energy and manufacture raw material feedstocks, which offers a major way to address issues of paramount importance and to deliver the future needs of society in a sustainable way. The EPOBIO team reported on the work undertaken since the 2006 Workshop, examining the future potential of the bioeconomy in the context of relevant regulatory and policy issues, global developments and industrial perspectives on sustainability. The results showed how the EPOBIO process had been used to provide a framework for validation of research priorities and a thorough evidence base to inform decision-making.

1.28 The EPOBIO presentations at the Workshop were accompanied by the publication of five reports prepared specifically for the event:

Crop platforms for cell wall biorefining – lignocellulose feedstocks Industrial crop platforms for the production of chemicals and biopolymers Oil crop platforms for industrial uses Public attitudes towards the industrial uses of plants: the EPOBIO survey Science communication and the potential of sustainable resources

1.29 All of these publications, the full report of the Workshop and the various presentations made during the event were made available through the EPOBIO website.

1.30 In order to provide the workshop delegates with background information on the EPOBIO project and activities of the various work packages and Flagship themes six posters, designed to a common format, were displayed during the course of the workshop. These are attached at Annex 3.

1.31 The full report of Workshop proceedings was available on the website in month 22. It was publicised to Workshop attendees, the EPOBIO Advisory Board, the European Commission, USDA, policy makers, research funders and industrialists.

Delivery of seven electronic newsletters

1.32 Seven electronic newsletters were prepared and issued during the project. Details are as follows:

Newsletter 1 March 2006 introduced the EPOBIO project, its main themes, the consortium and project management team. It advertised the first Workshop in Wageningen.

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Newsletter 2 August 2006 summarised the outcomes from the Wageningen Workshop, introduced the desk researchers for the Flagship themes and the Consortium partners and desk researchers for the support themes and the work package dealing with the information dissemination aspects of the project.

Newsletter 3 October 2006 provided a link to the report of proceedings for the May Workshop and, for each of the Flagship areas, summarised the first priority areas for research. These are plant oils for use as lubricants, improving the efficiency of saccharification and alternative sources of natural rubber. The newsletter also reported progress in the support themes including the opportunity to participate in the EPOBIO public attitudes survey by completing the questionnaire on-line.

Newsletter 4 in March 2007 publicised the 2007 Workshop in Greece. It reported the publication of the first series of Flagship reports in November 2006 and progress of the public perceptions work, communication issues and the development of the media section of the Website. The Newsletter reported on BioMatNet activities and on progress in the European Union’s Framework Programme 7. Our partners from Wageningen looked at issues that impact on the selection of crops for the production of industrial raw materials. Finally, one of the EPOBIO industrial partners, British Sugar, gave an update on their activities in biorefining.

Newsletter 5 in May 2007 focussed primarily on the 2007 Workshop ands provided links to the five reports published for the Workshop. It summarised the main points and the recommendations contained in the reports. The new, second, EPOBIO leaflet was publicised. The newsletter also reported the continuing restructuring of the BioMatNet database and launched the CD-Rom of that database, the seventh in the series of CD-Roms.

Newsletter 6 was published in September 2007 and reported on the outputs of the Greece Workshop again publicising the reports available from EPOBIO. The Newsletter reported on the final EPOBIO report – Micro- and Macro-algae: utility for industrial applications. This report examines the biomass potential of the aquatic environment. An update on dissemination activities was also provided.

Newsletter 7, published in December 2007 summarised the outputs from the EPOBIO project.

1.33 Copies of the newsletters are attached at Annex 4.

Publications and Reports from Flagships and support themes

1.34 The revised list of publications and reports delivered by EPOBIO is as follows:

Three Flagship reports entitled: Cell Wall Saccharification, Production of Wax Esters in Crambe and Alternative Sources of Natural Rubber. The reports incorporate environmental and economic analyses and are attached as Annexes 5-7.

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Three further Flagship reports were published as follows: Crop Platforms for Cell Wall Biorefining: Lignocellulose Feedstocks, Oil Crop Platforms for Industrial Uses and Industrial Crop Platforms for the Production of Chemicals and Biopolymers. The reports incorporate environmental/economic analyses and are attached as Annexes 8-10.

Reports by the Communications and Social Attitudes support themes entitled Science Communication and the Potential of Sustainable Resources and Public Attitudes towards the Industrial Uses of Plants: the EPOBIO Survey. These were published in April 2007 and are attached as Annexes 11 and 12.

A report combining the input and expertise of the Flagship desk researchers entitled Micro- and Macro-algae: Utility for Industrial Applications published in September 2007, attached as Annex 13.

Reports from each Workshop published in September 2006 and September 2007 respectively, attached as Annex 14 and 15.

Report by the dissemination work package: Building the European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE). The impact of Non-Food Research 1988 to 2008. Annex 16

1.35 Reflecting the changes to the deliverables agreed with the European Commission, the first three reports were published in November 2006 and the crop platform reports in April 2007. Social attitudes and communications prepared separate reports for the Greece Workshop. It was also agreed that the Flagships would combine to produce the final report, on the use of algae for industrial applications, this being published in September 2007.

1.36 In summary, in addition to the two periodic reports and the final report, twelve reports were published on the Website and, with the single exception of the report of the Greece Workshop, in booklet form for distribution to Consortium partners, national funders and others. This represented a significant enhancement on the work programme originally envisaged when the project proposal was agreed for funding.

1.37 These amended deliverables are incorporated into a new front-lined bar chart attached at Annex 17.

Relation to state-of-the-art

General Comments

1.38 A considerable worldwide knowledge base exists for non-food crops and their applications. There has, in addition, been an extensive programme of research and technology development funded in the EU over a number of years. However, research and development has been fragmented and has lacked a coherent strategic vision. The consequence has been a lack of development of successful applications and products. Against that background, there is potential for those considerable barriers to be overcome and for the successful commercialisation of biobased products to make significant progress.

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1.39 A key issue, against a background of oil which, during this reporting period, has for the first time exceeded $90 a barrel, is that there is a global consensus that renewable plant-based resources have the potential to replace finite fossil reserves but there is less certainty about how to proceed effectively within Europe to realise the industrial potential. To an extent this situation is further complicated by the use of regulation and incentives to promote development in the energy sector – electricity, heat and biofuels – whilst there is little comparable support for industry producing the other biobased products. Indeed, in the biofuels sector the EU is likely to introduce additional targets and it has been said that further regulation will be needed to ensure those new targets are met. The lack of cohesion is evidenced in predictions about the area of land needed in Europe to support the development of plant-based products. It is further evidenced by studies that note that more efficient use of liquid fuels combined with carbon off-sets through forestry plantings could achieve an increased reduction in carbon emissions compared to the use of biofuels.

1.40 The European Union has an ambition to build the world’s most competitive knowledge-based bio-economy. There is an urgent need to enhance the ability to create new bio-based products, founded on a technology base that is scientifically strong and commercially viable.

1.41 EPOBIO is at the forefront of these developments, taking forward the work of the US/EC Taskforce in Biotechnology Research in the Flagship areas identified, based on the key selection criteria adopted. These Flagship themes represent important areas for new international R&D activities aimed at delivering the new generation of bio-based products. The EPOBIO process puts scientific potential into the wider social context, developing each Flagship theme in the context of its environmental impact, economics and regulatory frameworks, attitudes and expectations of policy makers and the public, and a communication strategy. This ensures robust recommendations that will underpin the development of biorenewables in the emerging knowledge-based bio-economy of this new century. It should be noted that other consortia are taking each of the EPOBIO Flagship themes forward in the first round of funding in Framework 7.

1.42 EPOBIO focuses on the development of green biotechnology and its integration with industrial or white biotechnology. These are key technology areas with significant potential to promote sustainable industrial development. Inevitably the development of new products raises issues, for example, about public awareness and confidence, the understanding of sustainable development and delivery of environmental benefit and public confidence in GM and non-GM applications, whether they be food crops or crops that cannot be used for food.

1.43 It is recognised that progress in molecular biology, protein chemistry and microbial engineering have enhanced the development of biological conversions based on biocatalysis and microbial fermentation. There is recognised potential for decreasing reliance on conventional chemical conversions and the development of environmentally favourable processing technologies and green chemical products.

1.44 In order to ensure EPOBIO is closely involved with current activities and new technological developments in respect of bio-based products, strong links have been established with relevant technology platforms, with the Genval Group of Europabio and with the European Plant Science Organisation. Key technology platforms were invited to

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present at the first EPOBIO Workshop in Wageningen in May 2006. These were Plants for the Future, Sustainable Chemistry – Industrial Biotechnology and the Forest-based Sector. In addition, the Project Director is a member of the steering committee for the Sustainable Chemistry – Industrial Biotechnology SSA and Technology Platform and the Plants for the Future Green Products Group. Dr Coombs serves as the link between EPOBIO and the activities of the Forestry Technology Platform. With Katy Hall he acts as the link with the Biofuels Technology Platform, CPL being part of the secretariat for that TP.

145 Prof Bowles leads the UK Knowledge Transfer Network which is highly relevant to the development of the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy. She was a member of the UK Royal Society panel reporting on biofuels in 2007.

1.46 The reports and articles on green and white biotechnology that will be generated by EPOBIO will aim to target researchers, policy makers, the general public and others at a time when the European public perception of biotechnology is low, due to the opposition to the use of genetically modified field crops. This will present a particular challenge to be addressed in the development of the communications strategy. Also, the EPOBIO social attitudes survey will build on and supplement the Eurobarometer outputs about the use of and views on genetically modified crops.

State of the art

Flagships and state of the art

1.47 In relation to state-of-the-art in the Flagships, rubber is one of the few biopolymers that is actually better than petrochemical equivalents and might even replace many synthetic polymers if oil prices continue to increase. In the context of the great importance of this material, the current knowledge on rubber biosynthesis and alternative sources of rubber is quite limited. EPOBIO research will help to identify and develop alternative plant sources such as Guayule and promote basic research on rubber biosynthesis. Eventually, high-level production in alternative crops such as Russian dandelion, sunflower and lettuce could be feasible. For the tyre industry natural rubber is a strategic resource. However, most companies appear to watch from the sideline, either because they do not have a stake in the production of rubber, or because they have previously invested in failed projects. This means there is a role for the European Union in addressing the issues identified.

1.48 Looking at other biopolymers, on poly-ß-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA), high level production in plants is possible (up to 40% of leaf tissue dry weight), but many issues need to be tackled such as high production without compromising growth or yield and the recovery of the biopolymer from biomass. The LCA shows that production of PHAs in plants is sensible for a limited number of polymer compositions. The main targets are how to achieve a high level of polymer production in the plant without a decrease in crop yield, and how to economically recover the polymer from the plant biomass. There are a few companies interested in PHA production in planta but the lead is, most notably, with Metabolix in the USA. This company (and others) also produce PHAs by fermentation.

1.49 In the case of polysaccharides, such as starch and many others, a century of continuous research was driven mainly by food applications. Research on non-food applications has focussed on cellulose, thermoplastic starches, and to a lesser extent

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the many other polysaccharides. The physicochemical properties of starch are still not well understood. Starch has been the subject of many previous programs, and is still not a perfect biopolymer for material applications. Many companies produce thermoplastic starches for use as materials and the volume is rapidly increasing.

1.50 Finally, on proteins, the heterologous (plant) production and utilisation of repeat proteins for glues and fibres is in a very early stage. Waste protein used for bioplastics is actually an old topic gaining renewed interest due to the potential protein mountain from biofuels production. A limited number of fibrous proteins may have sufficient market size to justify heterologous production in plants. The future targets are the same as for PHA: high yield without compromising growth and efficient recovery from biomass. Waste protein from biofuels and chemicals production constitutes a potentially huge and valuable resource for the production of plastics or (platform) chemicals. Companies such as DuPont are interested in heterologous production of spider silk in plants. There are several start-ups trying to commercialise plastics from waste protein.

1.51 Life cycle assessment shows that the production of biopolymers in plants has a better environmental footprint than the production of biopolymers by fermentation. Land-use, acceptance of transgenics, competition for resources must be studied and addressed as the main barriers associated with utilisation of agricultural infrastructure for production of industrial products are the resistance to transgenics and competition for agricultural resources. In general EPOBIO will focus attention on those biopolymers that are better than their petrochemical alternatives on basis of performance (rubber), life cycle assessments (PHAs in plants), or availability (monomers to make polymers, proteins as waste stream from biofuels production).

1.52 In the plant oils area, our society is largely dependent on fossil fuels not just as an energy source for transportation and heating but also for the provision of industrial feedstocks for a multitude of products that we use in every aspect of our daily lives. Fossil fuels are a finite resource and as this resource becomes limited, oil prices will inevitably escalate to an even greater level than are currently experienced. This will have a major negative impact on our economy and society unless alternative, sustainable sources of energy and industrial feedstocks are developed.

1.53 European agriculture faces great challenges in the coming decades. Because of successively decreasing subsidies and import taxes, most of European agriculture will not be able to compete in bulk production in the free world-trade market. However, if agriculture can be re-directed for production of industrial products that replace mineral oil-based products, this will open new and huge potential markets. The steadily declining cost of agricultural products and the rapid increase in the price of the mineral oil favours an increased use of agricultural products in areas where traditionally only mineral oil-based products have been used.

1.54 Plant oils are the agriculture products that chemically are most similar to mineral oil and probably have the greatest potential to replace mineral oil in the chemical industry. The physical and chemical properties of the hundreds of different plant oils that are found in wild plant species, and thus their potential end use, are determined by the chemical structures of the constituent fatty acids. This diversity of fatty acids represents a major opportunity for the rational design of new seed oils in domesticated oil crops. Production in genetic modified crops of designer oils that are aimed at specific end-uses holds greatest potential. These oils are capable of satisfying demand from

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existing markets served by petrochemicals and also can lead to the development of new market applications due to unique chemical functionalities present in unusual fatty acids. 1.55 Plant oils with high enough quality that meet industrial requirements can be produced today. For example, many synthetic ester oils for lubricants are already made from plant oils. However, the market for plant oil-based lubricants is still limited due to the cost of production, and not performance properties. Therefore, a focus on bringing down the production cost of plant oil derived raw materials is a primary target.

1.56 There are a number of knowledge gaps that need to be filled to achieve high yielding non-food oilcrops producing technical oils:

There are many valuable unusual fatty acids produced in wild plants and at very high levels. But when transgenic plants have been producing the same fatty acids, the levels has, except for a few cases, always being much less than the wild plants produces.

Observing the rather complex pathway of plant oil biosynthesis, it is evident that for a number of the steps involved and even for the very last step of assembling oil (the TAG biosynthesis) there is not a thorough understanding of the various enzymes involved.

How the unusual fatty acids move from the membrane PC, where they are made and how they are inserted into the TAG are only vaguely understood.

It is important to get a greater understanding of the area of transcription factors and transcriptional regulation in order increase oil yield.

1.57 Development and cultivation of industrial oil crops is expected to have a major impact on the provision of a sustainable supply of industrial feedstocks. Since many of these designer oils are expected to be relatively high value and low volume then small-scale growers and local economies will be well placed to benefit from their cultivation. The sustainable nature of these oils will also benefit the environment particularly with respect to their biodegradable nature and the fact that they will result in an overall reduction in CO2 production compared to fossil fuel-derived feedstocks. These aspects are particularly relevant for European agriculture following the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and decoupling of subsidy from production.

1.58 For the production of designer oils in transgenic plants, solving the many bottlenecks and optimising the production mechanism in-planta demands significant financial resources; participation of a wide array of research groups of different background; and, realistically takes more than five years to accomplish. The process that EPOBIO delivers will, in this context, guide in the task of pinpointing the most significant markets and products as well as the research needed.

1.59 EPOBIO’s work in plant cell walls is highly relevant to the development of second and third generation, integrated zero-waste systems. This involves the development of the feedstocks and processes needed to underpin the transition from an oil economy to a bio-economy. The effective and efficient use of agricultural and forestry feedstocks for manufacture is central to the development of a new industry that can help deliver sustainable development in both environmental and economic terms. The ability to break down and transform a diverse range of feedstocks is a key scientific and technical challenge.

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1.60 At the first EPOBIO Workshop, held to identify research needs in the flagship areas, saccharification, i.e. the breakdown of cell walls, was identified by the attendees of the cell wall breakout sessions to be the most important issue needing further research investment. This research need was subsequently analysed through a literature review and interviews with researchers and representatives from industry involved in saccharification and associated research fields. It was identified that plant cell wall feedstocks must be better characterised to improve the understanding of cell wall properties determining digestibility, and that hydrolases for cell wall digestion must be optimised. The establishment of an integrated research project that ideally combines all three aspects was recommended by the cell walls flagship. This research will lead to improved biobased conversions of biomass in biorefineries.

1.61 We identified an urgent need to analyse potential crops that could form a feedstock platform for future biorefineries in Europe and the US. Currently, research in cell wall biorefining is mainly targeted to fuel production from cell walls. It is anticipated that the first cell wall biorefineries will be designed to produce fuels as their main product. However, in future other valuable biobased products will also be produced in biorefineries. To maximize the efficiency of biorefineries it will be important to convert a large proportion of the input biomass to valuable products. This has to be taken into account during biorefinery design and selection of biorefinery feedstocks. The cell walls flagship will work together with the other two flagships and the environmental and economics groups to determine economic opportunities and analyse environmental impacts of potential non-food feedstocks for biorefineries.

State of the art and crop platforms

1.62 In each Flagship area we have examined the full range of published literature and selected crops with the potential to provide the feedstock platform for each of the defined Flagship themes. We describe the state of the art and, where appropriate, we recommend the use of state of the art technology for crop improvement and development, for example, to increase yields and therefore improve economic potential. We have also analysed ways in which technology can improve the environmental benefit delivered by the proposed crops.

State of the art and the aquatic environment

1.63 The macro and micro algal populations of the aquatic environments provide a vast genetic resource and biodiversity. This feature alone suggests that these organisms have considerable potential for offering new chemicals, materials and bioactive compounds. The completion of the genome sequencing programmes of two micro-algae also opens up major opportunities for new applications, either using the algae themselves or through using the genes in other production systems, whether fermenter-based or fields. These genomes include Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Cyanidioschyzon merolae, Ostreococcus lucimarinus, Ostreococcus tauri, and Thalassiosira pseudonana (Waters and Rioflorido 2007). This sequence information provides major new opportunities for increasing our fundamental understanding of the biology of macro- and micro-algae as well as establishing the molecular foundation for new industrial applications. For example, the genome of Ostreococcus tauri (Prasinophyceae), a unicellular green alga and the world’s smallest free-living eukaryote, revealed a number of interesting features and previously unobserved levels of heterogeneity for any eukaryote known (Derelle et al. 2006).

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1.64 In terms of utility, Thalassiosira genes have already contributed to research and commercial efforts to produce vlcPUFAs in transgenic crop plants (Tonon et al. 2004, 2005). It will be increasingly important to develop new molecular tools to gain information about the genes in the algal genomes, particularly through the analysis and modulation of gene function in vivo. In this context, recent progress has been made with respect to the development of high throughput analytical methods for the diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Siaut et al. 2007). A number of resources for the study of micro- and macro-algae are in development, including culture collections such as the European collection (http://www.ccap.ac.uk), comprising strains in the public domain of which 1050 are marine algae and 1300 freshwater algae. These collections will provide immense opportunities for the application of post-genomic technologies to our understanding and application of algal species (Gachon et al. 2007).

Competitiveness

1.65 The economic and competitive impacts of the bio-economy in Europe will depend on a number of factors. Oil in excess of $90 a barrel will have a major effect. Also, the impact of European regulations such as those that promote subsidies for developments in the energy market, those on genetically modified organisms, the demonstration by projects of long-term sustainability, bottlenecks in the production of feedstocks and an understanding of the potential of plant science to deliver against the knowledge-based bio-economy agenda. There is a real risk of continued loss of technical and competitive advantage to countries outside the EU including the newly emerging economies of China and India.

1.66 The rapid progress that is being made in the US with the exploitation of white biotechnology, the funding and development of biorefineries and bioethanol production and the exploitation of innovative technologies generating novel bio-based polymers such as PLA and ©Sorona shows the potential for loss of competitive advantage. These developments in the US are underpinned by a GM-based agriculture, the development of roadmaps to direct research and evidenced by major investment in new technologies. Purchase of rights to plant breeding material such as Miscanthus also demonstrates the serious intent of the US to be major players in the developing bioeconomy. And it should be noted that two work package leaders left Europe to work in the US during the project.

1.67 In the US, the President’s 2006 State of the Union speech announced the Advanced Energy Initiative, covering all forms of energy. It included funding for biology-based developments worth $375m per annum for five years, targeted at fundamental science in particular. In addition, the Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a programme to make cellulosic ethanol commercial, showing some success by 2009. This programme is worth $385m per annum for five years and the key issues to be addressed are feedstocks, locations and scale of production.

1.68 Over the next five years the Office of Energy will target $200m per annum towards the development of one-tenth scale pilot projects. This will be complemented within DOE by a $20-30m programme looking at feedstocks.

1.69 The proposed 2007 Farm Bill would have major implications for changing farm policy. The Senate Agriculture Committee proposed on 15 May that funding for

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bioenergy research ($500m over 10 years) will use the mechanism of farm support payments. Within the Department of Agriculture a Task Force at Under Secretary level is developing a strategic plan to cover research, education and commercialisation. Research is likely to cover areas EPOBIO has been focussed on, production systems and an extension service. The Rural Development Agency is actively reviewing feedstocks for the bioeconomy.

1.70 Recently, BP announced that a new $500m centre will be created bringing together the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Illinois and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to form a new Energy Biosciences Institute. This will further both basic and applied biological research relevant to energy.

1.71 Taken together, all of these initiatives represent a $5-10bn a year programme for the bioresearch agenda in the US.

1.72 Even at the feedstock level, there is an expectation that the US has the potential to supply the raw material needed for biofuels production in Benelux, addressed in a February 2006 USDA Foreign Agriculture Service paper prepared by the US Embassy in The Hague.

1.73 A market driven focus means that there is potential to link European agriculture with European farming to develop sustainable supply chains. Europe has the advantage of set-aside and the single farm payment with its new focus on the market. There is potential to grow for a market and a need to harness science to find the new market opportunities that do not need subsidy. These opportunities can bring added value for the new member states of the European Union.

1.74 EPOBIO has demonstrated how EU RTD policy can benefit an industry that will increasingly come to depend on feedstocks from agriculture. It has shown how economic benefit, environmental advantage and consumer acceptance of a new generation of bio-based products can be delivered. The unique EPOBIO process, establishing an integrated multi-disciplinary analysis of technical and non-technical parameters and linking science to policy development, is foundational to these.

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Section 2: Methodologies and approaches taken, results and outputs from Work Packages

WP1 and WP10 – Integration of technical and non-technical aspects, management and administration

2.1 The work packages dealing with the integration of the technical and non-technical aspects of EPOBIO into the Flagship themes, the synergies with the US, EU and elsewhere and the management and administration of the project were led by the University of York. Prof Dianna Bowles, the Project Director led these work packages, working with David Clayton, the Project Coordinator. Prof Bowles is Director of the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products and Weston Chair of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, University of York. David Clayton, a senior official with the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was seconded to EPOBIO for the duration of the project. He has over 30 years policy experience and, most recently, was responsible for drafting the UK Non-Food Crops Strategy and served as Secretary to the Biomass Task Force, a Government review of UK policy on biomass for energy. Nikki MacLeod was full-time administrator for the project until October 2006. She was replaced for a short period by Dr Wendy Lawley with Dr Elaine Hughson taking over from December 2006 until the end of the project. Both Dr Lawley and Dr Hughson were part-time appointments.

Deliverables

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

3 Workshop 1 programme and participants list

1 M2 Programme and participants (speakers) agreed in Consortium meeting and during M2

4 Workshop 1 overview paper 1 M6 Delivered in M611 Workshop 1 proceedings 1 M8 Summary on website in M7,

Executive Summary M9, full report M10

13 Workshop 2 programme and participants

1 M12 Delivered in M13/M14

14 EPOBIO Annual Report 1 M13 Prepared by M13 and delivered to EC in M14

31 Workshop 2 papers 1 M18 Delivered in M1837 Workshop 2 1 M19 Delivered in M1938 Proceedings from Workshop 2 1 M21 Delivered in M2242 Developing country work with

UNIDO1 M26 Delivered in M26

45 EPOBIO periodic report 1 26 Delivered within agreed deadline

46 EPOBIO final report 1 26 Delivered within agreed deadline

Project objectives

2.2 These work packages had a range of objectives as follows:

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To ensure the technical and non-technical issues involved in the definition of the Flagship Programmes are completely integrated in the analyses undertaken and to formulate the recommended content of those programmes.

To ensure that interactions with related and relevant activities ongoing in Europe are optimised, synergies identified and communicated to the WPs and EPOBIO work is communicated outwards to these activities.

To ensure the US input and collaboration are appropriately integrated into the European analyses to inform those analyses of expertise relevant to the preparation of the Flagship Programmes.

2.3 In the management and administration work package the objectives of the administrator were:

EPOBIO finances: monitoring of finances and production of financial reports

Consortium meetings: organisation of meetings including travel, accommodation and food when required. In addition administrative support for workshops will be provided assisting Partners 2 and 4 (for example, issuing letters of invitation, booking travel and accommodation)

Secretariat to Consortium Groups: such as the Project Management Committee, Project Meeting Group and EPOBIO Review and Steering Group

Administrative support: to WP1 and the Consortium Director, general administrative support to the rest of the consortium

Routine communications within the Consortium

Delivery of objectives and results

2.4 Much of the detail on Consortium leadership and management is covered in detail in Section 3 of this report and, to avoid repetition, is not described again here. Additional key points that need to be noted are:

The Project Coordinator took responsibility for ensuring that there was full integration between the Flagships and support themes. This began with early meetings, including the Project Director when possible, after each desk researcher took up their appointment. These meetings were essential to communicate the concept of EPOBIO, ensuring it was fully understood. Meetings also raised awareness of the need for close and cooperative working between the EPOBIO desk researchers. During this period there were five desk researcher meetings to coordinate activities and to progress and finalise the various reports that have been produced. These meetings were supplemented by periodic internet conferences using Skype.

Networking with others was given priority. This included EU technology platforms, OECD, new Member States of the EU and Members of the European Parliament. Particular emphasis was placed on contacts with those involved in

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work with developing countries including the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.

Integration with US colleagues was achieved through Flagships having both an

EU and a US lead; the appointment of a contact point in the US for the Project Coordinator; and, through meetings and telephone conferences. Co-operation included, for example, a joint bid for a session at Bio Boston in 2007.

A key aim, achieved at an early stage in the project, was quickly to put in place management structures and administration that have benefited EPOBIO and enabled the project to function effectively without introducing a bureaucratic approach.

The administration of the project has been undertaken efficiently and effectively with additional resources deployed, at no cost to the project, for the organisation of the May 2006 Workshop.

2.5 The only deviation from prescribed deliverables has been to enhance the work programmes of the Flagships and support themes, significantly increasing the number of reports for publication during the term of the EPOBIO project. In respect of specific deliverables it should be noted that whilst an overview paper for the first Workshop was the specified output, there were also other papers judged necessary for the successful execution of the Workshop. One gave a short synopsis of EPOBIO as an introduction to the project. Another showed the people working in EPOBIO and added photographs so they could readily be identified and contacted at the Workshop.

Initial Flagship priorities

2.6 The first EPOBIO Workshop was used to define the initial activities of the Flagships and support themes for the first period of activity in EPOBIO. In each Flagship theme a key aim was to define the technical content of challenges associated with this Flagship subject area. The project was based on a desk research approach and working methodologies included information-sourcing and analysis of the information gained in order to identify outstanding scientific challenges and the new research tools needed, barriers to uptake and opportunities for placing new bioproducts and functionalities into the market.

2.7 The first priorities of the Flagships, identified through discussion with international experts, were:

Plant cell walls – Saccharification: Understanding the complexity of plant cell walls and ways in which sugars can be more efficiently released from the walls.

Plant oils – The production of wax esters for the manufacture of lubricants from the non-food crop Crambe abyssinica.

Biopolymers – The development of alternative sources of natural rubber.

2.8 The reports addressing these priorities set out the conclusions of detailed literature reviews and an analysis of environmental impacts and the economic case. They identify risks and opportunities and set out the future research and development

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needed to take the area forward. The reports take account of inputs from international scientists and industrialists.

Initial Support theme priorities

2.9 In the environment support theme collaboration with others provided access to the EPIC model which describes the environmental impact of crop cultivation for individual areas in Europe. The data enabled the environmental impact of the cultivation of novel crops such as Crambe and Guayule to be estimated and compared to existing crops. The issues of field cultivation of non-food crops have been addressed including the types of technologies used for breeding, the environmental issues affecting the introduction of new crops into Europe, impacts on native biodiversity and pests and diseases. Issues concerned with agronomy and best practice for cultivation of new crops have also been considered.

2.10 The economics support theme provided input to the first Flagship reports by addressing the economic and regulatory issues surrounding the development of bioproducts and applications in those Flagship themes. Close collaboration with ENFA (European Non Food Agriculture) provided access to data, analyses and a modelling system for economic data and to other EC-funded and national programmes of economic and regulatory analyses. The key elements of the work included literature analyses, work on process flow diagrams for Crambe and Guayule, the development of a generic spreadsheet based cost calculation model, micro-economic data analysis and market analyses.

2.11 Initial work in the communication support theme focussed on developing the evidence base from which to define a communications strategy. A review of good practice demonstrated that the European public depend heavily on television and newspapers and that whilst medical and health issues are of greatest interest, European research is poorly represented. Good communications networks and the provision of quality resources help uptake by the media. A subsequent media analysis showed that the keywords ‘renewable’ and ‘biofuel’ were the most widely used in the media but topics on non-food crops, renewable resources and bioproducts have no profile. This work package developed communications tools such as the EPOBIO leaflet, press releases, fact sheets, other information documents and images for use by the media.

2.12 The Communication work package prepared a detailed report on Science Communication and the Potential of Sustainable Resources. The report showed the importance of demonstrating relevance, considering how issues are presented and the use of language when identifying key messages and developing content for different audiences. It stressed the effectiveness of centrally co-ordinating communication activities undertaken at a national level given that this provides access to media networks and ensures appropriateness of style and content. It also demonstrated the need for more information on specific non-food crop applications and the positive and negative impacts of the bioeconomy for example through job creation and the establishment of rural-based industry.

2.13 This work package shows that the EPOBIO process has demonstrated the effectiveness of an integrative approach, combining the analysis of science and technological issues with assessment of environmental impact, the economic case and social attitudes. The project’s communication activities have applied current practice in

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science communication to provide news items to the media, disseminating project information to other wider audiences, analysing project-related and issue-specific media coverage and making recommendations to further develop good practice.

2.14 The social attitudes support theme focussed on the implementation of empirical social research with public attitudes investigated by means of a telephone and on-line survey. Surveys were undertaken in nine European countries with the analysis of data planned for November 2006. The findings of the survey were compared to the latest Eurobarometer survey. The findings considered the differences in public support between the specific products and processes addressed in the EPOBIO Flagships in order to assess future potential in different markets.

2.15 A report of the first Workshop, with the key outcomes, was placed on the EPOBIO website 48 hours after the meeting. The executive summary of the workshop proceedings was available from M9 and the full report M10. Hard copies of the report were sent to attendees, Advisory Board members and policy makers/research funders across Europe in M11. The report was made available to the attendees at the Biorefineries Conference in Helsinki in October 2006 and US partners in the project also distributed copies.

Additional Flagship priorities

2.16 The second phase of work for the Flagships focussed on the priority need to develop industrial crop platforms – tailored cell walls for biorefining, an oil crop platform and a biopolymer platform. These reports also incorporated environmental and economic analyses. Economics input to the work on crop platforms was commissioned externally with Cranfield University, UK.

2.17 The final phase of activity brought together the Flagship desk researchers to examine the potential of micro- and macro-algae in industrial applications.

2.18 Returning to specific deliverables, the programme for the second EPOBIO Workshop was prepared and participants contacted in M13 and M14. The workshop was primarily intended as a dissemination event and was successfully delivered in M19 with around 100 attendees. The papers and materials prepared for the Workshop were:

Welcome and introductory letter Speaker abstracts. Background papers from each Flagship and from the Social Attitudes support

theme. Published crop platform reports from each Flagship and also from the support

themes on communications and social attitudes.

Posters were prepared setting out the background to EPOBIO and summarised the work that had been undertaken in the Flagships and support themes since the first EPOBIO Workshop in May 2006. Copies of the posters are at Annex 3. Publication of the Flagship reports on crop platforms and of the reports from the communications and social attitudes support themes was timed to coincide with the Greece Workshop. Copies of these five reports are annexed. The full report of the Workshop was available from M21 and published on the internet in M22.

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2.19 In the period September – October 2007 EPOBIO undertook some work with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation with the aim of applying the EPOBIO process in developing countries. In the time available this was limited to information gathering and the development of an outline process for the work.

WP2 - Dissemination

2.20 The main contractor for information dissemination was CPL Scientific Publishing Services Ltd (CPL) (Dr Jim Coombs and Katy Hall), collaborating in some aspects with the Coordinator (David Clayton, University of York).

Deliverables

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

1 EPOBIO Website 2 M1 www.epobio.net established, along with the integration and updating of BioMatNet www.biomatnet.org.

2 Electronic newsletter 1 2 M2 Delivered and disseminated M5

10 Electronic newsletter 2 2 M6 Delivered and disseminated M10

12 Electronic newsletter 3 2 M10 Delivered and disseminated M12

21 CD-Rom of EPOBIO/BioMatNet website

2 M14 Delivered in M19

22 Electronic newsletter 4 2 M15 Delivered and disseminated M17

32 Electronic newsletter 5 2 M18 Delivered and disseminated M19

40 Electronic newsletter 6 2 M22 Delivered and disseminated M23

43 Electronic newsletter 7 2 M26 Delivered and disseminated M26

44 Publication of review of EU funded non-food research

2 M26 Delivered and disseminated M26

Project objectives

2.21 The call for proposals that resulted in the funding of the EPOBIO project included the provision for the continuing dissemination of information concerning EC supported RTD projects and related activities concerning the development of renewable bioproducts and biofuels from agricultural and forestry derived raw materials. More specifically it mentioned development of a website like ‘BioMatNet’. This listed specific research programmes and most of the relevant non-food projects up to December 2004. In the event, the contract partners included CPL Press who developed the existing website www.biomatnet.org under previous EC contracts. This enabled the information dissemination part of the project activities to commence at the start date of the project; at the same time a new EPOBIO website (www.epobio.net) was developed to encompass the work of the Flagships as well as to extend content to cover the EC/US Biotechnology Collaboration.

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2.22 The specific objectives for this work package were:

• To re-establish the existing BioMatNet website in a new format suitable to the aims of EPOBIO, and incorporating the historical data on EU funding and related information as well as expanding the data to include information, data and analyses arising from EPOBIO, non-EU activities on non-foods and links to other relevant websites.

• Through the above, to disseminate the information collected and present the "public face" of EPOBIO through the World Wide Web.

• To maintain a database of documents and registrants and provide facilities for the regular (4-monthly intervals) electronic newsletter.

• To maintain the EPOBIO intranet for internal communication within the project.• To provide master copies of printed or electronic publications of information held in

the database.

Delivery of objectives and results

2.23 The major achievements during the project include:

Re-activation, redesign, development and expansion of the BioMatNet website (www.biomatnet.org).

Creation and continued expansion of the new EPOBIO website (www.epobio.net). Generation and dissemination of information through the websites. Production of newsletters and printed material. Production of CD-ROMs. Maintenance of an online audience of more than 15,000 individual users per

week for BioMatNet. Generating growth in the use of the EPOBIO website through bulk emailing to

registrants.

2.24 The starting point was the existing BioMatNet website and associated databases that had been kept running on the internet, but with little updating or maintenance, since EC funding ceased in December 2004.

2.25 The main objectives were to integrate the existing BioMatNet website with a new EPOBIO website, to update ITEMs relating to the non-food use of biological raw materials with an emphasis on EC funded RTD projects, as well as to extend the website content to cover new areas reflecting the EPOBIO programme and related activities initiated through the EC/US Taskforce in Biotechnology. Websites were used to bring the various outputs of EPOBIO to a wide audience. Other tasks included identification, collation, encoding, up-loading and dissemination of information relating to research activities, the results arising from the work of other EPOBIO work packages and workshop, newsletters, news items, details of events (conferences, workshops, meetings) as well as a database of websites for industrial and other organisations working in biorenewables. Additional objectives were to further develop and maintain a database of registrants as an identifiable audience specifically interested in this area of activity and to use this to target delivery of e-Newsletters and other email messages concerning project developments to this audience.

2.26 This work package continued to identify and add ITEMs relating to the non-food use of biological raw materials with an emphasis on EC funded RTD projects to the

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BioMatNet website. There was an objective to facilitate confidential communication between the partners through a system of document management housed in a password protected section of the website. Summaries of the activities were produced in the form of 2 CD-ROMs. Finally, statistics on website use were gathered in order to monitor the success of the website.

2.27 All planned objectives have been met; both websites were fully functional, newsletters and printed material were produced, the registrant database was maintained and information disseminated to the registrants by email on a regular basis. Statistics on website use were collected and collated on a weekly basis. Printed material was made available at conferences and distributed by mail. In addition, copies of printed material were provided to DG Research and DG Energy and Transport for their use.

2.28 No deviations from the work plan were experienced.

Work Performed

2.29 The main activities of WP2 were:

Registration, design, creation, development, maintenance and management of a new website for EPOBIO (www.epobio.net)

Maintenance and management of the EPOBIO (www.epobio.net) as well as the associated BioMatNet website (www.biomatnet.org)

Establishment of a procedure for web-based project management, design and encoding of ‘Consortium’ web area, management of documents added to this area.

Integration of the existing BioMatNet website and the new EPOBIO website into a new format without compromising the established user base for BioMatNet

Extending the range of ITEMs added to BioMatNet to a wider range of topics and geographical regions, with a greater emphasis on related work in the US.

Maintaining the database of websites covering organisations involved in biorenewables.

Development of a on-line EPOBIO Newsletter, also available as a downloadable printable (PDF) version, as well as continued provision of summary information concerning new ITEMs added to the BioMatNet website through a BioMatNet Item update.

Online ‘public perception’ survey created from ‘telephone’ version, response system and data retrieval system created.

Providing input to the design and layout of the EPOBIO flagship reports and supervising the printing of reports, as well as producing the reports in PDF format for printing and disseminating these PDF files via the website; monitoring interest in these through analysis of download statistics.

Producing and distributing 2 CD-ROMs, BioMatNet CD7 and KBBE Research Review, as well as the associated KBBE printed report.

Recording, analysis and presentation of website use statistics on a weekly basis. Updating, maintenance of a database of registrants and use of this for bulk emails Contributing to the content, design and dissemination of EPOBIO leaflet,

BioMatNet information card and conference posters.

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Achievements

Websites. 2.30 Following the registration of the website URL (www.epobio.net, as well as all common extensions in order to reduce the risk of pirate copies), a logo and the general layout was designed to reflect the current state of the art in terms of appearance, underlying structure and software applications. As far as possible, while taking into account that the site is targeted at a scientific audience rather than the general public, this was designed to meeting accessibility standards and as such avoided the use of moving GIFs or Flash animation. The site incorporated the project description, including details of partners and advisors, as well as papers and publications and other material arising from the project.

2.31 The EPOBIO website was also used as a mechanism for handling enquiries, registrations and other aspects of the First EPOBIO workshop in collaboration with UoY.

2.32 The websites were monitored by CPL using URCHIN software with additional information on website ranking and performance (speed) taken from Alexa (www.alexa.com), as indicated below. These were recorded each week and converted to a graphical format. Information from these sources is included below.

2.33 The EPOBIO website (www.EPOBIO.net – see below) incorporated a project description, including details of partners and advisors as well as papers and publications and other material arising from the project.

Figure 1 The Publications Page of the EPOBIO Website – www.epobio.net

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2.34 After its formation, the EPOBIO site rose to around 3,400,000 (as ranked by the main website comparison site www.alexa.com) from the position being below 5,000,000 at the end of year one. This ranking is still below that where further statistical information on performance is available. However, since the design is similar to that used for BioMatNet (www.biomatnet.org), load times and speed may be regarded as similar to those for BioMatNet as detailed below.

2.35 In addition the EPOBIO site has a number of features in common with the BioMatNet site. These include a registration facility to receive news by email as well as sections enabling viewing or download of the Newsletter, access to news and a listing of relevant national and international meetings, conferences and exhibitions.

2.36 A global news section provided access to a number of relevant sites providing worldwide information on a daily basis. These include (by special agreement) The Biobased Information System™ (BIS) created by AgroTech Communications, Inc, The EurActiv.com website that contains “EU News, policy positions and ‘EU Actors’ online”, The Google News Service that has been set up to search on specific topics relating to renewable bioproducts, and GMO-COMPASS is a European consumer-oriented website providing access to information on issues of the safety of GMOs and GMO-products. The EPOBIO website was also used as a mechanism for handling enquiries, registrations and other aspects of the Second EPOBIO workshop in collaboration with UoY.

2.37 The following figure shows the growth in use of the website over the duration of the project. As a relatively new site the use has been influenced to a significant degree by the periodic bulk e-mailshots to registrants, indicated by the series of peaks on this graph. However, it is clear that these are superimposed on an increasing audience up until July 2007. The summer drop is not unexpected since this is seen in many technical websites, reflecting the holiday period. However, the number of users declined other than when informed of the addition of the Algal report, as detailed below, in September. Since the EPOBIO flagship activities were finalised with this report there has been little further information added in the last months. This would account for the slight decline in the number of visitors to the site. However, it should be noted that the number of pages viewed each week continued to rise.

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Figure 2. Number of visitors to the EPOBIO website and number of web pages and documents viewed each week over the duration of the contract.

2.38 When the EPOBIO project started, the BioMatNet website (see Figure 3 below), as an established site, was used by around 11,000 people per week and had an Alexa ranking of around 1,900,000. During the course of the project this rose at the end of 2006 to the top 800,000 sites according to the Alexa ranking, but has since fluctuated around the 900,000 rank (see figure and further discussion below).

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Figure 3 The Homepage of the BioMatNet Website (www.biomatnet.org)

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2.39 The Alexa rankings are based on worldwide statistics of all websites with acceptable content and will include those from the USA for instance. However, if the ranking are looked at on a national basis, as shown in table 1, the interest shown in this site is quite clear.

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Table 1 Alexa rankings for use of the BioMatNet site in some EU Member States

Country RankMalta 26,822Italy 132,412Portugal 138,013Greece 214,698Romania 232,810Belgium 251,867France 316,114United Kingdom 325,326

2.40 Alexa rates this site as ‘Very Fast (94% of sites are slower)’, with an ‘average Load Time of 5 Seconds’, an achievement reflecting the design and structure of the site, which is very impressive and a notable achievement since it contains several thousand pages of RTD project reports and related information as well as the various features listed for the EPOBIO site.

2.41 In order to increase access to the information throughout the Member States, the Google Translation Facility was added to both EPOBIO and BioMatNet. This enabled any of the information (other than pdf files) to be translated into the following languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Chinese. This feature has been maintained.

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Figure 5. Number of visitors to the BioMatNet website and number of web pages and documents viewed each week over the duration of the contract.

2.42 During the first year of the project the average number of users per week was around 15,000. As was seen with the EPOBIO site bulk emailing resulted in peaks of use, while decline in use was seen over the summer holiday season. However, the

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expected drop around Christmas and the New Year 2006 was not seen. In fact use showed several peaks. These reflected interest shown in response to e-mailings concerning the ratification of FP7 and the first call for proposals. A combination of information concerning the reports from the Second EPOBIO workshop as well as the FP7 Second Call led to a further peak in June and July, prior to the expected summer drop. However, as with EPOBIO this has been followed by a decline in the number of visitors to the site and a levelling out of the number of pages viewed, again probably reflecting the limited amount of additional information added during this period. It had been anticipated that some information would have been available concerning the results of the First Call for projects under KBBE which would have been expected to keep the site more active. Such information was requested from the Commission but was not available.

Web based document management 2.43 The proposal included a mechanism for handling documents and other written information through an on-line system. The alternatives were a fully interactive site, provided by an independent ISP, or development of a system within the EPOBIO website. These options were discussed and it was decided in the first instance to provide the latter system and only go to the fully interactive system if the need arose. Hence, mechanisms for document management were agreed and a structure for a read-only ‘Partners’ entry point coded and placed in a ‘password protected’ section on the server. During year 2 the Web based document management system was maintained and used for management of monthly reports and documents in preparation. This provided the facilities required by the ‘project management’ and flagship leaders and hence the independent system that could have been provided by an ISP was not contracted for.

2.44 On entry the following screen could be accessed.

EPOBIO Partners Home Page

Welcome to the Partners Section of EPOBIO

Theme Page on public site A. Meetings & Administration

B. Internal reports/papers

C. External reports

D. Desk Researcher weekly reports

1. Flagship – Cell walls Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

2. Flagship – Plant oils Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

3. Flagship - Biopolymers Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

4. Support - Environment Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

5. Support – Economics Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

6. Support – Attitudes Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

7. Information – Science & Society Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

Other activities A. Meetings & Administration

B. Internal reports/papers

C. External reports D. Monthly reports

8. Information - Dissemination Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

9. Management Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here

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2.45 As illustrated, it provided access to information from the various Flagships and other activities with documents further classified according to their nature. This was available at the time of the First EPOBIO workshop, at which it was demonstrated to the project partners and passwords issued. Since it is read only, documents were emailed to CPL and then added to the relevant page. This proved satisfactory with reports being received, added and accessed as required, fulfilling the management needs of the project in a timely and cost-effective manner without the intervention of a third party.

Integration of websites

2.46 The first step was to re-brand the BioMatNet site so that it was clearly part of the EPOBIO project with the index page now matching the EPOBIO index page and with the EPOBIO logo appearing on all pages of the website, and with the BioMatNet and the FP6 logo appearing on EPOBIO in order to establish the link between these sites and the support of the EC. Clicking on the relevant logo enabled users to switch between the two sites.

2.47 During the first 6 months of the project the two sites (EPOBIO and BioMatNet) were run independently. However, by the end of the first year they had been integrated so that all common features (news, events, registration, newsletters, etc) were accessible in the same way on both EPOBIO and BioMatNet. However, although the two sites have many features in common the actual information content has been kept separate while the separate URLs have also been maintained. This enables various options to be considered in terms of the future of these websites.

2.48 Various options for further funding of the websites, including an unsuccessful project proposal to the EC, have been considered. In the absence of further public support the current design of the website is such that the two parts may be separated and, after the end of the EPOBIO contract, be supported in a form and to an extent as appropriate to the resources and wishes of the relevant partners. Under such circumstances a modified EPOBIO website will be transferred to the control of UoY and a modified BioMatNet website will remain on the CPL server.

2.49 The features that are unique to BioMatNet are sections covering EC RTD projects, biomass crops, publications and legislation, as well as a database of websites of national and international companies and other organisations that can be searched on the basis of organisation, country and activity (embedded word search). These features have been added to and continually updated during the project. Further details concerning ITEMs added is provided below. A ‘partner search’ facility was also added to the site as an aid to those wishing to submit proposals to FP7. However, this was not apparently required as the number of partner search requests was limited to less than 20.

ITEMs added

2.50 An individual project report, or summary of other activities as added to the BioMatNet site is termed an ITEM. All ITEMs (approx 2000) of the existing BioMatNet site were inspected and catalogued, and marked for removal, revision and/or re-coding during the first year of the project. This was an on-going activity fitted in to take into account other priorities. The task was completed early on in year 2 with a final check on

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website addresses and for broken links carried out prior to the publication on CD-ROM (see below).

2.51 New ITEMs continued to be identified and added in year 2 with the new ITEMs being detailed and arranged by subject matter with details of the content and availability detailed in the electronic publication “ITEM update”, information concerning the availability of each “ITEM update” being disseminated by email to registrants. The categories of ITEMs added to BioMatNet during year 2 were maintained as for year one. Details of the publications are shown in the table below. Only limited detail is provided here as copies are appended at Annex 27. However, the emphasis was on developments in FP7, including notifying registrants of the work programme and ‘calls’ as well as covering FP6 projects of relevance from the Materials and Energy THEMES.

ITEM update Number Publication date Number of ITEMs addedNumber 3 - December 2006

80Number 4 - May 2007 30 Number 5 September 2007 40 plus partner searches

2.52 This is in addition to over 170 new ITEMs that were added in year 1. However, as indicated above, the process of tidying the website continued in the first part of year 2 resulting in further reductions. In the event, the two processes more or less balanced out so that at the end of the project the number of ITEMs on the BiomatNet site remained at around 2100.

2.53 Many of the deletions from the previous BioMatNet ITEM list related to national activities and companies (which were transferred to the Database of websites). No EC RTD projects were deleted and so at the end of the project the main set of ITEMs covers EC projects. This information served as the basis of a review of non-food research activities as described below.

2.54 Commercial organisations, institutions and other similar bodies continued to be added to the ‘Database of websites’. Subsequent new entries have raised the number of website links to around 1350.

2.55 Categories of ITEMs added to BioMatNet were as follows:

Reports and Information Sources Background to the EU/US Collaboration Reports on FP5 activities International and National Bioeconomy and Biotechnology

FP5 Project ReportsProgress and Final Reports

FP6 Projects and Activities Life Sciences and Food Quality Nanotechnology and Materials Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy Joint Research Centre

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European Research Area: ERA-Net New and Emerging Science and Technologies: NEST Thematic Promotion

Other EU ProgrammesIntelligent Energy Europe LIFE - Financial Instrument for the Environment

FP7 DevelopmentFP7 Updates

Newsletters and News Items

EPOBIO Newsletter.

2.56 Three EPOBO Newsletters were produced in the first 12 months of the project (March, August, and October) in collaboration with UoY. The original text once approved by the management is both coded in HTML for viewing on the website and also as a PDF file so that it can be printed out (as annexed). Both versions are available from the newsletter section of the website. The first newsletter launched the project; the second covered the EPOBIO workshop and the third covered progress with the Flagships, as well as the ‘Public Perception’ survey.

2.57 Four EPOBIO Newsletters were produced in 2007 (March, May, September and December) in collaboration with UoY. EPOBIO Newsletter Number 4 (March 2007) covered the second EPOBIO workshop, the publication of the First three Flagship Reports, the Public Perception Survey and news on FP7. Number 5 (May 2007) again featured the second EPOBIO workshop and detailed the second set of Flagship reports. Number 6 (September 2007) reviewed the workshop and introduced the Algal report, while the final, December, issue brought proceedings to a close.

2.58 Sample copies of newsletters are at Annex 4.

Registrants and emails

2.59 Interested individuals were able to register to receive the EPOBIO Newsletter, BioMatNet ITEM update and/or other informative emails. At the end of the previous BioMatNet activity the existing registrant database contained around 6000 individual email contacts. This was used as the basis for a launch email that also announced the availability of the new EPOBIO website and the EPOBIO Newsletter.

2.60 In year 2 copies of the CD-ROM 7 could also be ordered online. The database has been continuously maintained by removal of dead email addresses and addition of new registrants. These more or less matched so that e-mailings continued to be sent to around 6000 recipients.

Public perception survey

2.61 As discussed elsewhere a ‘Public Perception of Biotechnology’ (social survey) questionnaire was prepared and used as the basis for a telephone survey to a carefully

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selected audience. CPL collaborated in the preparation of this survey and following agreement of the final structure it was encoded for on-line completion and placed on a new page on the website. Some questions were modified slightly and further questions added to adapt it to the on-line use. Mechanisms for recording the results of the on-line survey and transmitting these for analysis in Greece were discussed and implemented.

2.62 A bulk email inviting people to participate in this social survey was sent to around 6000 registrants in October 2006 along with notification of the 3 rd EPOBIO Newsletter. The number of questionnaires completed on line was monitored. The emailing resulted in an immediate response of around 80 responses and by the end of the 1 st project year numbered around 190. The survey remained online until 20 November 2006.

Printed material

2.63 A poster covering information dissemination activities was produced for the first EPOBIO workshop. A BioMatNet publicity card was designed and this and an EPOBIO leaflet were printed. These, together with 2 posters provided by York were displayed at the ‘Biorefineries’ meeting in Finland. Additional copies of the leaflets were printed for general distribution that included mailing to the Advisor Group and providing the European Commission with copies.

2.64 A second poster covering information dissemination activities was produced for the second EPOBIO workshop. However, the main activity was providing support services to the publication of the various EPOBIO Flagship reports produced during year 2. This included layout of the material, allocation of ISBNs, preparation of high-resolution PDFs for printing, arranging printing and shipping of the booklets, as well as submitting copies as required to the UK copyright authorities.

2.65 In relation to deliverables linked to dissemination, the following document are attached for information:

Copies of 9 EPOBIO reports published during the project Report of Second EPOBIO Workshop Report from First EPOBIO Conference Report – Building the European Knowledge Based Bio-economy, and CD-ROM A4 copies of a series of posters produced for display at the first EPOBIO

workshop – Annex 18 A4 copies of two posters presented at the Biorefineries meeting in Finland –

Annex 19 A4 copy of posters for the second EPOBIO Workshop A4 copy of poster prepared for a Workshop on the Structure and Function of

Primary and Secondary Cell Walls – Annex 20 EPOBIO leaflet – Annex 21 BioMatNet Information card – Annex 22 BioMatNet/EPOBIO CD-Rom – Annex 23 Website version of ‘Public Perception’ questionnaire – Annex 24

Website downloads

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2.66 Statistics are available indicating the number of times a specific page or PDF file on the website is visited. Table 2 shows the top ten most visited documents, with the algal report attracting most interest. The bottom two lines of this table show the number of times the attitudes and communication reports were viewed.

Table 2

Page ViewsAquatic Report 25,186Lignocellulose Feedstocks Report – crop platform

8,430

Workshop Foundation Paper - Biopolymers 8,145Workshop Foundation Paper - Plant oils 7,671Natural Rubber Report 6,728Chemicals and Biopolymers Report – crop platform

6,693

Cell Wall Saccharification Report 6,665Oil Crops Report – crop platform 5,984Crambe Wax Esters Report 4,675First workshop final report 4,471Attitudes Report 2,150Communication Report 553

2.67 In addition to the documents listed in the above table other presentations from the workshops were visited over 100,000 times in total. The newsletters were downloaded around 4,500 times in year 2. Due to the extent of the information on the BioMatNet the spread of pages visited is very wide and varies from month to month. However, it is of interest to note that the same reports attracted the most attention on the hit list in November and December 2007. These were “Techno-economic Feasibility of Large-scale Production of Bio-based Polymers in Europe” that attracted 15,484 page views and “Olive Tree Cultivation” that attracted 8,034 page views in the two months. This illustrates the level as well as the diversity of interests of users of this facility.

CD-ROMs

2.68 In the proposal it was indicated that two CD-ROMs would be produced. These would contain the website at the end of the first and second years of the project respectively. However, at the end of the first year the websites were still being modified and integrated. Hence, it was decided not to publish the first CD-ROM until this task had been completed. By the time the website was ready for such publication the EPOBIO flagship reports were available. Hence, these were included in the first CD-ROM that was produced in time for distribution at the second EPOBIO workshop. This was entitled “BioMatNet CD-ROM 7 – non-food agro-industrial research”, and produced in May 2007 with the ISBN 978-1-872691-09-1. A copy is appended to this report and the cover is shown below:

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Figure 6 BioMatNet CD-ROM 7

2.69 The CD-ROM was designed so that the EPOBIO website, BioMatNet website, database of websites and the EPOBIO publications could be accessed from separate sections. 3000 copies were produced and around 1500 distributed through the members of the consortium, distribution at conferences, supply to the Commission as well as in response to request through the Internet. Since copies of the first CD-ROM are still being distributed and the information on the website has not changed significantly it was decided, in consultation with the Scientific Officer responsible for the project, to produce the second CD-ROM as required by the contract as an overview of the non-food research activities covered by the BioMatNet database. This was produced in December 2007 together with a printed summary booklet. The title of the CD-ROM and report was “Building the European Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE), The impact of Non-Food Research1988 – 2008”. Copies of the CD-ROM (ISBN 978-1-872691-33-6) and printed report (ISBN 978-872691-34-3) are appended (Annex 16) and the cover designs are shown below. 1000 copies of each were produced.

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Figure 7 The KBBE CD-ROM and accompanying report.

2.70 The CD-ROM presents an overview of the various projects supported on the basis of Framework Programmes (FPs) 2 to 7, covering the Biological, Materials and Energy Themes in the Cooperation section of each FP. Since the objective was to avoid duplication of information, the KBBE CD-ROM refers to the database contained on the CD7 CD-ROM. Hence, these have been combined in a package consisting of the report, plus a copy of each CD-ROM. These were distributed to the members of the consortium, the advisory group and to the Commission. Remaining copies will continue to be distributed at meetings, including at the 2008 Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels, after the contract ends.

WP3, 4, 5: Flagship Themes – Overview

2.71 For each of the EPOBIO Flagship themes, the background in the US/EC Taskforce in Biotechnology Research and the selection criteria for the topics to be examined – biopolymers, plant cell walls and plant oils – has been described in Section 1 above. The work of the Flagship themes and the support themes was handled as a series of desk studies that examined state of the art knowledge in respect of the subject being reviewed.

2.72 The Flagships followed a common methodology that included:

(1) Information sourcing

previous research supported by the EU, with an emphasis on that funded through sub-programmes aimed specifically at the non-food use of crops and forest products (ÉCLAIR, AIR, Non-Food Demonstration, FAIR, QLK5, Cell Factory, Nano-technology, etc). Much of this information will be available to the project through access to the BioMatNet database and website

related research and development activities funded by Member States of the EU

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related research and development activities funded by other national (global) and international sources

the current state of understanding in the science and related technologies associated with the broad areas selected for the Flagship Programmes

existing life-cycle analyses, carried out by public and private sector organisations that impact on economic viability of non-food crop products

the existence of any non-technical barriers affecting the progress of the research applications and products to the market place. This will include close liaison with WPs 6-9, to assess, for example, public opinion concerns relating to the use of DNA-based tools and GM versus non-GM applications, environmental and economic aspects, regulatory frameworks and legislation as well as the potential impact of changes in the Common Agricultural Policy and World Trade Organisation agreements

national and international public and private sector reports or data on supply chains that are already in existence from grower to end-user for non-food products and commonalities/differences across existing Member States and Accession States of the Community

information arising from the continuing discussions on plant-based bioproducts arising from the US-EC Taskforce in Biotechnology, with US-based information co-ordinated and channelled through Partner 9 (the USDA International Office)

(2) Analysis of information

the identification of the outstanding scientific challenges and new research tools needed – such as for example, the knowledge gaps requiring research input and any under-exploited discoveries, offering near-term opportunities for development and technology demonstration

identification of key points in the supply chains leading from crop to bioproduct that would benefit from new policy intervention to encourage market-uptake and how this will be common or differ amongst Member States and Accession States of the Community

identification of non-technical ‘positive’ reasons favouring the substitution/replacement of conventional (petrochemical–based) products by (renewable-based) products

identification of opportunities for the placement of completely new bioproducts and functionalities derived from plant renewable resources into the market place

(3) Development of Conclusions

integration of the collected information to identify challenges and project areas worthy of future support, and equally the identification of those areas for which no further work is needed, or alternatively, areas in which Europe could benefit from technology transfer from or to other geographical regions

outline of future milestones and timescales, together with the research expertise needed to contribute to the success of the Flagship Programmes and thereby establish the expert academic and industrial networks to significantly strengthen the European Research Area

2.73 The information-base available to EPOBIO was extensive and involved the published literature, web and database resources, as well as direct interaction with

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Partners and colleagues within their organisations, and relevant members of the Advisory Board as well as their further networks.

2.74 For the Wageningen Workshop each Flagship prepared a foundation paper setting out a brief background to the topic. Amongst other things, this addressed a set of common questions which were identified at the December 2005 Consortium meeting and which formed a key part of the process:

Define the problem

Are the Flagship statements comprehensive or are additions needed? Has anything been missed?

Research needs

What are the research needs and relevant actions needed to solve the problem or alleviate the constraint to move the science forward?

What are the scientific bottlenecks to the development of the next generation of bioproducts?

Outputs

What are the desired deliverables/products that will result and what are the realistic timelines?

2.75 Each Flagship held a breakout sessions with scientists, industrialists and others, discussions in those breakout sessions being led by invited experts with relevant specialist knowledge. Sessions were chaired by the Flagship leaders. The overall aim was to address the common questions above, identifying products likely to reach the market place in 10-15 years time. The rationale for this is that the science should be relevant to and driven by the needs of the market, a point that is vital for ensuring that market pull establishes the supply chains needed for an industry using plant-based raw materials.

2.76 At the conclusion of the meeting the EPOBIO Consortium examined the conclusions of each Flagship breakout sessions and used the information gained to set work priorities for the coming year and define the input needed from the EPOBIO support packages. These reports, the detail of which is in the following sections, were published in M13.

2.77 The subsequent work by the Flagships was coordinated in a series of desk researcher meetings and focussed on the development of crop platforms for each Flagship area. This looked at the crops suitable to provide the feedstocks for each Flagship area. The reports analysed potential crops, environmental impacts, economic issues and regulatory constraints and benefits. These reports were published in M19 for the second EPOBIO Workshop.

2.78 The final report from the EPOBIO Flagships brought together the desk researchers from the Flagships to prepare a review and report on the utility of micro- and macro-algae for industrial applications. This final report was published in M23 and the detail in the report is summarised in the following paragraphs.

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Micro- and Macro-Algae – Utility for Industrial Applications

2.79 This report notes that opportunities offered by land-based agriculture, forestry and their many applications for non-food industrial products are well recognised. Most recently, the use of lignocellulose biomass for generation of transport fuels is a much debated topic in the design of future energy production systems, again illustrating the versatility of plant raw materials for both energy and non-energy products. In this context, the potential of marine biomass is increasingly discussed, given the size of the resource in that more than three quarters of the surface of planet earth is covered by water. These aquatic resources, comprising both marine and fresh water habitats have immense biodiversity and immense potential for providing sustainable benefits to all nations of the world. Some 80% of the world’s living organisms are found in aquatic ecosystems.

2.80 As a consequence, the final report from EPOBIO addressed emerging opportunities presented by phototrophic organisms of the aquatic environment. Of net primary production of biomass, it is generally accepted that 50% is terrestrial and 50% aquatic. Policies of Governments have focussed almost exclusively on the use of land plants, with little consideration so far of the non-food applications and utility of macro- and micro- algae and their products. The limitations of agricultural land and the impacts of global climate change on agricultural productivity are factors of increasing relevance in the decisions that must be taken on land use for food, feed, chemicals and energy. Clearly, this increasing competition for land is driving the current consideration of the potential of the aquatic environment for the production of biofuels and industrial feedstocks.

2.81 The technical potential of micro-algae for greenhouse gas abatement has been recognised for many years, given their ability to use carbon dioxide and the possibility of their achieving higher productivities than land-based crops. Biofuel production from these marine resources, whether use of biomass or the potential of some species to produce high levels of oil, is now an increasing discussion topic. There are multiple claims in this sector but the use of micro-algae as an energy production system is likely to have to be combined with waste water treatment and co-production of high value products for an economic process to be achieved. These current biofuel discussions illustrate two issues. First, the potential broad utility of these organisms that are capable of multiple products, ranging from energy, chemicals and materials to applications in carbon sequestration and waste water remediation. Second, the need for a robust evidence base of factual information to validate decisions for the strategic development of algae and to counter those claims made on a solely speculative basis to support commercial investment.

2.82 The report observes that the current regulatory framework under development in Europe assumes that an all embracing maritime policy should aim at growth and more and better jobs, helping to develop a strong, growing, competitive and sustainable maritime economy in harmony with the marine environment. An aim is to integrate existing and future EU, regional and national policies affecting marine issues. The emphasis of the proposed framework is on use of the marine environment at a level that is sustainable where marine species and habitats are protected, human induced decline of biodiversity is prevented and diverse biological components function in balance. Whilst it is recognised that innovation may help to find solutions to issues such as

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energy and climate change, there is little in policy proposals that addresses the utilisation of available marine biomass.

2.83 The report set out to explore opportunities for energy and non-energy products, encompassing both marine and fresh water macro- and micro-algae. Salt-water agriculture and the use of tidal flats were not discussed nor was the harvesting of aquatic plants other than algae. The first chapters briefly introduced the range of organisms and their habitats, together with the production systems that are already in development and use for their large-scale cultivation. The later chapters summarised the diverse range of products that have arisen or could be developed in this sector, including the utility of genes, made possible by the recent completion of genome sequencing programmes and the development of post-genomic technologies.

2.84 The macro and micro algal populations of the aquatic environments provide a vast genetic resource and biodiversity. This feature alone suggests that these organisms have considerable potential for offering new chemicals, materials and bioactive compounds. The completion of the genome sequencing programmes of two micro-algae also opens up major opportunities for new applications, either using the algae themselves or through using the genes in other production systems, whether fermenter-based or fields.

2.85 The culture of micro-algae has been studied widely through their potential for greenhouse gas abatement and this information is detailed in many reviews cited in this report. There are many conflicting statements on the potential of micro-algae for high biomass production, but there is a general agreement that the current production systems are not economically viable for biomass production alone. The difficulties include high capital infrastructure costs, problems of contamination through open pond systems and costs associated with harvesting and drying. These costs adversely affect the competitiveness of aquatic biomass production systems, compared to land-based agriculture and forestry.

2.86 These negative cost considerations currently preclude the widespread use of micro-algae for biofuel production or production of other forms of bioenergy. Similarly, the macro-algal seaweeds, whilst used for some specialised applications, are also expensive to farm and harvest offshore. There are few clear drivers for using these species as biomass for bioenergy, except in specific circumstances such as maritime communities with no access to productive agricultural land or alternative energy sources.

2.87 The increasing concerns of global climate change and rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have led to the recognition that carbon sequestration alone can have a tangible economic value. The value placed on a tonne of carbon within current trading schemes will determine decisions on how best to cost effectively ‘manufacture’ this product. There may be conditions in the future that would support the use of aquatic and particularly marine organisms for carbon capture and income generated through this route.

2.88 Additional value products from the micro-algae, such as chemicals, can increase the cost competitiveness. Often these are manufactured by the cells following a stress shock and under low nutrient conditions. For example, there has been a study in which the production of astaxanthin has been shown to be commercially viable using a

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microalgal innoculum established in photobioreactors and transferred to open ponds for three day cultivation of biomass prior to harvest of product. This system successfully avoided the problems of contamination found in open pond cultivation systems since the cycle was extremely short.

2.89 Using micro-algae for waste water treatment is not a new idea. However, combining the ability of the cells to remediate water with their use for carbon sequestration or energy production may offer an economically viable way forward for the development of multiple products. This report concludes by highlighting the need to consider carefully the economics of using organisms of the aquatic environment for industrial production.

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WP3: biopolymers – detail

2.90 The University of Lausanne led the biopolymers work package and the European Flagship leader was Prof Yves Poirier. Prof Bill Orts was the US lead for the Flagship. The desk researcher, Dr Jan van Beilen, took up post in January 2006.

Deliverables

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

5 Papers for presentation at Workshop 1 – overview

3 M6 Delivered on time

20 Biopolymer report 1 3 M13 Delivered on time in M1328 Biopolymer crop platform report 3 M18 Printed version delivered in

M18, web version available M17

36 Workshop 2 paper - biopolymers 3 M18 Delivered M1841 Final report - Algae 3 M23 Web version available M23

and printed version M24

Project objectives

2.91 The objective of this work package was to define the RTD content of a Flagship programme on biopolymers.

2.92 A key aim was to define the technical content of challenges associated with this Flagship subject area. Working methodologies included information-sourcing and analysis of the information gained in order to identify:

outstanding scientific challenges and new research tools needed; key points in the supply chains forming barriers to uptake; and opportunities for placing new bioproducts and functionalities into the market.

2.93 This work package was supported by the four support themes – economics, environment/agronomy, social attitudes and communications. This ensured that non-technical expertise was integrated to identify the challenges associated with developing bioproducts of optimal benefits. It also ensured those challenges were addressed by the RTD needs specified.

Delivery of objectives and results

2.94 Following the discussion set out in the overview to this section, the first project/product in the biopolymers area was agreed to be the development of new natural sources of rubber with the aim of replacing and contributing to the supply of rubber for high-value medicinal uses as well as high volume products such as vehicle tyres. The revised deliverable set out that the report would be finalised by the end of October 2006 and published in November 2006.

2.95 The issues and the research needs to be investigated and defined were set out as follows:

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intellectual property (IP) rights surrounding Guayule

the range of natural varieties of Guayule available; the feasibility of adaptation for agriculture in Europe; the opportunities for new breeding programmes in Europe

principal drivers and users of rubber internationally

alternative plant sources of rubber beyond Herea and Guayule to focus on rubber types (molecular weight of rubbers etc) and opportunities for new agricultural crops in Europe

the range of molecular biology tools that need to be developed to study and optimise rubber synthesis/yield/production; this will involve generic tools for all sources of natural rubbers - those that are already available (gene sequences, metabolomics etc), those that need to be identified and how best to develop the tool kit; freedom to operate issues with these tools needs to be investigated, in relation to Guayule studies and beyond to other crops

processing issues of the natural rubbers - in relation to technologies, IP and end-users of the rubbers

the suitability of the different sources of rubber and the different processing technologies in use/needed for the range of products - from high value medical products such as surgical gloves, through to low value, bulk products such as vehicle tyres

2.96 As well as undertaking a detailed literature review, an analysis of environmental impacts and the economic case (See WP6 and WP7) contributed to the report from this study. The study and report also took account of inputs from international scientists and industrialists.

2.97 The study, and the first report for publication, identified that natural rubber is a unique biopolymer of strategic importance that, in many of its most significant applications, cannot be replaced by synthetic alternatives. The raw material is supplied either as latex or in dry rubber form. This study has identified three reasons why new alternative feedstock supplies should be developed:

Increasing evidence of allergic reaction to the proteins in natural rubber obtained from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis and an immediate need to develop natural rubber sources that do not cause such allergic responses.

A disease risk to existing supplies of raw material, from Hevea brasiliensis that could potentially decimate current production.

Predicted shortages of supply of natural rubber.

2.98 Hevea rubber in latex applications, which include around 40,000 household items, is responsible for moderate to severe allergic reactions. The incidence of those reactions has increased dramatically in the last 15 years and it is now accepted that 1-6% of the general population suffer from latex allergies. Some studies have shown that up to 17% of healthcare workers are at risk of reactions. In the US, the American Society for Testing and Materials has developed a new standard (ASTM 1076-06) for Category 4 natural rubber latex in response to the allergy issue. Previous standards

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measured physical performance rather than protein content and applied only to Hevea-based raw materials. The new standard offers an opportunity for manufacturers looking to develop protein-free high performance latex from other sources. It provides a new level of materials safety for medical product manufacturers and will mean that employers will be able to address these health issues by using alternative products.

2.99 The EPOBIO analysis shows that the shrub Guayule has greatest potential as an alternative source of rubber that would also meet the protein content requirements of the new ASTM standard. There is a need to develop improved extraction and processing technologies and take forward crop improvement. Two new economic opportunities arise, in the cultivation of the crop and in industrial production of guayule-based rubber products.

2.100 The Guayule shrub is well suited to the semi-arid areas of Southern Europe and, in the context of the reformed and market-focussed Common Agricultural Policy, would offer an alternative production choice in areas such as those currently dominated by cotton production. The EU uses 8% of world production of natural rubber latex, and 14.5 % of world production of natural (dry) rubber. It can be assumed that future guayule lines will produce a yield of 10% natural rubber and since plant biomass is typically 10 tons per hectare per year, natural rubber would be produced from Guayule at a rate of 1 tonne per hectare per year. Significantly, current EU demand could be met from 1,205,000 hectares of land. This is equivalent to 9% of arable land in Spain, or 1.5% of arable land in the EU.

2.101 Guayule has the additional benefit of being a low input crop with the potential to reduce environmental impact and contribute to sustainable development. Although current varieties could be grown immediately, the species is relatively unimproved and there is potential to improve rubber yield and quality, water use and other agronomic issues. There is therefore a new commercial opportunity for farmers in the short term, as well as the potential to create and sustain employment both in the farming sector and in rural areas in the longer term. This will help maintain and develop the rural infrastructure.

2.102 Currently, the existing processing technology and industrial expertise for the delivery of Guayule latex and Guayule dry rubber is based solely in the US. There is an urgent need for Europe to develop production and processing capability in order to address the potential new market and to avoid the loss of competitive position. We anticipate the development of a new extraction and processing industry using existing Guayule varieties will take place in parallel to agronomic improvement of the crop and expansion of its cultivation.

2.103 As knowledge of the potential to develop rural biorefineries grows, there would be opportunity to incorporate the production of Guayule latex into integrated, zero waste biorefinery systems. This could provide new income opportunities and further support for rural areas. The current opportunity to develop processing technology in the EU and to improve crops for the EU would also help the economic sustainability of both the agriculture sector and a wider industry.

2.104 At the strategic level there is a risk to the existing supply of raw material from Hevea brasiliensis. South American Leaf Blight has all but ended Hevea rubber production in South America and would have a similar devastating effect if it spread to

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Asia. Risk mitigation through the early development of Guayule production, processing and crop improvement gives Europe an opportunity to establish a platform from which to build quickly in the event of a failure of supply.

2.105 The disease risk alone may not give sufficient justification for the development of new, alternative supply and processing capability in Europe. But it should be noted that demand for Hevea rubber is expected to exceed supply by 25% by 2020. One reason for this is the replacement of rubber trees with palm trees in order to meet the increasing demand for oil for the manufacture of biofuels, driven by increasing regulatory targets in Europe and the US. Meeting the demand for rubber has strategic importance given its essential use in products such as aeroplane tyres, personal protection products in medical applications, dental equipment and emergency equipment such as intravenous tubing.

2.106 The report also identifies a need to examine further sources of supply beyond Guayule, for example, from Russian dandelion. This is important in risk mitigation since multiple supply chains are preferable to one alternative source of supply. This brings with it an opportunity to develop crops that could be cultivated beyond the semi-arid regions of Europe and the US. The report recommends that the molecular-based research needed to develop potential alternative sources of supply in the longer term should be put in place.

2.107 The expansion of Guayule cultivation and processing could readily take place in conjunction with developing countries. The crop is well suited to the climates of many developing countries and cultivation and processing in those geographic regions would also be driven by the shortage of supply issues and growing markets. Collaborative work involving the EU and developing countries should be investigated as a priority.

2.108 The specific recommendations, in relation to the research and development needs, that emerged from the study on the delivery of natural rubber from Guayule are:

1. In the short term, a major bottleneck in realizing the potential of Guayule is the processing of the feedstock. The problem is that the rubber is contained within the plant cells. This necessitates cell breakage and extraction protocols to separate the rubber biopolymer from other cellular components. As yet, these steps have not been optimised nor scaled-up for commercial production. Therefore, R&D should focus on optimisation of processing Guayule using the currently available varieties, and integrating this processing capability into a biorefining process such that co-products can be used either as an energy source, or ultimately as a feedstock for higher value products.

2. In the mid- to long-term, there is considerable potential for Guayule crop improvement, although existing varieties can be cultivated in southern Europe. Targets to be addressed include rubber yield and quality, biomass optimisation, water use and other agronomic traits of relevance for European cultivation.

2.109 In addition, the targets for additional sources of natural rubbers produced the following recommendation:

1. Development of a genetic model to understand the molecular processes controlling rubber biopolymer synthesis and storage is likely to involve characterisation of the Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz). Currently, yield and agronomic properties

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preclude the use of this source on a commercial scale. However, this species has considerable potential for molecular-based research, as well as providing in the longer term the potential for an alternative source of natural rubber to Guayule. R&D should therefore focus on molecular characterisation of Russian dandelion applying genomics and post-genomic technologies.

2. Investigation of alternative sources of natural rubbers should be undertaken in collaboration with developing countries. There is considerable scope for the cultivation of Guayule, Russian dandelion and a number of additional rubber species in many geographical regions of the world. In tropical regions, other species could complement the cultivation of Hevea and elsewhere in semi-arid regions, Guayule for example, could be developed as a new industrial crop providing the processing limitations are overcome.

2.110 The second report from this Flagship – Industrial Crop Platforms for the Production of Chemicals and Biopolymers – was delivered in M18, a downloadable pdf of the report having been available from M17. The report notes that the security and cost of supply of fossil reserves, together with the environmental impacts of climate change, are driving the search for sustainable alternatives. Substantial quantities of fossil reserves are specifically used as petrochemicals to make a vast range of items from pharmaceuticals to plastics, agricultural fertilisers and many different consumer products.

2.111 Due to these issues of security and cost of feedstocks, coupled with the urgency to establish sustainable manufacture, the chemical industries globally are increasingly seeking alternatives to the use of petrochemicals. There are two alternatives based on agricultural feedstocks in current practice. One involves chemical synthesis, such as the use of the Fischer Tropsch process from bio-based source materials, the production of levulinic acid from cellulose and polyols from sugars. The other alternative uses microorganisms and microbial processes to produce industrial chemicals from agricultural feedstocks by fermentation and biotransformations of plant products such as starch, sugar, and plant oils or co-products and waste. This is the well-established route of industrial biotechnology and forms the chosen process for many products already on the market.

2.112 A third route is the use of crop plants to produce novel industrial chemicals in the field, whether finished product for extraction or precursors for post-harvest modification into product. This route of using industrial crops for large-scale production of commodity chemicals and polymers is not yet in widespread use, beyond the traditional examples of products produced naturally by plants such as sugars, starches, natural rubber and the oils produced by oil crops.

2.113 The report addresses the third route and explores the feasibility of using crops for the production of novel industrial chemicals and biopolymers. Three potential industrial crop platforms for commodity chemical production are considered. These are crops already of relevance or of great promise to agriculture in the Member States of the EU and case studies are developed to explore their potential as new platforms for chemical manufacture. The crops are sugar beet, the perennial grass and energy crop Miscanthus and tobacco. The principal question addressed in this study is the feasibility of producing chemicals and biopolymers more cheaply in fields than in bioreactors within the timespan of 10/15 - 20 years. All of the applications described in this study for

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industrial-scale production of novel chemicals in field crops necessitate the use of genetic modification (GM). It is up to public acceptance whether these new transgenic crops will be developed and cultivated in Member States throughout the EU.

2.114 For each of the crop platforms, the current state-of-the-art is reviewed with a detailed bibliography. The research and development (R&D) needs are identified in terms of the work that will need to be undertaken to achieve an optimised platform. Full consideration is given to recommendations for each of the crops and the possibility that the platforms can be used for multiple products - such as biomass for bio-energy as well as valuable co-products for extraction and processing in biorefineries.

Sugar beet

2.115 A strength of sugar beet is that it is already an established crop throughout Europe, is a high-income generator for the farming community and has exceptional yields of dry biomass per hectare. There is also a considerable science-base underpinning the crop and its current use for production of refined sugar and co-products for the food and feed markets.

2.116 Sugar beet, as a producer of sugar, or its close relative fodder beet, is already a feedstock for bio-energy biorefineries, and this use would be further optimised if biomass production and the yield of fermentable materials including sugars were optimised. The R&D needs in the context of industrial use of beet are very different from those that have underpinned development of the crop to date and will need to be refocused urgently if the potential of beet as an energy and industrial crop were to be pursued widely in the EU.

2.117 The study considers sugar beet as an industrial platform for commodity chemicals/biopolymers beyond its potential use as simply a bioenergy crop. It must be emphasised that this extended use for chemical production would necessitate development and field cultivation of transgenic varieties. These varieties would be engineered as appropriate for the specific product(s) that the beets are designed to manufacture. However, in relation to the production of industrial transgenic beet, it is an absolute essential to develop technologies to prevent transgene flow, given the considerable risk from outcrossing and consequent transgene spread.

2.118 Processing of sugar beet for refined sugar and co-products has been extensively optimised. New processing schemes are already under development for use of sugar beet in the production of energy products such as bioethanol or biobutanol. Should the beet be developed further for multiple uses that combine bioenergy with production of novel chemicals it is highly probable that processing technologies would have to be still further modified and newly designed. For low value co-products, these changes should be minor and relatively easy to implement; for high value-added products, processing would focus on the main novel product with waste streams feeding into bioenergy or biofuel production.

2.119 Thus, whilst technologies are increasingly available for development of beet as an industrial crop platform with multiple outputs, there are a number of weaknesses that must be addressed. These range from inherent difficulties of developing a transgenic crop used for both non-food and food purposes, the need to prevent transgene flow, and the high inputs currently needed for high yield. The locked supply chain in place for

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sugar refining can be considered both as an advantage and a disadvantage since there are some processors already keen to look for alternative uses.

2.120 With reform of the Sugar Regime within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) it is probable that sugar refining from sugar beet will decline throughout the EU in the next few years, but the crop may be maintained for use in biofuel development. These changes will open up the opportunity to develop new markets for the crop. Given the agronomic expertise available in many Member States for the cultivation of beet, and the technologies available for crop improvement, increased sustainability and novel modification, development of beet as a new industrial platform should reasonably be examined, and indeed this process is already underway.

Tobacco

2.121 Tobacco is currently grown as a field crop in many Member States of the EU and in those regions extensive agronomic experience exists. CAP support for the production of tobacco is being switched from direct support to incorporation into the single farm payment, opening up access to new markets. In addition, financial allocation for restructuring in tobacco growing regions also supports the possibility of alternative uses for tobacco as an industrial crop platform.

2.122 Alternative uses of tobacco are already in development in that the plant is used for the production of biopharmaceutical proteins in leaves of transgenic tobacco grown in containment. This study raises the possibility of widening the applications of transgenic tobacco to field crop cultivation and its use as an industrial platform for chemicals and biopolymers. In this context, tobacco benefits considerably from established genetics and its use as a laboratory tool which has led to robust protocols for genetic transformation, notably also of the chloroplast.

2.123 Research and development should focus on the nature of the chemicals and polymers chosen for production in tobacco. Since tobacco contains little dry matter and is currently unlikely to represent a biomass crop it is probable that bespoke transgenic lines would be developed for each chemical and biopolymer product. Given the costs associated with development of transgenics, it is likely that these products would be mid- to high-value soluble chemicals and polymers, including enzymes. Production of hybrids with other Nicotiana species could be a route to increase biomass leading to both increased yields of novel chemical products and increased residual biomass that could be used for fuel generation. In view of the dilute nature of this waste stream, this would most likely be biogas.

2.124 Clearly, tobacco is already used as a non-food crop and has no related species in Europe and North America. These features greatly limit the risks from outcrossing and therefore, transgene flow to food crops is not an issue. As a crop grown on relatively limited hectarage, transgenic tobacco would be relatively easier to isolate than other large-scale biofactory crops. Indeed, since tobacco offers versatility in terms of production, R&D should also be directed towards the design and development of small-scale extraction and processing protocols, such that on-farm post-harvest treatments could be both feasible and profitable for small-scale producers and contribute to rural development in tobacco growing regions of the EU.

Miscanthus

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2.125 The report shows that the perennial grass, Miscanthus, has substantial strengths in terms of yield potential and ability to grow successfully under low inputs of fertiliser and pesticides. Miscanthus is already recognised to present a considerable opportunity for bioenergy production, given parameters such as biomass yield and low inputs. However, its use for bioenergy is currently severely limited because the grass is not developed as yet as a crop for widespread cultivation. In due course it is likely that experience with related grasses such as sugar cane, maize and Sorghum will greatly benefit the development of Miscanthus.

2.126 Research needs are those associated with any plant species that is undeveloped as an agricultural crop. There are urgent needs to improve our understanding of the genetics of Miscanthus, to establish a robust breeding programme and to develop molecular tools for fast-track breeding. Research is also required to establish a robust genetic transformation system for Miscanthus. In this context, parameters for successful tissue culture systems need to be optimised for regeneration purposes.

2.127 In terms of agronomy, Miscanthus is not completely frost-tolerant, with particular issues in the first winter following establishment. Improvements to the crop are required to increase frost hardiness, which in turn would greatly expand the cultivation areas suitable for Miscanthus across Europe. Whilst the grass has considerable yield potential, productivity under low input conditions is another target for improvement. Current practice is the use of rhizomes to establish Miscanthus. This is labour-intensive and new approaches need to be optimised such as seed sowing or field establishment at the plantlet stage.

2.128 In addition to these many R&D needs to establish the grass as a regular agricultural crop, there would be the added needs to establish its potential as a platform for chemical and polymer production to complement biomass use for bioenergy. This added potential will depend on the development of a robust transformation system and much greater understanding of metabolic pathways in the perennial grass to design appropriate change in flux into the novel products, without impacting greatly on biomass yield. There are also R&D needs in terms of extraction methods for application in biomass biorefineries. However, the feasibility of using Miscanthus for the production of chemicals or biopolymers can be judged from current developments with sugar cane.

Strategic recommendations - science

2.129 Recommendations within this theme of industrial crop platforms for the production of commodity chemicals and biopolymers, must be viewed from the perspective of underpinning work that needs to be undertaken to ensure products in a market place in a 10/15 – 20 year time period. Currently, the economics of field production versus bioreactor production lead to commercial decisions to manufacture chemicals and biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), by fermentation routes. The EPOBIO report has explored the potential for new field crops to produce these chemicals and biopolymers and considers what would be needed to develop three potential new industrial crop platforms for this purpose.

2.130 The key question that arises is whether it is appropriate to design any plant platform to make novel commodity chemicals/polymers. Should the community rather focus on platforms to manufacture cheaper and more efficient biofuels from biomass, as

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well as the more simple feedstocks produced naturally by plants to support the bioreactor production of industrial commodities? The report has considered three quite different crops: sugar beet, tobacco, and Miscanthus. The strengths and weaknesses of developing each of these three crops as future industrial crop platforms are quite different.

2.131 The study reveals the potential of sugar beet to be optimised as an industrial energy crop that could be further modified to produce platform chemicals. The extensive area on which this crop is already cultivated in Europe and the opening of markets through CAP reform are two positive issues that would underpin new development of the crop into an industrial platform. Since sugar beet is currently considered and used as a food crop linked into integrated supply chains for sugar refining, a substantial change in perception would be needed before alternative uses could be taken up. These changes in perception are already occurring, with sugar beet increasingly in use as a biomass crop for bioenergy. Current industrial applications of sugar beet are based on beet that has been optimised for sugar refining. Industrial utility of the crop would be greatly enhanced if new breeding targets aimed at industrial applications were undertaken. Beyond bioenergy, there are opportunities for using beet to produce novel chemicals and biopolymers. However, social acceptability of transgenic beet for this purpose is likely to play a major determining role in decisions.

2.132 Tobacco offers interesting potential as an industrial crop and there is extensive agronomic experience with the crop from farmers who already produce tobacco within the EU. This is a transgenic application, but tobacco has many strengths for high yield production of designer compounds by GM and the possibility for development into a relatively high yielding biomass crop. Given the cost of the development of a transgenic crop it is likely that the considerable potential of tobacco as an industrial platform will be pursued primarily by the large biotechnology companies. The extent of cultivation of GM across member states of the EU will depend on public acceptability. In the longer term, there may be scope for on-farm processing of relatively small hectarage, which could provide alternative uses of the crop for existing producers.

2.133 Miscanthus undoubtedly holds great promise as a bioenergy crop for the mid- to long-term future. This promise can only be realised once the grass has been optimised for large-scale commercial cultivation. Miscanthus offers potential for co-production of added value products in parallel to biomass for biofuels.

Strategic recommendations – policy

2.134 Each of the Flagship crop platform reports included a section on the development of policy. This section will be described here but not repeated in WP4 and WP5. Our strategic recommendations on policy encompass six specific elements to ensure take up of the bio-based economy. These are:

Policies must be coherent, integrated and coordinated.

Integration in Brussels and Member States is essential to develop a policy framework that will support the bioeconomy. As the bioeconomy represents a potentially huge strategic development consideration should be given to applying a ‘bioeconomy test’ to policies in development, in the same way that policies are assessed for their sustainable development impacts.

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Innovation in plant and industrial biotechnology should be supported.

Clear research objectives and a framework to achieve them are essential. An adequate level of targeted funding, selecting those novel and innovative processes and products likely to achieve success in the market place and deliver environmental benefit, should be an element of this.

Policies should support development of the whole supply chain.

This will need to consider feedstock supply, processing and the production of bioproducts. There is a need to both stimulate the market side and build on the foundation of the Common Agricultural Policy, which has moved from production subsidy to market-orientated developments. Financing along the supply chain needs to be considered as one aspect of feedstock supply.

A communication strategy is essential.

The acute lack of awareness of the bioeconomy and the potential of biotechnology at all levels in society must be addressed by a strategic communications campaign designed to raise awareness and create an informed acceptance of bioproducts. This will need to explain the benefits of the processes and products delivered by the bioeconomy.

Pilot projects have a role to play.

The establishment of proof of concept and testing under industrial conditions is a key step in moving research into product development. Scale-up during the research phase can develop and test industrial processes and also help to develop stronger co-operation between industrialists and academics.

Measurable sustainability indicators should be developed.

The absence of validated techniques for the measurement of sustainability benefits needs to be addressed. This is important as these gains need be evidenced to enable all stakeholders to understand the rationale for the development of the bioeconomy.

2.135 In addition, there are two specific recommendations in relation to the field production of platform chemicals/biopolymers and the opportunity for value added co-product manufacture in energy crops. The first concerns set aside: this should be reconsidered in the next round of CAP reform. The second concerns the risk that permanent crops used for the non-energy bioeconomy will not be eligible for the single farm payment. We considered this an urgent issue for consideration by the European Commission.

2.136 The Workshop paper on biopolymers was delivered on time in M18. The final report on algae is covered in the overview section above.

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WP4: Plant Oils – detail

2.137 The Swedish University of Agricultural Science led the plant oil work package. The European Flagship leader was Prof Sten Stymne and Dr John Dyer was the US lead for the Flagship. The desk researcher, Dr Anders Carlsson, took up post in January 2006.

Deliverables

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

6 Papers for presentation at Workshop 1 – overview

4 M6 Delivered on time

19 Plant oils report 1 3 M13 Delivered on time in M1327 Plant oils crop platform report 3 M18 Printed version delivered in

M18, web version available M17

35 Workshop 2 paper – plant oils 3 M18 Delivered M1841 Final report - Algae 3 M23 Web version available M23

and printed version M24

Project objectives

2.138 The objective of this work package was to define the RTD content of a Flagship programme area on plant oils.

2.139 A key aim was to define the technical content of challenges associated with this Flagship subject area. Working methodologies included information-sourcing and analysis of the information gained in order to identify:

outstanding scientific challenges and new research tools needed; key points in the supply chains forming barriers to uptake; and opportunities for placing new bioproducts and functionalities into the market.

2.140 This work package was supported by the four support themes – economics, environment/agronomy, social attitudes and communications. This ensured the non-technical expertise was integrated to identify the challenges associated with developing bioproducts of optimal benefits. It also ensures those challenges were addressed by the RTD needs specified.

Delivery of objectives and results

2.141 The conclusion from the discussions at Wageningen was that the first project/product in the plant oils Flagship would be aimed at the development of new lubricants as replacements to the current use of mineral and synthetic oil derivatives. The analysis of research needs and support themes was to focus on the means by which a diverse range of wax esters for engine oils could be produced by the agricultural crop, Crambe.

2.142 The research needs to be investigated and defined were identified as follows:

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Transformation methods for Crambe to be investigated and defined, with an awareness that different methods may be required for different germplasm.

New gene resources required, both in terms of gene identification and discovery for multiple pathways leading to the manufacture of three defined wax esters.

Methods for yield improvement: both generic in terms of oil yield by Crambe, and specific in terms of each of the three target wax esters and ratios.

Improvement of agronomic performance of the transgenics, particularly in relation to the known problems of poor germination and ways of improving germination rates.

Requirement of appropriate field trialling with environmental and agronomic analyses of the new transgenic varieties.

Processing technologies and their improvements, dependent on the use of the oil products and use of by-products from the oil extractions.

2.143 As well as undertaking a detailed literature review, an analysis of environmental impacts and the economic case (See WP6 and WP7) contributed to the report from this study. The study and report also took account of inputs from international scientists and industrialists.

2.144 This first report prepared for publication explained that bio-renewables, such as plant-derived oils, are a sustainable means of providing the essential products needed by society. In this context, plant oils are already major agricultural commodities with around 20% by value used for non-food applications. Two plant-derived fatty acids, erucic and lauric acid, have been competing with petroleum alternatives for many years. Historically, cost has been the major bottleneck limiting the development of new plant-derived oils. But, in the context of the escalating cost of crude oil and also the increasing concerns about both finite supply and security of supply, there is an emerging strategic need to develop additional renewable products from plant oils.

2.145 This report shows that the production of wax esters for the manufacture of lubricants, from the non-food oilcrop Crambe abyssinica can become viable in Europe. Viability would be further enhanced in scenarios where the hulls and meal remaining after oil extraction are used to produce heat and/or electricity for use in the production process. In addition to the economic benefit of using the co-products for bioenergy, this alternative to the use of fossil-derived energy would have the advantage of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and making a contribution to renewable energy targets. The reduced environmental impact of this renewable product demonstrates sustainable production.

2.146 Crambe is a low input crop when compared to many other oilcrops that could be cultivated in Europe. This offers potential to reduce the use and hence environmental burden of fertilisers and water. Crambe has been chosen as the candidate crop platform for industrial production of wax esters because its oil is not suitable for use in food applications. This is an essential requirement since the manufacture of wax esters in Crambe can only be achieved through genetic modification of the plant. The report recommends a gene discovery programme to identify the relevant enzymes for

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production of the relevant wax esters in high yields in parallel to optimisation of a routinely applicable plant transformation system for Crambe and an agronomy programme to achieve a robust, mainstream agricultural crop.

2.147 There is existing intellectual property (IP) in the area of wax ester production in oilcrops – this is typical of many applications involving the use of plant biotechnology. Analyses of the existing patent landscape and the opportunity for commercial development of wax esters in Crambe will be essential tasks needed to underpin future research and development of this application.

2.148 The implications for the use of a genetically modified plant, the impact of current GMO regulations in Europe and the associated substantial regulatory compliance costs have to be considered. Small and medium sized enterprises are unlikely to be able to bear the costs associated with these issues and so future exploitation is likely to be undertaken only by multinationals. Taken together, these constraints have the potential to limit development in Europe and lead to a continuing dependence on imported fossil oil and a continuing loss of competitive advantage to other countries and regions where the cultivation of genetically modified crops is not constrained.

2.149 The risks associated with the use of a genetically modified crop can be mitigated in a number of ways. First, the use of a crop which cannot be used for food or feed is important. This is considered essential from a regulatory perspective, given that the infrastructure in agriculture cannot ensure ‘fail-safe’ separation of different varieties/traits in the same crop species. However, the use of a non-food crop can have negative consequences since oilcrops such as Crambe have not been optimised for mainstream agriculture and their oil yield needs to be improved. Second, risks can be further mitigated by the choice of a crop for which inter-species crosses with the closest-related species give sterile offspring. It is not anticipated that Crambe will be able to cross easily with its related species. A third means of risk mitigation is the adoption of the same identity preservation practices for the cultivation of non-food GM crops as those already in place for the cultivation of GM foodcrops.

2.150 The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has decoupled subsidy from production and brought a new emphasis on market forces. Crambe for oil production could be grown on maincrop land and also on set aside land, for as long as that cultivation option is retained in the CAP. The development of a new crop with clear market potential could help underpin commercially focussed farming in the future. Developments such as this will help to create and sustain employment both in the farming sector and in rural areas. In addition, the optimisation of processing an oilcrop for wax ester production will link into opportunities for integrated and zero waste, rural biorefineries further delivering economic benefit in rural areas.

2.151 Beyond Europe there is significant potential to develop alternative sources of wax esters. The report notes that current jojoba varieties have scope for improvement in collaboration with developing countries. Collaboration with the US on alternative crops such as soybean could benefit from information exchanged by research programmes on European oilcrops such as Crambe.

2.152 The specific recommendations, in terms of research and development, needs that emerged from the report note that the finite supply and increasing cost of mineral oil present considerable risks to a society dependent on fossil reserves for energy and

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products. Plant oils offer a sustainable alternative to mineral oil. Plant oils have similar structures and properties to mineral oils and can be used in many of the applications currently dependent on mineral oils.

2.153 Lubricants represent a major global market for petroleum-based products with an annual demand of 35 billion metric tonnes. The use of plant-based lubricants offers significant opportunities in terms of environmental and economic benefits as well as addressing the supply chain issues of mineral oil. To date, these alternative lubricants have had a limited impact in the current market.

2.154 The major bottleneck preventing uptake has been cost. Economically, plant-based alternatives to mineral oil based lubricants cannot compete unless oil prices are in excess of $60/barrel. Since current prices are well above this level, there is a strong probability that an economic case can be increasingly made. This necessitates research and development to fully optimise the qualities of plant oils for the many different applications in the lubrication market met by mineral oil.

2.155 In terms of plant oils, wax esters have recognised qualities and functionalities as lubricants. Wax esters can be used in the high volume/low price base oils and in the high price/low volume additive segment of the markets. Typically, wax esters can be produced through enzymatic processes from many different plant oils, but this is too costly for the bulk lubricant market. One plant species, jojoba, produces wax esters, but the production is insufficient to meet global demand. 2.156 These issues are strong indicators that alternative sources of wax esters should be investigated. In principle, the cultivation of jojoba could be substantially increased, but the species is unsuitable as a mainstream agricultural crop in Europe. Therefore, there is an immediate need to establish a new cost effective supply of plant-derived wax esters. This will necessitate the use of genetic modification (GM). For risk mitigation, the agricultural crop used for GM production of wax esters should not be used for food purposes, nor able to outcross to indigenous species.

2.157 Nearly any new commercial use of plant biotechnology is bound to be dependent on access to pre-existing IPR. This is true for both enabling technologies like transformation methods, vectors, promoters, etc., as well as for more specific gene traits. It is therefore recommended that an investigation of the patent landscape for the production of the different wax qualities in crambe will be undertaken and ways to avoid major IP blocks should be identified in order to facilitate commercialisation of the developed products.

2.158 The EPOBIO study has revealed the potential utility of crambe (Crambe abyssinica) as an oil crop for the agricultural production of wax esters in Europe. This crop and jojoba are also useful targets for collaborative investigations with developing countries. For cultivation in the US, additional oil crops such as soybean can be considered for GM modification.

2.159 The targets identified for delivery of specific wax esters from Crambe were:

1. Three classes of wax esters have been identified on the basis of their potential utility in lubricant formulations: long chain (jojoba type), medium/branched chain and hydroxy- containing wax esters. A gene discovery program is required to

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identify the relevant enzymes for production of these wax ester classes in high yield.

2. A transformation system for Crambe must be optimised for routine use.

3. Potential agronomic impacts of increasing wax ester levels in Crambe seeds, such as the possibility of reduced germination efficiency, need to be investigated and reconciled for widespread cultivation of the transgenic crop.

4. The processing of Crambe seed with high levels of wax esters needs to be optimised and integrated into a biorefining process that offers new opportunities for increasing the industrial value of the non-food/non-feed by-products.

2.160 In addition, targets for alternative sources of wax esters were identified:

1. In collaboration with developing countries, there is scope for improvement of current jojoba varieties in terms of increasing yield.

2. In collaboration with the US, information gained from the Crambe program will be useful in GM programs with alternative oil crops such as soybean.

2.161 In the second period of activity, the Plant Oils Flagship examined an industrial crop platform for the production of biobased oils and the report Oil Crop Platforms for Industrial Uses was published in M18 with a downloadable pdf available in M17.

2.162 The report notes that plants are already used widely to produce oil. Most of this oil crop cultivation globally is currently directed towards food and feed production. Increasingly, as the security and cost of supply of fossil reserves are becoming major issues, society is turning towards the need to use sustainable alternatives to the transport fuels of today. In this context, particularly in the EU, biodiesel is already a major biofuel produced from plant oil. In addition, oleochemicals have widespread use throughout many industrial sectors, as well as in healthcare and value-added applications. Thus, oil crops are already widely recognised for their utility and will undoubtedly continue to play a major role in the bio-based economy.

2.163 Three crop platforms were considered. The first, rapeseed, is already a major crop globally; the second, oat, is explored as a potential new oil crop platform for Europe; the third, crambe, is relatively undeveloped compared to rape and oat but also holds significant potential for further development.

2.164 Rapeseed: The greatest strength of this crop for the production of industrial oil is the very considerable information-base and expertise available concerning its genetics, agronomy and molecular understanding of oil production. Current varieties however are relatively high input with respect to fertiliser and pesticide applications as well as requiring high levels of water. Given the negative environmental impact of these features, R&D should be directed towards improvement in these areas. There is also a major opportunity for increasing oil yield and the percentage of oleic acid in rapeseed oil. The existing science base is extensive and it is highly probable that these traits could readily be addressed. Rape improvement is likely to require a GM approach which may

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have social acceptability issues given the oil crop is used currently both as a food and a non-food feedstock.

2.165 Oat: Cultivation of oat is already widespread in many Member States of the EU but the grain is not established as an oil crop. Its major strength is that it is a low input crop, both with respect to fertiliser and pesticide; its weakness is its lack of cold tolerance. Whilst R&D could be designed to solve these issues it is likely that the technologies used will involve conventional breeding and tilling rather than GM due to high risk that oat can cross-fertilise with relatives that are known to be invasive weeds. There is considerable genetic diversity in oats which offers opportunities for breeding for increased oil content. Should strategic decisions be taken to develop oat as an industrial oil crop platform, the associated issues of using a traditional food and feed crop for non-food uses must be considered.

2.166 Crambe: The strength of the Crambe oil crop is that it is a dedicated non-food crop and can therefore potentially be developed into a highly efficient industrial crop platform for plant oils. Weaknesses include a narrow base of genetic diversity, comparatively low yield and low cold tolerance; there is also the possibility for potential gene flow to wild relatives but only in Member States of Southern Europe. However, on a timeline of 10/15 – 20 years, it is highly probable that GM solutions for these weaknesses will have been achieved. Crambe offers a good opportunity to develop designer transgenic lines each producing specialised fatty acids. There is a current issue in that the transformation systems for Crambe are not yet robust, but their optimisation is a component of developing Crambe into a large-scale commercial crop.

Strategic recommendations – science

2.167 Recommendations within this theme of industrial crop platforms must be viewed from the perspective of underpinning work that needs to be undertaken to ensure success in the market place in a 10/15 - 20 years time period. The global chemical industry would undoubtedly benefit from a sustainable source of basic carbon chain feedstocks and these could in principle be entirely provided by oleochemicals raising the significant possibility that oil crops could contribute to both the energy and non-energy sectors of the bioeconomy. It is likely that rapeseed oil will continue to contribute to the European industrial demand olecic acid, but R&D should be directed towards reducing the environmental impact of the crop as well as improving yield and proportion of the oil that is oleic acid to 90% or higher by composition.

2.168 It is an issue for social acceptability whether the public will accept food and feed oil crops as industrial crop platforms. This issue is equally relevant for the development of oat as an oil crop. The high level of genetic diversity in the gene pool supports the possibility of breeding new oat varieties with higher oil yields by conventional breeding. It is a strategic decision as to whether the oat crop should be developed as an alternative to rapeseed for the production of oleic acid. For oat improvement, fast track technologies of breeding such as tilling should be encouraged in parallel to classical breeding. Given the potential risks of outcrossing to invasive weeds, GM improvement of oat is only to be used if no other technique is possible and then a marker-free selection strategy is advisable.

2.169 The advantage of Crambe is that it is not an existing food crop and there are no public perception issues involved in its development as an industrial oil crop platform.

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Crambe is an undeveloped crop currently requiring domestication and agronomic improvement as well as significant R&D to raise it to large-scale commercial cultivation. However, the possibility for producing a highly diverse range of designer oils in Crambe suggests the crop has considerable potential in the mid to long-term providing lack of social acceptability of GM industrial crops does not become a barrier.

2.170 The selection of a crop platform therefore requires careful consideration of the potential impact on existing markets, availability of production/processing infrastructure, challenges of identity preservation and appropriate risk assessment, as well as social acceptance of producing value-added non-food traits in food or non-food oil crops.

2.171 As previously indicated, policy recommendations are outlined above in WP3.

2.172 The Workshop paper on plant oils was delivered on time in M18. The final report on algae is covered in the overview section above.

WP5: Plant cell walls for biorefining – detail

2.173 The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Research led the plant cell walls work package. The European Flagship leader until July 2007 was Prof Markus Pauly and Prof Sarah Hake was the US lead for the Flagship. The desk researcher, Dr Ralf Möller, took up post in April 2006 and worked with EPOBIO until the end of October 2007. He contributed to delivery of work on developing countries D42.

Deliverables

Del. No.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

7 Papers for presentation at Workshop 1 – overview

5 M6 Delivered on time

18 Cell walls report 1 3 M13 Delivered on time in M1326 Cell walls crop platform report 3 M18 Printed version delivered in

M18, web version available M17

33 Workshop 2 paper – cell walls 3 M18 Delivered M1841 Final report - Algae 3 M23 Web version available M23

and printed version M24

Project objectives

2.174 The objective of this work package was to define the RTD content of a Flagship programme on plant cell walls in relation to their utility in biorefining processes.

2.175 A key aim was to define the technical content of challenges associated with this Flagship subject area. Working methodologies included information-sourcing and analysis of the information gained in order to identify:

outstanding scientific challenges and new research tools needed; key points in the supply chains forming barriers to uptake; and

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opportunities for placing new bioproducts and functionalities into the market.

2.176 This work package was supported by the four support themes – economics, environment/agronomy, social attitudes and communications. This ensured the non-technical expertise was integrated to identify the challenges associated with developing bioproducts of optimal benefits. It also ensured those challenges were addressed by the RTD needs specified.

Delivery of objectives and results

2.177 The conclusion from the discussions at Wageningen was that the first project would be aimed at improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of a key generic process in biorefining. This process is saccharification, the conversion of input biomass into C5/C6 sugars - essentially, the digestion of plant cell walls. This project/product underpins the development of the subsequent work for the Flagship, since the nature of the processes chosen for saccharification determines the range of materials and value products that can also be derived from the input biomass.

2.178 It was agreed that the research needs to be investigated and defined were:

The proportion of crystalline cellulose in a cell wall is a determining factor for ease of digestion: this necessitates the design of bench-based micro-assays for the percentage of crystalline cellulose that can be used to screen the different sources of biomass - different species, different vegetable-based waste, natural genetic variation and introduced genetic variation.

The digestibility of cell walls needs to be monitored and compared to the results gained for screening for crystalline cellulose content; new assays for monitoring digestibility and the products formed (whether mono-, oligo- or poly-saccharides and other components) need to be designed together with new strategies for gene discovery of novel hydrolases and their targeting to key components of the wall; some of the approaches might include the use of metagenomics and proteomics for gene discovery, the use of microbial carbohydrate-binding modules to target enzyme delivery, and the development of high-throughput screens for cell wall digestibility.

The development of microsystems to mimic miniature bioethanol plants is urgently required to confirm the generic utility of laboratory-based method design.

In parallel to in vitro assays as described above, in planta strategies to decouple the synthesis of the different cell wall components in the plant are required, in order to tailor cell wall composition/raw material quality to maximise opportunities for increasing the ultimate yield of C5/C6 sugars for biomass hydrolysis.

2.179 The report from this research noted that biorefining is the production of chemicals, materials, fibres, products, fuels or power from agricultural/forestry raw materials. First generation biorefineries use simple feedstocks such as sugar, starch or vegetable oil, but second and third generation biorefineries are already in development and will use biomass feedstocks that largely consist of lignocellulose cell walls from plant-based feedstocks. The biorefinery is already recognised to play a key role to play in the production of renewable fuels including bioethanol and biodiesel. Significantly,

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future generations of biorefineries will be integrated, zero waste systems producing many bioproducts and materials from a diverse range of feedstocks.

2.180 Cost effective, efficient conversion of plant cell walls to their components is key to realising the full potential of the biomass lignocellulose feedstock. Plant cell walls have evolved to resist breakdown, whether from mechanical or chemical forces or from microbial attack. This resistance to breakdown is a massive bottleneck for the development of second generation biorefineries. Understanding the complexity of plant cell walls and ways in which sugars can be more efficiently released from the walls (saccharification) was considered to be a major priority for EPOBIO.

2.181 From a policy and regulatory perspective, the development of efficient and cost effective biorefineries is important for a number of reasons. Biorefineries can make a positive contribution to the delivery of international targets and governmental commitments for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions whilst also addressing energy supply issues. Innovation directed to the development of new generations of more efficient biorefineries will deliver a major improvement in the level of the greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved. Biorefineries are a key strategy of the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE), delivering renewable and sustainable products able to compete with existing fossil-derived products.

2.182 The production of biofuels in biorefineries and reducing dependence on fossil reserves is driven by a number of strategic imperatives including the price, finite nature and security of supply of fossil oil. Other drivers include the detrimental environmental impact of fossil-derived fuels and mineral oils versus the renewable and sustainable nature of plant-derived alternatives. There are also important regulatory drivers such as the indicative target in the EU of 5.75% biofuels by 2010, a target that is under review with further proposals likely. In the US, policy initiatives include the Energy Action Plan, mandating an increase in the use of bioethanol and biodiesel, and the Advanced Energy Initiative promoting the development of practical and competitive methods for the production of bioethanol from lignocellulose.

2.183 There is also increasing concern about the environmental impact of the expansion of oil palm, soybean and sugar cane cultivation for biofuels leading to deforestation in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil. The future development of second generation lignocellulosic biorefineries in Europe and the US affords the potential to track and evidence environmental impacts and benefits, increase biofuel production in those regions whilst, in parallel, addressing environmental concerns about the use of imported material.

2.184 In the context of a Common Agricultural Policy that has cut the link between subsidy and production and brought a new focus on the market, biorefineries will provide an additional outlet for the agriculture sector, especially in the newer Member States. Structural funds could readily be used to support biorefinery investment in those countries as well as in less prosperous Objective 1 regions of the EU. New income opportunities are linked to the potential for diversification in agriculture. New commercial markets will not only help the viability of farming but will also encourage sustainability and develop the wider rural economy and infrastructure.

2.185 Biorefineries are also highly relevant to policies that aim to support developing countries. Biorefineries in developing countries could readily deliver social and

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economic benefits through the production of biofuels and energy for local use integrated with bioproducts for export. Clear technical standards would need to be set to ensure the market and supply chains develop on a sound commercial basis.

2.186 An important aim of biorefining is to maximise the value derived from the biomass feedstock. The harsh chemical and physical treatments currently used in biorefineries involve a significant energy use and can often lead to a loss of value in bioproducts. New processes that protect the by-products and enhance their value will support wealth creation and add further value to agricultural outputs. For efficient biorefining the component parts of the biomass must be released in a way that protects their value. To minimise input costs biorefineries will also need to be able to use a wide range of feedstock.

2.187 The composition and molecular organisation of plant cell walls varies between feedstocks and is responsive to environmental change. The report identifies that there is a need to develop molecular and analytical tools to characterise the diverse range of biomass feedstocks and, in parallel, design novel high throughput assays for their digestibility. Research into cell wall pretreatment is also needed. The use of cellulases is fundamental to efficient biorefining and there is a need to further optimise cellulases. Also, novel hydrolases need to be identified to improve breakdown of the complex and highly resistant plant cell walls.

2.188 The scale of the work needed is both significant and international requiring multidisciplinary collaboration. A single integrated project spanning the diverse research areas would ensure continuous feedback and a full exchange of know-how and materials.

2.189 The specific recommendations to emerge in the report were set in a context that there is a well recognised need to overcome society’s dependency on finite fossil reserves. Major initiatives worldwide are targeting plant-based raw materials as new feedstocks for the manufacture of transport fuels and other biobased products. The development of new biorefineries is occurring globally and is predicted to continue to escalate. Currently, much of this activity is aimed at the production of bioethanol for liquid transport fuels. Increasingly the ‘biorefinery platform’ will be designed as an integrated process producing a diverse range of products from plant-based raw materials.

2.190 The raw material feedstocks can be derived from a number of sources, such as products and co-products from forestry, agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and waste. Irrespective of the source, raw materials derived from plant biomass are largely composed of cell walls – a polymeric mixture, highly resistant to degradation. For efficient biorefining, the cell walls in the feedstocks must be taken apart in a way that releases their components whilst maintaining the economic value of those components. A key issue is the release of sugars from the cell wall polysaccharides. This presents a major bottleneck for three principal reasons. First, the lignocellulose composition of cell walls represents a significant barrier to accessibility of polysaccharides. Second, cellulases continue to require optimisation for the biorefinery process. Third, novel hydrolases of other cell wall polysaccharides and lignin need to be discovered and combined to optimize bioconversions. Currently, this bottleneck for biomass utilisation is mainly addressed by harsh chemical and physical pretreatments and process integration. This is expensive in terms of energy input, compromises subsequent

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bioconversions and potentially leads to loss of economic value of co-products degraded by the harsh conditions.

2.191 These issues are strong indicators that alternative approaches must be developed to gain maximum environmental and economic value from biomass used in the biorefinery process. The approaches should involve biobased conversions carried out with minimum energy input and mild conditions that maximize potential utility of the biomass. An integrated approach combining characterisation of the plant cell wall feedstocks with knowledge of the properties that determine their enzymatic digestibility is essential. This must proceed in parallel to optimisation of hydrolases for cell wall digestion. The EPOBIO study has revealed the strategic need to pursue these two objectives in a linked way to ensure progress is rapid in an area recognized to be so important for the development of the global bioeconomy. In that context, the potential of biorefineries in developing countries should also be examined and taken forward.

2.192 Specific targets were identified:

- Targets for understanding cell wall feedstocks and their digestibility

The composition and molecular organisation of plant cell walls is species, tissue and cell specific and is responsive to environmental change. This complexity necessitates the analysis of many different cell wall feedstocks since generic conclusions cannot be drawn from data gained from a single species, organ, developmental stage or crop grown from a single geographical region. It is essential to focus this characterisation on properties that determine enzymatic digestibility. This requires integration of approaches to characterize the cell walls and assays to determine digestibility of those same cell walls. Therefore, R&D should focus on a diverse range of biomass feedstocks, developing molecular and analytical tools for their characterisation in parallel to the design of novel high throughput assays for their digestibility. These assays must be complemented with research into cell wall pre-treatment. It is probable that the scale of work is such that international and multidisciplinary collaboration is required.

- Targets for discovery and optimisation of cellulases and other hydrolases

The use of cellulases is fundamental to successful biorefining. R&D should focus on gene discovery and protein engineering approaches to further optimise cellulases. Hydrolases of cell wall polysaccharides are linkage specific and there is considerable potential for the discovery of novel hydrolases, particularly from microorganisms. R&D should use metagenomics and metaproteomic strategies to identify novel hydrolases, both of cell wall polysaccharides and of lignin.

- Integrating understanding of cell walls, digestibility and hydrolytic actions

2.193 Ideally the targets described above should be fully integrated in a single research project to ensure exchange of know-how and materials. This will enable continuous feedback and transfer of information to progress each set of R&D objectives effectively.

2.194 In the second phase of activity the Plant Cell Walls Flagship examined an industrial crop platform for integrated, zero waste biorefineries, delivering the report ‘Crop Platforms for Cell Wall Biorefining – Lignocellulose Feedstocks’ in M18 with a downloadable pdf available in M17.

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2.195 The report explains that the security and cost of supply of fossil reserves, together with the environmental impacts of climate change, are driving the search for sustainable alternatives. A key issue that is emerging is the potential availability of very considerable energy resources locked in lignocellulose. The means to hydrolyse this lignocellulose in a cost-effective way is a major research focus globally that will underpin mass production of cellulosic bio-ethanol as well as the development of other bio-based manufacturing processes.

2.196 In terms of biorefinery technology, it will become increasingly essential to maintain the utility of other value products in the feedstocks from agriculture, forestry and marine biomass. In this way, integrated biorefineries with multiple output streams will open up many opportunities for sustainable development.

2.197 Lignin and cellulose are components of plant cell walls. This EPOBIO report considered crop platforms in the context of the crops providing lignocellulose biomass in their cell walls for biorefining. Four sources of biomass of relevance to Member States of the EU were considered as case studies. These are poplar and willow, Miscanthus and wheat straw. These four potential industrial crop platforms for lignocellulose biorefining have been chosen as representative of woody species, grass and a co-product from arable crop cultivation.

2.198 For each of the crop platforms, the current state-of-the-art was reviewed with a detailed bibliography. The research and development (R&D) needs were identified in terms of the work that will need to be undertaken to achieve an optimised platform for large-scale cultivation/use in 10/15 - 20 years. It is anticipated that these crops will be used in the first instance for liquid biofuels, although in due course, the improved saccharification of lignocellulose biomass should lead to use of these feedstocks for production of platform chemicals.

2.199 Poplar: The use of poplar as an industrial crop platform has significant advantages due to the exceptionally strong supporting science-base. The genome is sequenced, the genetics are well characterised and a transformation system is available. This information and associated technologies will underpin rapid development of poplar, addressing many of the outstanding issues that need to be optimised. For example, our understanding of cell wall biosynthesis in woody species is limited but through elucidation of these synthetic pathways and metabolic flux control it is highly probable that poplar with cell walls more suitable for bioconversions can become available. In terms of weaknesses, there are only moderate yields of biomass in short rotation coppice and this could readily be addressed by identifying varieties with better coppicing ability. Susceptibility to rust infection is also an issue that requires addressing by increased R&D. Unfortunately breeding cycles for poplar are relatively lengthy, hindering rapid improvement of selected traits.

2.200 A significant issue facing all perennial crops is the timescale required to recover investment costs, as well as costs associated with recovery of the land if replaced by arable crop production. Whilst poplar undoubtedly has considerable potential to become a biomass feedstock platform in Member States of the EU, the market will determine uptake relative to other biomass crops and land use competition with food crops.

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2.201 Willow: Willow and poplar are very similar woody species, with the consequence that scientific understanding of poplar will automatically benefit understanding of willow. Classical breeding programmes to increase biomass yield and disease resistance are already in progress and should be further enhanced by the use of molecular tools and greater understanding of gene function gained from studies on poplar.

2.202 In terms of R&D needs, willow, as poplar, is extremely susceptible to rust. This risk to plantations needs to be addressed both by research and plantation management. The high water requirement of willow plantations is undoubtedly a weakness for cultivation in many low rainfall areas of the EU and may constitute a strategic issue in terms of changing climates.

2.203 Large-scale commercialisation of willow short rotation coppice is already practised with considerable experience already in place of plantation management. Willow short rotation coppice, particularly in the northern regions of the EU, presents a major opportunity to become a biomass crop.

2.204 Miscanthus : The perennial grass, Miscanthus, has substantial strengths in terms of yield potential and ability to grow successfully under low inputs of fertiliser and pesticides. Miscanthus is already recognised to present a considerable opportunity for bioenergy production, given parameters such as biomass yield and low inputs. However, its use for bioenergy is currently severely limited because the grass is not developed as yet as a crop for widespread cultivation.

2.205 Research needs are those associated with any plant species that is undeveloped as an agricultural crop. There are urgent needs to improve our understanding of the genetics of Miscanthus, to establish a robust breeding programme and to develop molecular tools for fast-track breeding. Research is also required to establish a robust genetic transformation system for Miscanthus. In this context, parameters for successful tissue culture systems need to be optimised for regeneration purposes.

2.206 In terms of agronomy, Miscanthus is not completely frost-tolerant, with particular issues in the first winter following establishment. Improvements to the crop are required to increase frost hardiness which in turn would greatly expand the cultivation areas suitable for Miscanthus across Europe. Whilst the grass has considerable yield potential, productivity under low input conditions is another target for improvement. Current practice is the use of rhizomes to establish Miscanthus. This is labour-intensive and new approaches, such as seed sowing, need to be optimised.

2.207 In terms of bioconversion, very much more work needs to be undertaken on understanding Miscanthus cell walls and the properties that determine ease of susceptibility to saccharification. Whilst clearly less developed than poplar and willow, Miscanthus undoubtedly offers opportunities in the 15-20 year timeframe to become a widespread biomass crop and it will be essential to undertake underpinning R&D in the near term to enable a successful outcome in the long term.

2.208 Wheat straw: Whilst wheat is a major developed grain crop throughout the world, R&D has focussed to date on its development as a food crop. There has been no breeding programme dedicated to its use as a bioenergy crop, nor to improvement of the wheat straw as a useful co-product for biorefineries. Since there is an excellent knowledge base globally available on wheat genetics, genomics and breeding, the

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platform is in place to develop alternative varieties with a view to optimising its use as an energy crop in entirety, and/or its use as a provider of wheat straw co-product for energy biorefineries. There are opportunities for the farmer in terms of added value of the crop if wheat straw does become a feedstock for cell wall biorefineries.

Strategic recommendations – science

2.209 Recommendations within this theme of industrial crop platforms must be viewed from the perspective of underpinning work that needs to be undertaken to ensure success in the market place in a 10/15 - 20 year time period. The energy efficient and effective hydrolysis of plant cell walls is key to realising the potential of biomass crops for biorefineries since new bioconversion methods will open up major opportunities for gaining additional value, beyond energy, from the biomass feedstock.

2.210 The science base of poplar and the fact that its genome sequence is known, provides an excellent foundation for the development of woody species for biorefining. Together with willow, short rotation coppicing of poplar offers many opportunities for the agricultural sector providing initial investment costs and the timeline to investment recovery are acceptable. Information on the synthesis and organisation of cell walls in these species with targeted studies to define properties of direct relevance to ease of hydrolysis would be highly beneficial as these crops are developed in the longer term.

2.211 Miscanthus undoubtedly holds great promise as a bioenergy crop for the future but studies are only beginning both to understand the molecular features of the grass, its cell walls and its optimisation for large-scale commercial cultivation. The decision to undertake the very considerable amount of R&D needed to bring Miscanthus up to speed, must be a strategic commitment to perennial grasses as an industrial crop platform in the EU.

2.212 Agricultural co-products as a feedstock for biorefining have the advantages of adding value to the main use of the crop. Thus the use of co-products from food crops – such as wheat straw, and in the US, maize stover – holds considerable commercial advantages. In examples of well-established global food crops the science base, genetics and breeding are highly advanced. The disadvantage is that it may well be problematic to improve the functionality of the co-product for biorefining whilst maintaining the high quality bred into the crop as a food feedstock over many generations. It will be a strategic decision, in terms of development of new feedstocks for energy and chemicals biorefining whether to disadvantage use and yield of crops for food production.

2.213 As previously indicated, policy recommendations are outlined in WP3.

2.214 The Workshop paper on plant oils was delivered on time in M18. The final report on algae is covered in the overview section above.

WP 6 – Environment/agronomy

2.215 Plant Research International BV, The Netherlands, led the environmental and agronomic analysis work package. Initially Dr Andy Pereira led the work with desk researchers Dr Marcel Toonen and Dr Elma Salentijn. Dr Pereira took up a new

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appointment in the US during the first year of the project and Dr Marcel Toonen subsequently led this work package.

Deliverables

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

8 Workshop 1 paper: overview – environmental issues

6 M6 Delivered on time

16 Environment report 6 M13 Delivered on time, information incorporated into D18, 19, 20

24 Environment input to D26, 27, 28 6 M18 Delivered in M1839 Review paper 6 M25 Delivered in M25

Project objectives

2.216 The key objective of this work package was:

To gain environmental and agronomic information on non-food crops in relation to their use to develop bioproducts and provide support to the design of RTD content in the Flagship areas.

Delivery of objectives and results

2.217 The work package fed into the first three Flagship reports and the crop platform reports prepared subsequently. It addressed the issues of field cultivation of the non-food crops. Topics that have been addressed include, for example, the type of technologies used for breeding, particularly the role, if any, of GM and its associated risks/benefits for each crop and proposed application in the context of the Member States in which the crops would be cultivated; the environmental issues of introducing new crops in Europe, with respect to the impacts of their cultivation methods on native biodiversity and threats from pests/diseases; issues of agronomy and the need to define best practice for the cultivation of new crops.

2.218 The work was handled as a series of desk studies, reviewing the current knowledge for the subject being examined. Literature searches have been carried out for the crops studied in the plant oils and biopolymer Flagships. Since these crops do not have a large agricultural history, not all topics stated above have been described. For example, environmental impact of Crambe and guayule is hardly described in scientific literature. In that case, studies (e.g. in related crops) were consulted, in order to get an indication about environmental impacts.

2.219 More information was obtained from experts in the field. In collaboration with the desk researchers of the flagship themes, experts in the field were contacted in order to get additional information. Results of the desk study were reported to the flagship desk researchers for incorporation into the individual flagship reports.

2.220 In collaboration with Uwe Schneider (Hamburg University) and Erwin Schmid (BOKU, Vienna) the EPIC model was used to access some data. The model describes

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environmental impact of crop cultivation for individual areas in Europe. With use of the model the environmental impact of the cultivation of novel crops like Crambe and guayule can be estimated and related to the impact of existing crops.

2.221 The work package noted that the introduction of plant-derived raw materials for industrial applications and energy production will lead to an increased use of agriculture land for industrial crop production in the EU. However, high quality agricultural land resources are limited and the production of these industrial crops will compete with the production of food, recreational and ecological functions and already existing non-food uses such as forestry. Besides economic and social considerations, the introduction of industrial crops will have to meet environmental regulations and has to contribute to sustainable development considering both the crop production phase and the conversion or processing phase of plant derived raw materials. Also, the divers agricultural landscape in Europe in terms of climatologic and soil conditions should be considered. Within EPOBIO we make an inventory of the current state of art for a set of selected crops for the production of plant-derived raw materials. This set of data can be used to predict the environmental impact of a specific crop. At the same time lack in knowledge can be identified and future research questions defined.

2.222 Producing biomass with novel industrial crops and farming systems that are optimised for sustainability rather than solely biomass yield would give synergy between environmental impact and social and economical benefits. Next to a positive net energy balance several other criteria for sustainable development of industrial crops should be evaluated: soil development, organic matter, soil nutrients, toxic emissions, fossil fuels and water.

2.223 Soil erosion occurs in unstable soils e.g. after excess of rain. It is heavily influenced by cultivation practices such as tilling. Also fallow land that originates after crop removal might lead to soil erosion. High levels of organic matter in soils are required to maintain high productivity of the cultivated crops. Soil organic matter is an important source for plant nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate, improves soil structure and water holding capacity and limits erosion. The availability of soil carbon and mineral nutrients like sulphur, potassium, calcium and magnesium is important for optimal biomass yield. Perennial crops, like short rotation poplar and Miscanthus, which only require limited tilling give like forestry an increase in soil carbon. The availability of water strongly influences the potential of biomass production. In semi-arid regions this will probably be the main limiting factor. Increases in irrigated land have contributed to water scarcity, with the lowering of water tables and water levels in rivers and lakes. Effects of increased water use include salinisation, and water contamination, loss of wetlands and the disappearance of habitats (EEA 2006).

2.224 High biomass yields appear desirable for industrial crops, but this might require high inputs of N-fertiliser, pesticides and energy. Due to the high energy input for the production of N-fertiliser and pesticides and the use of fossil fuels for the operation of machines this might not be sustainable. Given the fact that agricultural land is scarce and that production should be sustainable the aim is to optimise production in such a way that an optimal yield is achieved at low environmental costs. Perennial crops have a good energy use efficiency, which means that their potential energy content is much higher that the energy required producing the crop. Crops like Miscanthus have low N-fertiliser demands because they internally recycle nitrogen and small amounts of

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nitrogen are exported in the product because of low nitrogen concentrations in the product.

2.225 Finally, this work package wrote a review paper based on their work in EPOBIO. Working with the desk researchers for biopolymers and cell walls a perspective article on Miscanthus was prepared for the new journal Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining (Biofpr). The manuscript will be submitted after the end of EPOBIO.

WP7 – Economics

2.226 Hamburg University led the work package dealing with the analysis of the economic potential of bioproducts and their applications from non-food crops, including impacts from regulations/legislation. The work package leader was Dr Uwe Schneider. The desk researcher, Thomas Heinzow, took up post in March 2006 but did not contribute to the project after February 2007. Economic input after that date was provided by the UK’s Cranfield University as described below.

Deliverables

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

9 Workshop 1 overview – economic issues

7 M6 Delivered on time

17 Economic report 1 7 M13 Delivered on time, incorporated into D18, D19, D20

25 Economic input 7 M18 Not delivered by Hamburg University. Information was commissioned from Cranfield University and incorporated into D26, 27, 28

Project objectives

2.227 The objective of this work package was to:

to gain economic, legislative and regulatory information to support the choice of non-food crops and bioproducts developed from them, supporting the design of RTD content in the Flagship areas.

Delivery of objectives and results

2.228 This work package provided input to the first Flagship reports on plant oils and cell walls. It addressed economic and regulatory issues surrounding the bioproduct development from non-food crops and applications emerging from the RTD content of those Flagship Programmes. Through collaborating closely with the ENFA SSP, WP7 has gained data, analyses and a modelling system to analyse the issues arising from the Flagship Programmes of EPOBIO, as well as gain access to the wider European links of ENFA to other EC-funded and national programmes of economic and regulatory analyses.

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2.229 The following specific tasks were carried out during the first year:

Literature analysis Cooperation with flagship researchers and environmental support

researchers on process flow design for case studies on Crambe and Guayule

Development of a generic, spreadsheet based cost calculation model for non-food products

Micro-economic data analysis for Crambe and Guayule Market analysis for Crambe and Guayule products

2.230 In addition, resources from the European Non-Food Agriculture (ENFA) project were used to help the simulation of environmental effects of growing Crambe and Guayule. These simulations were carried out with the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model.

Guayule findings

2.231 Guayule rubber has two important market niches. First, it could compete against synthetic rubber. The current price for synthetic rubber is about €800-1000/tonne. To be competitive, Guayule rubber production costs would have to be below this price. Second, for health care equipment, Guayule rubber –which does not cause allergies- would be more suitable and could sell at a substantially higher price. Third, Guayule could compete with natural rubber where thermal stability is demanded (air plane tires).

2.232 The supply chain of Guayule rubber faces several economic challenges. First, as long as rubber extraction cannot be done through the harvesting machine, a large amount of plant material has to be transported from the field to the processing plant (Guayule:by product ~ 1:9). Second, Guayule storage causes high rubber losses. The transportation cost can be more than compensated if the plant residues after rubber extraction are utilised, i.e. within a combined rubber-bioenergy plant. The storage issue has three general solutions: a) accept the storage losses, b) harvest Guayule continuously over a year and accept some rubber yield losses from suboptimal harvesting times, and c) operate a rubber plant only seasonally during optimal harvest periods. Current data suggest that continuous harvesting strategy is the most profitable option.

2.233 The micro-economic data for the Guayule supply were compiled in a spreadsheet based profit calculator. The computation takes into account detailed field level cost related to planting, fertilisation, plant protection, irrigation, and harvesting and processing costs. Explicitly considered are labour and energy inputs, investment, and capital depreciation. Preliminary results suggest that an optimal design where the whole plant is used could result in processing costs of about €700 per tonne of Guayule rubber.

Crambe findings

2.234 Research on Crambe showed that this plant has been frequently experimented in the past two decades. In some cases, research was abandoned because Crambe was outperformed by other oil seed crops, in particular rapeseed. However, food safety

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concerns make rapeseed unavailable for certain genetic engineering applications while Crambe has no impact on the food chain.

2.235 Crambe products have several potential markets depending on the oil quality improvement. For use as lubricant, Crambe oil would need a high content of C40, C42 wax esters.

2.236 Current micro-economic data for Crambe result in negative profits. Flagship efforts concentrate on efficiency improvements through a) oil yield increases and b) oil composition improvements. Additional cost savings (about 25% for high yielding varieties) are possible through the efficient use of by-products and economies of scale. Relatively large sized plants may save about €50 per tonne of oil. In summary, micro-economic cost calculations indicate that for costs below €500 per tonne, oil yields have to be above 5 tonnes per hectare, while processing plants should be of optimal size and make use of the by-products.

Cranfield University input

2.237 It became clear that the desk researcher for WP7 (Economics) was not able to deliver the crop platform outputs required by the project or work effectively in the team of desk researchers. Consequently, in February 2007, his association with EPOBIO was ended.

2.238 The economics input into the crop platform reports was commission on contract with Cranfield University and was led by Dr Anil Graves. Cranfield University provided a full and detailed analysis for the reports crop production platforms in each Flagship area and the crops examined were:

Poplar, willow, miscanthus and wheat straw were considered as lignocellulose biomass feedstocks for biofuels.

Miscanthus, sugar beet and tobacco were considered as crops for GM production of novel biopolymers/platform chemicals.

Rapeseed, oat and crambe were considered for different industrial oils.

2.239 Each report consisted of an in-depth study of the crop species in the context of the above products with economics input covering case study yields across five member states, potential change in distribution due to climate change and varietal change, and detailed economic figures.

2.240 Cultivation of the crops was considered in five representative Member States: Germany, Italy, Poland, UK and Sweden. The detailed economic figures required were:

The cost of producing crops, in the five countries selected, in the field, expressed as cost per tonne and cost per hectare at the farm gate.

In the context of existing products from these crops, the current market prices for poplar chips, willow chips, miscanthus chips, oat grains, crambe seed, wheat straw, sugar beet, and rapeseed. Also, for rapeseed oil and cake, sugar and molasses.

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2.241 The EPOBIO desk researchers provided yield information for the selected crops in the five countries identified and the cultivation methodologies and agronomy for miscanthus, poplar, willow and crambe.

2.242 The use of an external contractor enabled the delivery of D25 in M18, as required.

WP8 – Communications

2.243 The University of York led the work package responsible for the design of good practice and implementation of a strategy for science-society communication to convey the benefits of non-food crops via the press/media and other mechanisms. The work package leader was Dr Caroline Calvert. The desk researcher Dr Louisa Wright took up post in April 2006.

Deliverables

2.244 This work package had no deliverables in year 1 of the project. Year 2 deliverables were as follows:

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

15 Press releases for Flagship reports 8 M13 Delivered in M1323 Press releases for Flagship reports 8 M18 Delivered in M1829 Communication/Media report 8 M18 Delivered in M18

Project objectives

2.245 The objectives for this work package were:

To work closely with the press/media to provide communications at all levels to convey the benefits of bioproducts developed from non-food crops to a non-specialised general audience.

To create networks in the international media (press, radio and television) to provide new outlets for European science stories in the non-food crop area.

To prepare and place technical articles and news stories in the specialised press and develop items appropriate for the popular press.

To prepare materials in the form of leaflets, brochures, information packages for communication to exhibitions, conferences, lobby groups, etc

To co-ordinate Europe-wide press activities for EPOBIO

Delivery of objectives and results

2.246 The content of this work package had two phases. The first phase concentrated on developing the evidence base from which to define a communications strategy, including the identification of examples that have been effective, rather than simply an activity. The second phase began with publication of the first three Flagship reports in

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November 2006 when it became possible to undertake specific and active communication through the media. At the 2005 Wageningen Workshop opportunity was taken to hold a specialised focus meeting including media experts attending the Workshop and invited experts on the EPOBIO Advisory Board to help define future strategies and plans.

2.247 A review of good practice was undertaken to analyse the current mechanisms of science-media communication. This includes:

How science news is consumed by the European public. How science stories are sourced by the media and science news distributors. Science coverage and impact on a European scale.

2.248 This information was drawn from an analysis of current good practice recommendations, practical approaches taken by other EU funded projects and discussion with science-based press officers and representatives from media services such as AlphaGalileo and the Science Media Centre. The Science Media Centre is an independent venture working to promote the voices, stories and views of the scientific community to the news media when science is in the headlines.

2.249 The objective of the review was to identify the key activities and requirements for designing, establishing, undertaking and evaluating science communication through the media in Europe. This information in turn has helped defined the good practice recommendations which will be incorporated into the EPOBIO communication strategy.

2.250 The key findings of the review were:

Television and newspapers are the most common sources of science information for the European public.

Science news relating medical or health issues receives the greatest media and public interest.

Good communication networks and the provision of quality resources increases the effectiveness of uptake of news items by the media.

The issues affecting the communication and dissemination of European research include the poor representation of European research in the European and worldwide media, the lack of awareness of some areas of European research by the European public and the difficulties of dissemination on a European scale.

2.251 In addition to the review of good practice, a media analysis was undertaken, the objectives of which were to:

analyse the coverage of renewable resources and products in the UK media; and, explore how the media portrays renewable resources and how the information

and issues related with this area are communicated.

2.252 The media analysis exercise was performed in two stages. Firstly, a preliminary assessment of the approach was undertaken, assessing the ease with which online versions of UK newspapers could be accessed and searched using keywords, defined time periods and effectiveness of the approach in identifying relevant results. Secondly, a detailed search of 6 national UK newspapers was performed using either the Google News resource or newspapers’ online search facilities. The search approach aimed to

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identify articles published during June 2006 containing one or more of a selection of keywords relating to biorenewable issues.

2.253 The conclusions of the analysis can be briefly summarised as:

The keywords used to identify relevant news items varied in their effectiveness. This may be due to the specialised nature of these terms which makes it unlikely that they would be widely used in the mainstream media.

The keywords ‘renewable’ and ‘biofuel’ were most widely featured in the news items found, relating to the debate about nuclear energy and discussions about future fuels, both of which formed major ongoing news subjects in June 2006.

A significant proportion of news items (51%) were published in business and finance sections which suggests that uses of non-food crops and biological resources are viewed positively by investors and industry as areas of potential.

2.254 The media analysis demonstrated that although the media does cover issues relating to renewable resources (largely limited to renewable energy and biofuel), these issues are not well represented in the mainstream features and articles. This could be due to several factors, including a lack of interest or awareness of journalists, lack of provision of accurate and interesting information and resources and perception of the topics as low relevance or low interest. To address the points mentioned above, a mechanism is required to establish an information resource and media communication route to assist in raising the profile of non-food crops and renewable resources, especially bioproducts, in the media as areas for discussion and potential in meeting society’s requirements in the future.

2.255 The creation of European networks is an on-going activity, identifying relevant organisations and people. Networks include industry, academia, the science community, research funders and policy makers. EPOBIO has also sought to develop links with existing networks and utilise their systems for the dissemination of information. Examples include relevant technology platforms, Europabio and the European Federation of Biotechnology. Increasing use is being made of the press offices of the Consortium partners to enhance the media impact of EPOBIO press releases by emphasising national relevance and providing local language translations and local media contacts.

2.256 A general article on EPOBIO was placed in the York press in June 2006 after the Wageningen Workshop was successfully completed. Action on preparing and placing articles began when the first Flagship reports became available in November 2006. In anticipation of the reports being ready action focussed on the preparation of range of fact sheets containing information on the EPOBIO project and also on topics being addressed by the Flagships. The aim has been to present technical information to a non-technical audience. The information was available direct to journalists as well as through the EPOBIO website.

2.257 The workpackage also contributed to the development of EPOBIO communication tools in the form of an EPOBIO leaflet and provision of fact sheets, other documents and images which were used to create a dedicated media section of the EPOBIO website.

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2.258 The Communication work package prepared a detailed report on Science Communication and the Potential of Sustainable Resources. This shows that the EPOBIO process has demonstrated the effectiveness of an integrative approach, combining the analysis of science and technological issues with assessment of environmental impact, economic case and social attitudes. The project’s communication activities have supported this approach by applying current practice in science communication to provide news items to the media, disseminating project information to other audiences, analysing project-related and issue-specific media coverage and making recommendations to further develop good practice.

2.259 The outputs of the communications work package were:

international media coverage on the potential of non-food crops as renewable resources;

the creation of an information resource for the media and other non-specialist audiences providing background information on biorenewables;

increased awareness of the project reports as resources to inform discussion, policy decisions and public engagement in the field of bio-based renewable resources;

a contribution to science communication guidelines based upon communication activities;

an analysis of the UK print media to survey the coverage of biorenewable issues; and,

recommendations to inform the development of future strategies to communicate the potential of the emerging bio-based economy.

2.260 The EPOBIO communication strategy engaged a range of audiences, expert and non-specialist, in order to disseminate project outcomes and raise awareness of the potential of non-food crops and bioproducts in delivering environmental, economic and other societal benefits. EPOBIO communication materials such as press releases and fact sheets focused on the benefits offered by plant-derived resources compared to non-renewable fossil fuel resources.

2.261 To inform the communication activities, the existing evidence-base in science communication and industry-based practice was explored and the UK media coverage of non-food crops and bioproducts was sampled. The use of guidelines for media and communication activities was shown to be an effective mechanism to ensure quality of service and disseminate good practice. Hence, the guidelines used to inform the EPOBIO communication strategy are included in the Science Communication report (Section 2) for consideration by others in addition to the EPOBIO communication recommendations for the emerging bioeconomy (Section 6). The media analysis indicated that media coverage of non-food crop issues is generally assigned to specialist sections of the media such as business and finance rather than forming part of the mainstream news. Low impact and poor competition with other science stories are some of the challenges to be overcome in promoting biorenewable issues to the media. Media impact can be maximised by selecting relevant key messages for target audiences, good media communications and use of networks.

2.262 Communication material was disseminated via the media and other networks. The usefulness of project partner networks and press offices was demonstrated by the print, online and broadcast media coverage received by the project.

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2.263 The report’s recommendations address communication mechanisms using the media and networks and specific issues relating to the bioeconomy such as:

the importance of demonstrating relevance, considering how issues are presented and the use of language when identifying key messages and developing content for different audiences;

the effectiveness of centrally co-ordinating communication activities which are undertaken at a national level. This provides access to media networks, and ensures appropriateness of style and content;

the need for more information on specific non-food crop applications and the positive and negative impacts of the bioeconomy, such as job creation and establishment of rural-based industry.

These recommendations take into account the results of the EPOBIO survey of social attitudes which is published as a separate report. In conclusion, this work package demonstrates that in order to realise the potential of renewable resources and establish bio-based products in future society, there is a need for effective communication at local, national and international level. Consultation with specialist science correspondents by the Science Media Centre (SMC) identified that there is not a shortage of news-worthy science stories, with these mainly being sourced from peer-reviewed journals, scientific establishments and online research news services including AlphaGalileo and EurekAlert. This emphasised the need for an effective media strategy to compete successfully for media coverage with other science stories.

WP9- Social attitudes

2.264 The National Hellenic Research Foundation led the work package responsible for the analysis of the public and politicians’ attitude to, and expectations from the use of non-food crops to generate bioproducts. The work package leader was Dr Giorgos Sakellaris and the desk researcher Maria Paschou took up post in March 2006.

Deliverables

2.265 This work package had no deliverables in year 1 of the project. In the remainder of the project the deliverables were:

Del. no.

Deliverable name WP no. Date due Actual/Forecast delivery date

30 Social attitudes report 9 M18 Delivered in M1834 Workshop 2 paper on social

attitudes9 M18 Delivered in M18

Project objectives

2.266 The objectives for this work package were:

To carry out surveys to identify, quantify and analyse the attitudes and expectations of the public and private sectors and policymakers towards the products/applications arising from non-food crops.

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To assess public opinion regarding the use of GM microbial (white) biotechnology in view of opposition to GM field applications of (green) biotechnology.

Delivery of objectives and results

2.267 The central aim of the "Social Attitudes and Expectations" Support Package, was to identify public opinion and to predict the social reception of the novel products proposed by EPOBIO Flagships. This support theme worked in parallel to those addressing technical issues, so that an overall assessment of recommendations on specific products/ applications can be achieved. Methodologically, this demands the adoption of a "case-study" approach, where issue-specific opinions will be explored. Previous research suggests that attitudes towards biotechnology are not homogeneous across different applications of biotechnology. They also differentiate between countries or specific target groups. The role of the media is vital in influencing the public opinion. In addition, the risks and benefits associated with plant GM applications may be differently assessed by members of different stakeholder groups (such as farmers, industry investors and environmental organizations) depending on their interests and their attested positions.

2.268 This work package primarily focused on the issues involved in the implementation of empirical social research with public attitudes investigated by means of a telephone and online survey.

2.269 A copy of the survey questionnaire is attached at Annex 25. The survey questionnaire focused on the Flagship priorities but also looks at attitudes to industrial uses of crops, attitudes to GM and attitudes to GM in an industrial use context. This method offers the opportunity to generalise from samples to national populations. Hence, the survey results map the dynamics and variations of public perception across European countries as well as enable comparisons to be made between them.

2.270 The questionnaire was designed in such a way so that it provides issue-specific information and to relate this to the general characteristics of the public. Specifically, it consists of two parts: one to measure demographics and general attitudes towards science and technology and one to identify attitudes towards the industrial uses of crops for several applications and issues involved. The latter section comprised the core of the questionnaire and included some additional items, such as policy-making priorities and trust in key players involved.

2.271 Surveys were planned in nine European countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden and UK. Fieldwork undertaken in all countries during October 2006 was carried out in cooperation with national universities and sampling agencies. Interviews took 10-15 minutes and were conducted via the telephone. It was possible to utilise data from seven countries for the final analysis and report.

2.272 The data obtained was weighted and analysed. Results were matched with to the main products and processes proposed by the Flagships and reported, together with the results from the communications support theme, in a report published in May 2007.

2.273 The questionnaire was made available in a slightly extended form on the EPOBIO website. The results of this survey were processed independently of the phone survey.

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This approach highlighted possible differences between 'public opinion' and the views of those responding online, since many of the online responses will come from those who receive the EPOBIO newsletter and who thus have already expressed an interest in the development of new of bio-based products.

2.274 The ‘Social Attitudes and Expectations’ Support Package succeeded, via means of empirical social research, in mapping a sample of European countries according to their citizens’ views on the industrial uses of plants and the forthcoming introduction of bio-based products into the market. The findings provided information about the broad picture of public perception in Europe as well as about the special characteristics of target populations defined by their national or socio-demographic profile. Hence, this report provides the guidelines to develop an effective communication strategy and a tool to assist policy makers and investors in understanding and dealing with the social parameters which could help secure public acceptance of the new technological projects.

2.275 For the European public as a whole, the main outputs of the survey with regard to the central tendencies of opinion on the industrial uses of plants were the following:

Europeans are not techno-phobic. Across all European countries surveyed, i.e. France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK, there is an overwhelming recognition of the positive impact of technology as well as positive overall feelings about the products and projects identified by EPOBIO.

The attitudes of Europeans towards plant-derived engine oils, products made from alternative sources of rubber and biorefineries are positive. More than two out of three indicate a willingness to replace conventional commodities with plant made ones, even if they incurred some extra cost, with the highest percentage of support being recorded for bio-plastics. In addition, around four in six Europeans would be in favour of giving the Flagship areas incentives to support development; this necessity, however, is felt more strongly for engine oils made from plants.

Regarding the special issues involved in industrial plant exploitation, i.e. genetic engineering, energy production by combustion of plant-made products and the usage of food crops in industry, more than half of Europeans would approve of them providing that they are tightly regulated and controlled. For genetic engineering a considerable proportion of one in four indicate disapproval. Furthermore, when genetic engineering is excluded, those viewing the special issues as not being associated with risk, as useful and morally acceptable outnumber those who view them as being risky, not useful and morally unacceptable.

With regard to decision making, there is a clear support for decisions to be taken at the European level in all countries except for the UK, where almost half of respondents express their preference for decisions to be taken at the national level.

2.276 Once the common attitudinal traits shared by most Europeans are outlined, the need to identify the special characteristics of different segments of the population emerges. An effective communication strategy should take into account the particularities of different target populations which are identified by their socio- demographic characteristics and nationality. The key findings of the survey from a comparative perspective were:

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Considerable variation is observed across the European countries with regard to their awareness of the industrial uses of plants and the proposed projects, with Spain, Germany and Sweden recording the highest levels of awareness and Italy, France and Greece recording the lowest.

Italians and Greeks rank lowest for their willingness to change their purchasing habits but they rank highest for their position in favour of governmental support. Interestingly, this pattern reverses when it comes to Spaniards and Swedes, while the British rank among the highest in both items ‘willingness to buy the product’ and ‘governmental support’.

The socio-demographic breakdown of results reveals some interesting differences: First, males, urban dwellers, highly educated and those aged 35-54 are more optimistic about the recent impact of technology, more knowledgeable about the industrial uses of plants, more willing to buy the novel products proposed and more likely to support their development. Second, as the level of attentiveness to science issues increase, so does the level of knowledge of the industrial uses of plants. Third, familiarity with general and issue specific technological matters has a positive influence on the acceptability of the proposed projects. Thus, those who are attentive to science issues and knowledgeable about the industrial uses of plants are more likely to be willing to buy the proposed products and to approve of the relevant issues, although they are more likely also to be aware of the risks those issues involve.

2.277 From a science communication perspective further issues need to be considered. The EPOBIO survey findings provide some additional information to help communicators to make decisions on issues such as what kind of messages will be more successful in motivating public support, which actors are more likely to be believed by the public and which channels of mass communication will be more effective in disseminating the relevant information. Hence, the following should be noted:

The most persuasive reasons for the European support of the EPOBIO proposed projects and products relate to their environmental benefits and the reduced dependency on petroleum, with the former being most popular for Spaniards, Swedes and Germans and the latter for Italians, Greeks and the French. From a socio-demographic perspective: first, environmental incentives are most popular for women, urban dwellers, highly educated and those aged between 35-55 years; second, the incentive of reduced dependency on petroleum is most popular for men, urban dwellers and highly educated; third, the creation of new jobs is most popular for men, rural dwellers, those who completed lower levels of education and those younger than 35 years.

Regarding the perceived trustworthiness of the actors who are expected to play a role in public debates on the industrial uses of plants, about four in five Europeans trust scientists and environmental organizations, while less than one in four trust politicians and the industrial sector. International organizations and E.U. bodies are trusted by more than half of Europeans.

Media coverage on the industrial uses of crop plants is predominantly positive in Europe. The newspapers and television are the most effective media for the dissemination of relevant news, whilst scientific journals and the internet are less effective. Journalists, however, seem to lack in public trust, with less than two in five Europeans trusting them.

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2.278 The prospects offered by the development of new generations of bio-based products and the fast moving technological progress in that field push individuals to raise questions on the impact those technologies will have on the environment, the economy and society as a whole. The challenges for science communicators and decision makers are to ensure that the benefits offered by those technologies are widely understood and that the public are able to follow the pace of technological innovation.

2.279 Taking everything into account, this report stresses the need to:

Develop an integrated communication strategy aiming at intensifying media coverage.

Raise public interest and stimulate public participation. Enhance the role of EU authorities in decision-making processes. Make the view-points of scientists clear in public debates. Improve the corporate profile of the industrial sector. Assure transparency of the processes involved.

The report also shows the need for further social research, by both quantitative and qualitative means, to be put in place if technological progress is to meet societal needs.

2.280 This research showed that the broad picture of Europe as portrayed in the survey suggested that its citizens will welcome the introduction of the novel plant-derived products. Positive feelings about the industrial uses of plants are testified in all countries surveyed, with a clear majority declaring their willingness to buy the proposed end products over conventional ones in their regular purchases, even if they incurred some extra cost. In addition, there is widespread consensus across the various national and socio-demographic groups that Governments should support the development of the target products and processes addressed in the EPOBIO Flagship projects. The issues and applications involved would be generally approved, given that they will be adequately regulated and controlled. However, the public still seems to be ambivalent about GM technology.

2.281 Even though all European countries share common views and beliefs, the survey findings provide evidence that the national populations can be grouped with regard to people’s attitudes towards specific issues. Thus, similarities and differences in view-points, habits and mentalities are identified and a clear distinction between two clusters emerged, the one mainly represented by Germany and Sweden and the other by Italy and Greece. This, taken together with the variation identified with reference to the socio-demographic characteristics of the population, which are found to bear an influence over most opinion items, shows that there is a need for the development of diverse communication approaches tailored to the particularities of specific target groups.

2.282 Furthermore, the findings of our study inform about the strengths and the weakness of the projects and technologies proposed, from the perspective of the public. There is now clear evidence that the environmental benefits offered are strong motivations that enhance public support, especially for the countries of the North, while the countries of the South seem to be mainly attracted by the potential of the proposed technologies to reduce the dependency on petroleum. Interestingly, those countries seem to be more concerned about the elevated price of fuels and mineral oils, which is reflected in their relatively lower levels of willingness to pay more for plant derived engine oils.

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2.283 Nevertheless, a generalized positive social climate seems to surround the development of new generations of bio-based products, which is also confirmed by the positive media coverage attested to by the European public. Given that what those technologies have to offer is not yet realized, most people rely on mediated sources of information to form an attitude towards them and to decide on whether to support them or not. Evidently, the mass media, television and the newspapers, stand out in their effectiveness to reach the public and, therefore, it is recommended that mechanisms are developed to ensure they are supplied with more information and material that explains the issues in a non-technical way.

2.284 The finding that the great majority of Europeans declare a positive impact of technology and appreciate the usefulness offered by the applications involved in the industrial exploitation of plants, provides additional evidence for the readiness of the public to accept the introduction of new products and projects. Indeed, most Europeans seem not to be significantly influenced by moral considerations or by the risk associated with issues such as the use of food crops for non-food industrial purposes and energy production by combustion of the proposed plant products. However, what should not be overlooked is that there is still a section of the population which seems to oppose GM technology. This can influence the overall evaluation of the proposed projects and necessitates special regulation and attention to be paid by science communicators.

2.285 Thus, the survey suggests that when confronted with controversial applications for which risk and moral questions are raised, there is a primary need for regulation and control. It is worth noting that in all European countries surveyed, there is more confidence in the European authorities than in national Governments in relation to regulation and decision-making on the challenges imposed by the introduction of the new technologies. This stresses the essential role that the European Commission and European Parliament must play in promoting these technologies and in bringing them into operation in Europe.

2.286 What may impede approval of the proposed technologies is the considerable lack of public trust in the industrial sector. Therefore, a top priority for industries would be to improve their public profile, to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of their business operations. They should also consider ways to establish better relations with NGOs and especially with environmental organizations, which were found to have a trust surplus in all countries surveyed.

2.287 Additionally and with regard to public trust, the fact that journalists are distrusted by many Europeans, while scientists are trusted by the vast majority, suggest that the relevant information circulated in the media should, in some way, be seen to be certified by scientists. There is a need for scientists to improve their communication skills and to get their discourses effectively voiced in debates, understood by the lay public and given their due weight in the decision-making process.

2.288 A further issue suggested by the survey findings relates to the crucial and positive role that engagement and issue-specific knowledge play in the process of project evaluation. Several indicators account for this, such as the correlations found between awareness, attentiveness and attitudinal items, as well as the differences observed in responses between the knowledgeable online respondents and the general public surveyed. Above all, the general tendency recorded in Europe in favour of the

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technologies discussed may have been prompted by the inclusion in the questionnaire of descriptions outlining the benefits offered by the proposed technologies.

2.289 All these issues, and the strategic need to develop the bioeconomy in its widest sense, stress the necessity to develop a strategic and integrated communication plan which should include actions tailored to the profile of identified target populations. Such an integrated communication strategy should primarily aim at attracting public interest, raising knowledge levels, ensuring transparency of the processes involved, stimulating public dialogue and creating opportunities for public participation. Finally, further research in the social field, by quantitative and qualitative means, is vital, in order to explore further issues of public perception and to attain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms which operate in project evaluation and consumer decision-making processes.

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Section 3: Consortium management

3.1 The EPOBIO project was led by its Director, Prof. Dianna Bowles with the day-to-day management of EPOBIO undertaken by the Project Coordinator, David Clayton, supported by an administrator. The EPOBIO project proceeded well and to time, the revised and enhanced list of deliverables fully achieved. The anticipated key activities were delivered effectively.

Consortium meetings

3.2 An initial meeting of the EPOBIO Consortium and the European Commission took place in month 2 of the project, December 2005. The meeting, in effect of the EPOBIO review and steering group, discussed the outline of the project aims and the concept of EPOBIO – the holistic approach that ensures the products developed are beneficial to our society and for our planet, putting scientific potential into the wider social context. Each component of the project, including Flagship themes, support themes and dissemination, was discussed to agree objectives and deliverables. The meeting agreed an outline for the May 2006 Workshop. It also discussed the qualities needed in the desk researchers to be appointed to the project. A second meeting in M14 was handled as a telephone conference, thus significantly reducing the resources required for the meeting. Given that the work programme and deliverables were well defined by the May 2007 Workshop it was decided that a formal meeting of the Review and Steering Group was not required and discussions were held in a series of informal bilaterals. A final meeting at the end of the project was not required, reports being finalised electronically.

Desk researchers

3.3 A key challenge in a project where the desk researchers are situated is dispersed geographic locations is ensuring their integration in pursuit of the project’s objectives. This is achieved through the use of e-mail, individual telephone contact, telephone conferences and also through the desk researchers providing weekly reports of their activity. The main details required for effective management and monitoring are:

Details of contacts made with industry, the science community and others. Information on the key activities undertaken in the week including interactions

with other desk researchers. Time allocated to EPOBIO work that week.

3.4 Initially weekly reports also contained details of literature accessed and reviewed and information on reports and papers written. Once the new processes were established and operating effectively the amount of information sought was reduced to the key items listed above. Relevant reports were sent directly to the website manager and placed on the Consortium section of the website. For weekly reports the desk researchers enter information onto a template which was placed in the Consortium section of the website so that all partners could view the details.

3.5 The integration of the desk researchers was further enhanced by meetings with the Project Director and the Project Coordinator. A one-day meeting was held in June 2006, after the Wageningen Workshop, to discuss future priorities and ensure a clear focus on the tasks to be undertaken and the outputs to be delivered. This meeting also

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involved experts in life cycle assessment to help focus that aspect of the EPOBIO work programme.

3.6 In October 2006 the desk researchers met for a week to finalise the first reports from the Flagships. This included input from the economics and environment/agronomy support themes. The social attitudes and communications support themes gave updates on their progress. Further meetings with the Project Director and the Project Coordinator were held as follows:

23 November 2006, Amsterdam 8-9 January 2007, Amsterdam 12-16 February, Middlesmoor 25-29 March, Middlesmoor 3-7 June, Middlesmoor (Flagship desk researchers only)

Project Management Committee

3.7 Initially, the detail from the weekly report was summarised by the Project Co-ordinator for the Project Management Committee (PMC), the meetings of which were held by telephone conference. Members of this group included the Project Director, Project Co-ordinator, a partner with responsibility for a Flagship (biopolymers), a partner responsible for a support theme (economics) and the partner handling dissemination. Amongst other things, the PMC was tasked with taking an overview of progress and of how the integration of the various work packages was proceeding.

3.8 The PMC held six meetings in the first year of the project and minutes were circulated to all members of the Consortium, US colleagues and the European Commission. It was subsequently agreed that further PMC meetings were not needed but the recipients described above received updates on progress from the Project Coordinator. This means that, in one form or another, the Consortium and other colleagues were kept aware of progress on key issues on a regular basis.

Other management issues

3.9 To ensure effective working between the Coordinator and Project Director the Coordinator provides stocktakes on approximately a fortnightly basis. These documents identify:

Recently completed tasks. Work in progress. Work remaining to be done. Urgent matters requiring early attention.

These monitoring reports are placed in the Consortium section of the website and can be accessed by the Consortium and other colleagues. This process ensured openness and accountability in EPOBIO and Consortium members were always able to check progress and raise queries as they felt it necessary.

US integration

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3.10 An essential aspect of EPOBIO is the Integration of US perspectives and this was achieved in a number of ways. Each Flagship has an EU and a US partner leading the activity and desk researchers seek to ensure that US issues are factored into their work. The Project Director was in regular contact with US colleagues and Project Coordinator was in regular contact with the US coordinator/conduit for EPOBIO. Telephone conferences were held to discuss key issues.

Advisory Board

3.11 The EPOBIO Advisory Board consisted of just over 100 experts in the areas being addressed by the Flagship themes, the support packages, industry and other specialisms. The advisers played a key role in defining the priorities of EPOBIO at the Wageningen Workshop. All had the opportunity to comment on the outputs set out in the Workshop report. They were invited to take part in the on-line version of the social attitudes survey. The advisers were also asked to give their views on the development of new Flagship themes in the future.

Financial management

3.12 The Project Coordinator and administrator dealt with financial management and monitoring for the project. For the project as a whole, expenditure was monitored at the end of June and September 2006 and again after the first year of operation. Activities were arranged with economy in mind, utilising telephone conferences instead of physical meetings, using cheaper forms of travel and obtaining competitive quotations for work to be done, such as printing.

Changes to the Consortium

3.13 There were been two significant changes for the Consortium in the first year of the project. Firstly, Professor Markus Pauly the EU Flagship leader in plant cell walls took up a new appointment at Michigan State University in the US. He did, however, retain his involvement with the EPOBIO project and Prof. Pauly actively led the plant cell walls Flagship. Second, Dr Andy Pereira took up a new appointment in the US at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute. Dr Marcel Toonen from Plant Research International BV took over partner responsibilities. There were no other changes to the EPOBIO Consortium.

3.14 The EPOBIO project evolved as it was delivered and the deliverables were amended as described in paragraph above. A new frontlined bar chart is at Annex 16 and a revised list incorporating the additional deliverables at Annex 26.

Coordination activities, cooperation with other projects and prgrammes

3.15 From the inception of the project the EPOBIO team has sought to work closely with the relevant Technology Platforms across the EU. A meeting in January 2006 in Brussels was organised to provide an opportunity for EPOBIO to present the project to those involved in related initiatives in the EU. This included, in particular, those involved in Technology Platforms Plants for the Future, Sustainable Chemistry – Industrial Biotechnology, Forestry and Biofuels. The meeting examined the focus of the various participants and also the ways in which each could contribute to parallel initiatives.

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3.16 Building on that the EPOBIO Coordinator has taken part in meetings about the Industrial Biotechnology ERA NET, the development of a communications strategy for industrial biotechnology and the launch of the Biofuels Technology Platform. There has been regular contact with UK policy officials with responsibility for developing the industrial biotechnology and the non-food crops ERA NETs as well as policy officials in some other Member States. Initiatives such as the development of the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy in Europe are monitored for relevance and opportunities for the involvement of EPOBIO. EPOBIO provided input to a policy paper on the development of the bioeconomy in Europe, prepared by Europabio.

3.17 The Project Director is a member of the steering committee for the Sustainable Chemistry – Industrial Biotechnology SSA and technology Platform and the Plants for the Future Green Products Group. Prof Bowles leads the UK Knowledge Transfer Network which is highly relevant to the development of the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy. Relevant conference attendances and presentations included the Washington Biorefining Conference in 2005, the Helsinki Biorefineries Conference in 2006 and the Energy Challenge in Venice 2007. The organisers wholly funded the attendance of the Project Director and Coordinator at the latter.

3.18 Marcel Toonen represented EPOBIO at the biotechnology session at the Bio Conference in Toronto in 2006. An unsuccessful bid was made for a full EPOBIO session at Bio Boston in May 2007.

3.19 Ralf Möller presented a poster at the workshop Structure and Function of Primary and Secondary Cell Walls held in Berlin in September 2007 – Copy at Annex 15.

3.20 David Clayton, the Project Coordinator gave presentations at a Portuguese Presidency Workshop in Lisbon in November 2007 and at a conference entitled ‘Energy – Challenges of European Research Collaboration’ organized in Prague by the Czech Parliament in December 2007. The organisers funded attendance at both events.

3.21 In the latter part of the project links were further developed with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation with the aim of outlining the potential of the EPOBIO process for developing countries.

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Section 4 – Impact on Industry or research sector

4.1 Impact on industry and on the research sector was central to the aims of EPOBIO. The goal of EPOBIO was to identify key areas of research and technology development relating to the use of plant-derived raw materials as industrial feedstocks that can stimulate the sustainable economic growth of the agro-industrial sector. In focussing on the design of new generations of bio-based products derived from plant raw materials that will reach the market place 10-15 years from now, the EPOBIO ensured significant engagement with industry in the pre-competitive phase of product development. This was evidenced at the 2006 Workshop in particular where industry experts joined scientists and others to help set the work priorities in each Flagship area.

4.2 Given the finite nature of fossil reserves and the increasing cost, both in monetary and environmental terms, of extracting those reserves EPOBIO has a key impact in defining and mapping the potential development of alternative, plant-based, sources of raw materials. When the EPOBIO project began industry was making investment decisions based on an oil price of $30 a barrel but prices have now reached in excess of $90 per barrel. Addressing issues such as security of supply and dependence on imported product are increasingly seen as important issues. In addition, there are challenges linked to the increasing quantities of fossil oil needed for continued industrial growth and expanding consumer demand. Bio-renewables offer society a sustainable means of providing alternative energy and products whilst, at the same time, reducing environmental impact.

4.3 The EPOBIO partnership between the EU and US has been of strategic significance given that industry impacts have to be considered in the global context. The rapid growth of emerging economies such as China and India gives additional emphasis to this both because of their potential to produce products for the market as well as the inevitable consequential demand for raw materials. In the biofuels context, the development of new industries in countries such as Mozambique, where there has been active partnering with Brazil, is also highly relevant to impact on global industry and supply.

4.4 From its inception, EPOBIO benefited from an extensive network of industry contacts on its Advisory Board as well as from three industry partners who have help to ensure relevance of the work to commercial application and development. Indeed, the whole focus of EPOBIO has been commercial, looking at the development of products for the bioeconomy in a 10-15 year time horizon, or the development of process that would have application over a similar period.

4.5 The selection criteria for the EPOBIO Flagships ensured that the focus of the project would be commercial and directly relevant to industry. Those criteria were:

•User / consumer benefit

There is a need for projects to provide societal benefit across the entire supply chain from farmers and growers to manufacturing industries and consumers. The benefits must be demonstrable, taking account of sustainability, environmental impacts and climate issues. Both developed and developing countries must be considered when potential benefits are assessed.

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• Scientific challenge

It was judged that the scientific challenge needed to be so great that coordinated activity from both the US and the EU was required to achieve a solution. The consequence of this is that projects would be expected to require large-scale, complementary, multi-disciplinary and multinational input. The integration of green and white biotechnology was one of the areas highlighted as presenting both a major new scientific and commercial opportunity and also a significant challenge.

• Economic benefits and risk analysis

There is a need for each project to have a risk-benefit analysis, assessment and management plan compiled that covers the whole supply chain from raw material input to product output. The analysis, incorporating economic cost/benefit and direct environmental impact/benefit should consider the project as a continuum from research through to demonstration of proof of concept.

• Private sector involvement

Private sector involvement demonstrates the value of the project and industry input helps project planning and awareness of supply chain issues linking the grower to the end-use consumer. Industry involvement would be pre-competitive. Projects would end with a proof of principle demonstration pilot and so would not involve marketing of specific products.

4.6 EPOBIO developed and maintained a commercial focus throughout its activities. It analysed the impact of its activities along supply chains, from manufacturing back to the production of feedstocks by the agricultural sector. In its policy recommendations EPOBIO also considered the wider impacts on, and support for, rural communities resulting from income generation on-farm. The impacts on developing countries were also considered, the potential for industrial development based on agricultural feedstocks having the potential to help deliver Millennium Goals such as poverty alleviation and the consequential health improvements which follow.

4.7 The work of the Flagships, set out in detail in Section 2, shows the direct industrial relevance of EPOBIO. In each analysis, EPOBIO took account of environmental impacts and benefits, in order to assess sustainability, and the economic impacts key to profitability and the realisation of industrial potential. The plant oils Flagship analysed the potential of plant oils for the development of new lubricants as replacements to the current use of mineral and synthetic oil derivatives. In the biopolymers area EPOBIO focussed on the development of new natural sources of rubber with the aim of replacing and contributing to the supply of rubber for high-value medicinal uses as well as high volume products such as vehicle tyres. Finally, in the cell walls Flagship, the initial work looked at improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of a key generic process in biorefining. This process of saccharification, the conversion of input biomass into C5/C6 sugars, underpinned the development of the subsequent work for the Flagship, since the nature of the processes chosen for saccharification determines the range of materials and value products that can also be derived from the input biomass.

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4.8 The subsequent work on crop platforms for each of the Flagship areas has direct industrial relevance along the supply chain. Selection of crops is critical for the farming sector but, as was identified, the production of crops that provide an economically viable feedstock is critical. Finally, the study on micro- and macro-algae examined an area where there is considerable industrial interest and engagement. This short study has provided a resource for industry to use to assess the potential of feedstocks from the aquatic environment, at a time when the economics of production are the most critical issue that needs to be considered.

4.9 It must also be remembered that industrial development depends on effective communication of ideas and concepts to the general public and acceptance by them of the technologies and methods delivering new products. This was analysed in detail by the support packages for communications and social attitudes and is detailed in section 2.

4.10 Alongside industrial impact and economic growth, the goal of EPOBIO was to identify key areas of research and technology development relating to the use of plant-derived raw materials as industrial feedstocks. Each of the EPOBIO reports produced a series of recommendations for research and those specific recommendations are set out in Section 2 where the outputs of the Flagships are examined in detail. They include both recommendations specific to the development of the products and process identified as of highest priority at the Wageningen Workshop as well as the research needed to improve the crops identified as having the potential to contribute to a crop platform in each Flagship area.

4.11 The evidence of the impact of EPOBIO in the research sector is clearly seen in the first round of FP7 where projects have been selected for funding in each of the Flagship areas, taking forward the recommendations and outputs of EPOBIO with the engagement of industrial partners.

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Section 5 – Other issues

5.1 There are no other relevant issues to report at the end of the project.

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