Science and the production sector discuss challenges in biodiesel production

The Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC) and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) offer a unique opportunity for anyone thinking of starting a business combining income generation with sustainability. O VII Congress of the Brazilian Biodiesel Technology and Innovation Network will bring together students, scientists, producers, entrepreneurs and representatives of startups, among other segments, from the 4th to the 7th of November, in Florianópolis, SC, to exchange ideas, experiences and knowledge in an environment entirely focused on innovation.

According to the researcher of Embrapa Agroenergy (Brasília, DF) and one of the organizers of the Congress, Bruno Laviola, the event is being organized in a very different way to most conventional scientific congresses. “We want to move away from the traditional model of discussing broad topics and focus on problems and solutions in favor of the competitive development of the biodiesel sector in Brazil”, he points out. Therefore, in addition to scientific works, poster presentations and lectures with national and international experts, this edition will feature a round of technological innovation, exhibitions and the presence of startups in the biodiesel area.

The main objective of Embrapa and MCTIC is to bring together the three main links in the chain related to biodiesel production in the country – government, science and the productive sector – to present real solutions to the main problems faced by the sector, including public policies and regulatory needs, among others. The program is broad and ranges from the need to diversify raw materials for the production of this biofuel to innovations to increase industrial efficiency with sustainability.

Rafael Menezes, coordinator of Innovation in Sectoral Technologies at the MCTIC Secretariat of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, highlights that the organizing committee thought of a strategy that aims to favor and stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in the biodiesel value chain, allowing dialogue between government, academia and the productive sector. Menezes, who also coordinates the actions of the Biodiesel Network, adds that the Congress is an effective tool for scientific and technological dissemination of the topic and for evaluation by the Ministry and its funding agencies (CNPq e Finep) of what was invested in research, development and innovation throughout the biodiesel production chain.

For the president of the Brazilian Union of Biodiesel and Biokerosene (Ubrabio), Donizete Tokarski, Congress will play a very important role in promoting biodiesel to Brazilian society. “Unfortunately, today a large part of the population is not aware of the benefits of this biofuel for various sectors, covering economic, social and environmental aspects. In addition to increasing understanding of this topic, the event will contribute to increasing the network of multipliers and partners, including representatives from academia, parliamentarians, government and businesspeople, among others”, points out Donizete.

Daniel Amaral, chief economist at the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove), believes that the Congress will result in concrete measures and actions to strengthen the biodiesel industries in Brazil, especially due to the technical quality of the speakers and the integration of the different sectors.

Julio Minelli, superintendent of the Association of Biofuel Producers of Brazil (Aprobio), effectively and especially supports this seventh edition of the Congress of the Brazilian Network of Biodiesel Technology and Innovation. The event is an opportunity for the various research groups that study biofuels in their various dimensions to meet and exchange experiences. The Association has in its origins the representation of biodiesel producers, now expanded to producers of other biofuels, especially renewable diesel (HVO) and renewable kerosene (SPK).

According to Minelli, the market is experiencing a moment of great expectations. Brazil is already the first continental country to adopt a biodiesel blend above 10%, with legislation defining the scale up to 15% and the sector's expectation of reaching 20%, at least. New emission limits for diesel cycle vehicles will come into effect and will require changes, especially in after-treatment systems.

“We still face the challenge of developing new raw materials, on the necessary scale, to expand the diversification of the sector. The production of biodiesel through the transesterification process is something established, but new technologies for the production of new biofuels are becoming an increasingly close reality”, he points out.

Innovation round will bring research and the productive sector closer together

One of the highlights of the program will be the holding of an innovation round on November 5th, promoted by Embrapa Agroenergia in partnership with the Sebrae. The event aims to encourage open innovation, bringing research closer to companies interested in forming partnerships.

Laviola explains that this interaction can take the form of co-creation (when scientists and entrepreneurs work together from the conception of the idea) and co-development (in which a partnership is established to develop a technology until it reaches the market).

The innovation round will be a space for integration, in which scientists, students and representatives of startups will have the chance to present their catalogs of technological solutions to entrepreneurs and representatives of the productive sector in search of support to put them on the market.

Event application can help form partnerships in the sector

Another new feature of the Congress is the creation of an application, which can be downloaded free of charge to any digital platform. In addition to containing all the information related to the event, the tool can bring participants together and, who knows, even contribute to the formation of new partnerships. On the CBiodiesel App, available on Google Play and Apple Store, participants can schedule their preferred topics, get in touch with other participants and have access to scientific work content. 

Bioeconomy: expanding science in Brazil

Bioeconomy – an industrial production model based on the use of biological resources – is a rapidly expanding area in Brazil and around the world. To give you an idea, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), this sector generates around 2 trillion Euros on the world market and generates around 22 million jobs.

Brazil has strong potential to be a protagonist in this field, especially through the sustainable and rational exploration of its megabiodiversity – the largest on the Planet, with more than 100 thousand known animal species and around 45 thousand known plants. This enormous source of natural resources can effectively contribute to boosting the national bioeconomy.

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Event: VII Congress of the Brazilian Biodiesel Technology and Innovation Network

Date: November 4th to 7th, 2019

Location: Costão do Santinho Resort, Florianópolis, SC

Website: https://www.congressobiodiesel.com.br/