UK chemicals network leading European BIOCHEM project
30 Mar 2010
London – Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) Chemistry Innovation is to lead the European Union’s BIOCHEM project to develop bio-based business in the chemicals sector and improve the innovation capacity of bio-based chemistry start-ups and SMEs.
The KTN for the UK ’s chemical-using industries is the lead partner in BIOCHEM which is SusChem’s first pan European Innovation project. The goal is to accelerate the development of the bio-based chemistry market.
Funded by the European Commission under its INNOVA scheme, part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) managed (during 2009) by DG Enterprise, the proposed total cost of the project is Euro4.5m, including a significant EU contribution.
“This is a key concrete step in SusChem’s new focus to foster innovation in the chemical and related industries,” commented Ger Spork, innovation manager at Cefic. This, he said, was prompted, in part, by the recent report on the competitiveness of the European chemical industry, which asked SusChem to consider promoting innovation networks in key strategic areas - in particular to support SMEs.
BIOCHEM partners will initially define and promote bio-based product opportunities in the chemical sector. The project will also facilitate and help finance of new bio-based business ideas to proof-of-concept, including facilitating access for organisations to European test facilities.
The project will develop tools, such as innovation management, life cycle methodologies and business planning for SMEs seeking to exploit the bio-based products market. BIOCHEM has a target of reaching at least 250 SMEs across eight European countries with these tools.
Another target involves partnering of technology providers from both industry and academic with solution seekers, through new on-line open innovation support tools. It will also develop links with regional and national innovation management groups and chemistry cluster organizations to improve innovation management with local SMEs.
