Growing the Bioeconomy in Atlantic Canada: Atlantic BIOCON 2018 set to Kick Off in Fredericton

May 22, 2018 (Fredericton, NB) – The Atlantic BIOCON 2018, Canada’s premier conference on biorefining and bioprocessing, will take place May 23rd to 24th in Fredericton, NB. Going into its 7th year, BIOCON 2018 is a dynamic 2-day conference that sparks discussion, spurs innovation and highlights new projects that are transforming our traditional industries and business.

Click here to open the official press release file.

The bioeconomy is a rapidly growing collision of sectors across the world. Entrepreneurs are creating opportunities to ensure our food security, improve our health and create a cleaner environment.
With dozens of private and public research institutions, vast forests, affordable agriculture land, and diversified coastal zones, Atlantic Canada is positioned to be a bioeconomy leader. Hundreds of Atlantic companies are already innovating in this space.
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With over 20 speakers set to share their knowledge over the two-day agenda the organizers have focused the program around 5 subthemes: Growing the bioeconomy in Atlantic Canada, Company and applied research showcase, The new economy: What’s old is new again, Business opportunities: Back to our roots, and New ways of getting things done.

The new economy theme will feature Herb Emery, UNB’s Vaughan Chair in regional Economics and will explore how economies focused on natural resources can evolve thanks to innovation to unlock new economic growth. This subtheme also includes Nauja Bianco, Nordic Council of Ministers, who will share the Nordic countries bioeconomy model and outline how they’ve enabled incredible change for their traditional industries thanks to collaboration.

The next two themes, Business Opportunities and the Company and Applied Research Showcase will highlight the broad range of business opportunities already being explored in our backyard. The speakers range from James McDonnell of Moosehead Breweries, who will be sharing how waste streams can be revenue streams, to Jim Cunningham of Cardwell Farms who will demonstrate how Cardwell is using waste streams to feed their compost and soil business.

Our final theme will tackle hot topics in Atlantic Canada and will be focused on how innovation in bio goes well beyond the biological sciences and how the bioeconomy complements developments in data analytics, AI, Clean tech and will be the first adopters of Industry 4.0 technologies.

“Atlantic BIOCON is the country’s best venue to highlight regional projects, technologies and opportunities as they relate to the transformation of Atlantic Canada’s bio-based resources. We think the best opportunity for growth is to bring our traditional industries into the 21st century, and this conference provides a forum for these discussions,” says Meaghan Seagrave, Executive Director, BioNB.

“Springboard Atlantic has been involved with Atlantic BIOCON since its inception. It is a key opportunity for researchers and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas that spark action. We have seen the projects that are developed from this conference transform our natural resources into valuable products that can grow our economy,” says Daryl Genge, President & CEO, Springboard Atlantic.

The Atlantic region holds significant research and development capacity in this nascent sector, showcased by a number of academic posters to be featured as part of this year’s Poster Session. Students from the University of Price Edward Island, the University of New Brunswick, Acadia University, and Dalhousie University will compete for poster prizes in the areas of applied science and technology.

The organizing committee is proud to be showcasing the scope of technologies and innovative research in the Atlantic region and beyond and looks forward to the collaborative biorefining projects that will emerge from the conference.

About the Organizers
Le Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick
The CCNB is a modern student focused college with five campuses geographically located across Northern New Brunswick and in Dieppe. The CCNB contributes to the economic development of the communities it serves, with more than 90 programs that meet labour market needs. As an entrepreneurial and innovative College, CCNB adapts to the rapidly changing economy, supports the activities of applied research and encourages innovation. The applied research division, CCNB-INNOV, located in Grand Falls, NB, supports the industry in the fields of environment, agriculture, bioprocesses and beverages.

Springboard Atlantic
Springboard Atlantic is Atlantic Canada’s commercialization network. We represent the collective academic research and development expertise of 19 universities and colleges across the region. We act as a bridge between academia and industry bringing world class ideas to the marketplace and drawing in industry challenges to be solved. With over 10,000 researchers, 30 industry engagement professionals and over 6000 research deals done in the last 3 years our model stands along in Canada as an example of collaboration.
 
BioNB
Driving New Brunswick’s Bioeconomy, BioNB connects, supports and advocates for NB’s biosciences sector. BioNB provides business development, mentoring and coaching support to New Brunswick’s bioscience entrepreneurs and companies.  BioNB hosts regular events to foster sector networking and educate companies, decision makers and the public on current issues and emerging trends. In collaboration with a vibrant ecosystem of companies, research institutions and partners, BioNB is dedicated to enabling a thriving bioeconomy in our region.

Natural Products Canada
Natural Products Canada (NPC) works with an array of partners to commercialize naturally-derived products and technologies in health and life sciences, natural resources, agriculture and agri-food, and sustainable bioproducts. Buoyed by the growing demand for natural solutions, NPC has over 300 companies in its pipeline. NPC acts as matchmaker and mentor to companies and researchers; serves as technology scout and ecosystem navigator for multinationals and large corporations; and helps investors discover, develop, and de-risk opportunities. NPC was established in 2016 and is funded by a range of public and private investors, including the Government of Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research (CECR) program, administered by the Networks of Centres of Excellence.

Contacts
Media Materials: Shawni Beaulieu, BioNB [email protected]
Operations and Logistics: Jennifer O'Donnell, BioNB [email protected]
Interviews and Press:

• Meaghan Seagrave, BioNB [email protected]
• Jared Christensen, CCNB-INNOV [email protected]
• Katie Kushner, Springboard Atlantic [email protected]