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Prospects for the Bazancourt-Pomacle                               4
            Biorefinery Between Now and 2030

















              Summary
              Over the years, the Bazancourt-Pomacle biorefinery has followed a progres-
              sive strategy to develop and diversify its activity, accompanied by changes in
              its nature. The original sugar factory and distillery (1948) has been joined by
              a starch and glucose producing plant, a dedicated research centre, start-up
              companies, demonstration and industrial pilot scheme sites, a bio-fuel refin-
              ery and academic research chairs. In this way, the biorefinery has moved on
              from industrial processing to become an innovation platform made up of
              demonstration sites and a private joint research centre, and then a centre of
              excellence for white biotechnology (CEBB) specialising in research and
              knowledge production within the European Biorefinery Institute (IEB).
              Future prospects between now and 2030 for the biorefinery and IEB are
              demonstrated by three local but world-scale events in the first half of 2014.
              These events confirm the first fruits of a genuine knowledge economy: the
              sale of SOLIANCE to a global group (GIVAUDAN), the ability of the
              BIODEMO demonstrator (ARD) to attract some of the most promising
              start-up companies in the world (Global Bioenergies) and the success of the
              industrial second generation bio-fuel pilot scheme FUTUROL, far beyond the
              initial expectations of its major shareholders.
              In order for this knowledge economy and exceptional network of local
              competences to prosper, the CEBB will have to increase its regular output,
              integrate fully with its founding industrial companies and schools, become
              more multidisciplinary, stimulate a genuine sense of belonging among its
              stakeholders, and find an appropriate governance structure. The governance
              of the whole structure (integrated biorefinery, IEB, local actors) will also
              have to adjust to these new dimensions by giving it more structured resources

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            # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015                        81
            P.-A. Schieb et al., Biorefinery 2030, DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-47374-0_4
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