About BIOCHEM
BIOCHEM - Eco-IP Partnership for Driving Innovation in the Sector of Bio-based Products
The BIOCHEM project, which started on 1 February 2010, supports companies, and especially SMEs, to enter the emerging and highly promising market for bio-based products in the chemical sector.
Bio-based products are made from renewable, biological raw materials such as plants and trees. They are typically sold on into market sectors such as bio-plastics, bio-lubricants, surfactants, enzymes and pharmaceuticals. Bio-based products represent economic, environmental and societal benefits. Bio-based products also constitute one of Europe's six "Lead Markets";.
Ten things you need to know about the BIOCHEM Project:
- Eight countries take part into the BIOCHEM project: UK, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Spain;
- The BIOCHEM consortium partners include innovation agencies, venture and public funding bodies and programme consultancies;
- It develops tools, methodologies and processes tailored for SMEs that include guidance material and innovation support tools;
- The BIOCHEM Toolbox gives access to bio-based market information, to an online partnering and innovation resources and an online private and public funding directory;
- BIOCHEM partners organise individual audits, coaching and entrepreneurial teaching classesimproving the innovation capacity of bio-based chemistry start-ups and SMEs;
- Through support in business planning, connecting to partners and potential clients, BIOCHEM helps biotech and chemical SMEs to enter new markets with innovative bio-based products;
- It improves the innovation capacity of bio-based chemistry start-ups and SMEs;
- It completes a comprehensive assessment of the bio-based products market;
- By fostering the explanation and SMEs' adoption of "lean management" and efficiency principles, BIOCHEM improves the economical and environmental performance of existing processes;
- It helps SMEs in the bio-sector estimate potential savings of greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle of bio-based products, relative to the fossil-fuel derived alternatives.
Bio-based products
Bio-based products are made from renewable, biological raw materials such as plants and trees. They are typically sold on into market sectors such as bio-plastics, bio-lubricants, surfactants, enzymes and pharmaceuticals. Bio-based products also constitute one of Europe's "Lead Markets" identified by the European Commission.
Bio-based products represent one of the most promising markets of the coming years: they are the answer to growing societal expectations and environmental concerns. They have the potential to substitute at lower cost fossil-based products and can be part of fostering a low-carbon economy with reduced water usage and waste generation.
The European Union currently accounts for about 30% of the global € 58 billions bio-based products market which is expected to more than treble by 2020.
