Bioceb

Dr. Gülşah Yilan, UnitelmaSapienza University of Rome

2023-02-20T16:35:07Z

Dr. Gülşah Yilan works at UnitelmaSapienza University of Rome. She holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and has been a Postdoc Researcher in Bioeconomy in Transition Research Group (BiT-RG) since 2020. She gave a lecture entitled "Sustainability Assessment Tools Applied to the Bioeconomy" on December 7th and 8th 2022, within the frame of the bioeconomy module coordinated by Neoma Business school.

"The lecture started with a brief introduction from the lecturer of herself as well as the institution (UnitelmaSapienza) she represented, and then the students introduced themselves. During the lecture, first, the need for life cycle thinking in the bioeconomy was mentioned by adopting an engineering point of view. Later, the theoretical background of environmental life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) methods was covered. The lecture continued with the holistic assessment methods to provide a comprehensive approach to the methods discussed; namely life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) were covered. Finally, a case study, covering the methodologies explained, was introduced and discussed with the students. The lecture ended with an open question to the students about the potential applications of the methodologies covered for their area of interest and a short discussion was built upon this question. The importance of the covered tools to be applied in the sustainability assessment of the bioeconomy was very well understood by the students."

Sara Piedrahita Rodríguez, PhD student from Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Manizales

2022-12-15T11:13:08Z

Sara Piedrahita Rodríguez is a PhD student in chemical engineering from Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Manizales (Colombia), which is a Bioceb associated partner. She works in Professor Carlos Ariel Cardona Alzate's research group. Professor Carlos Ariel Cardona Alzate took part in the 2nd edition of the Bioceb Summer School in Estonia. Sara Piedrahita Rodríguez was invited as a scholar because of the collaboration between Bioceb and Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Manizales. She also benefited from a PhD student hosting agreement with INRAE and a scholarship from the Saclay Plant Sciences Labex for a one-month stay at the UMR “Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin” in Versailles, under the supervision of Stéphanie Baumberger. During this stay, she analysed some Colombian biomasses of interest for her PhD thesis on sustainable biorefineries and discussed future collaboration. She stayed in France from October 3rd to November 6th 2022.

Testomonial from Sara Piedrahita Rodríguez:

"During the scholarship at AgroParisTech - Université Paris Saclay in Palaiseau, France, and at Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay) in Versailles, France, the following activities related to the Bioceb program were carried out:

• Participation as an attendee at the first "Biosphera Scientific Days", held on October 13-14, at AgroParisTech - Université Paris Saclay in Palaiseau, France:

The first day consisted of talks on the eight thematic axes. The topics were initially presented, followed by a lecture by doctoral students and scientists related to the topic. Additionally, Bioceb students participated with posters of their project, receiving recognition for the best poster in the Master category. The second day also consisted of cross-thematic conferences and a workshop in which Bioceb students, Professor Stéphanie Baumberger, and I participated (Thematic axis in bioeconomy). The workshop was very dynamic. Each of the attendees gave one's perspective on the concept of bioeconomy according to one's academic background and what we are currently studying. In this talk, I could see in the students a great interest in what they do and the initiatives they have to contribute to scientific development. During these days, I had lots of informal exchanges with the students and shared with them my experience of carrying out a PhD thesis in Bioeconomy. Moreover, my participation demonstrated the international dimension of Bioceb through its associated partners' network.

• Visit the Pasteur Institute:

On October 20 in the afternoon, I accompanied the Bioceb's students with Professor Stéphanie Baumberger for the visit at Institute Pasteur. I attended with them a lecture given by David Bikard, related to the research topics in his research group and laboratory. It was a very interesting talk that helped Bioceb students discover the applications and approaches other scientists have developed through understanding bioeconomy. Moreover, we met a Bioceb's graduate from the 1st intake, who starts her PhD thesis in David Bikard's group, where she already achieved her Master's thesis topic. Thus, I learnt that fundamental biology Research in such a well renowned institute as Pasteur Institute offers opportunities for Bioceb students. After the talk, we visited the museum, where the guide told us the Louis Pasteur's life and his important contributions to science and biology.

• Lecture given by Sara Piedrahita Rodríguez:

On October 21, I presented the talk entitled "Towards a methodology in search of sustainable transformation routes and integrated biorefineries" to all Bioceb students of the M2 BIP BEB. During this session of approximately 1.5 hours, I presented the concepts of bioeconomy, biorefineries, and biomass in the Colombian context. In this way, students could identify that other countries' and regions' approaches and needs may differ. Additionally, I presented two solutions to two problems related to the design of biorefineries. First, I explained the proposal of a qualitative algorithm to select the integration rate of feedstocks in biorefineries (an issue solved in my master's thesis and published in a research article). Finally, the other problem is finding the best transformation route from lignocellulosic biomass. In this part, I presented the global idea of the doctoral thesis project that I am currently working on. The participation of the students was active and interesting, so I feel very honoured and happy to have given them this talk.

• Tutoring in projects:

On October 21, I also had the opportunity to discuss with each group of students about their Value chain-related projects of the “Green Line Project” module. My contribution was more precisely to coach them for the value chain assessment, as a complement to the lab work they perform during their semester at AgroParisTech. Each has a project idea in which they propose and evaluate a biomass value chain. It was interesting to identify the progress of both groups, the ideas, and how they structured it all. Participation was active and very interesting."

François Pick, theatre teacher (2023)

2022-10-14T15:15:10Z

François Pick is a French actor, theatre teacher and stage director. For many years, he has been organising and moderating workshops and formations in various structures such as schools and cultural centers for young people and professionals alike. As a training consultant since 1988, he also organises training workshops for companies, focusing on oral communication, public speaking or time and emotions management.

Theatre workshops based on verbal and non-verbal communication skills, August 25th 2023, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)

François intervened during the Bioceb induction week in two workshops with 10-15 students each. Based on verbal and non-verbal communication, the workshops contributed to breaking the ice between the foreign students, getting them to experience playful theatre group exercises. Here are some examples of exercises:
– Group warming in circle: opening to others, breathing exercises, anchoring, stretching...;
– rythm and dancing exercises with music;
– group coordination exercises and hugging;
– training on sensations and emotions;
– short improvisations with different emotions;
– exercise based on: I love/ I hate;
– short monologues in front of the whole group: "tell us about a feast/holiday in your family/country".

Tiago Lopes, Researcher at LNEG

2022-05-03T14:05:29Z

Tiago Lopes, National Laboratory of Energy and Geology
Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessments of Bioenergy Systems and Biorefineries – methodology and case-studies

Tiago Lopes is a Researcher at the Bioenergy and Biorefineries Unit of the LNEG – Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia. The LNEG is a R&D institute oriented to meet the needs of society and business in the field of energy (including bioenergy) and geology with a focus on sustainability, contributing to training, promotion, quality assessment, employability and access to infrastructures.

Mr. Lopes provided a lecture entitled “Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessments of Bioenergy Systems and Biorefineries – methodology and case-studies” on March 17th 2022 to the Bioceb students.

The main goal of this lecture was to give the students a view on how to apply the methodology and the importance to evaluate novel biobased processes. Mr. Lopes provided a brief description of Techno-Economic Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment methodologies. He then described the process simulation tools for the design of biorefineries and finally presented three case studies using microalgae and lignocellulosic-based biorefineries.

The Bioceb students showed great interest in the topic, especially regarding the methodology and its applicability to other systems.

Testimony from Mr. Lopes
“Bioceb students were extremely interested and very active during the lecture. The subject of Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Assessment fitted perfectly into their projects and they also showed great interest in doing short-term internships at the LNEG related to this subject.”

Amélie Drouault, Business Development Director in Arbiom

2022-05-02T16:42:31Z

Amélie Drouault is Business Development Director in Arbiom. Ms Drouault owns a Double Engineer degree from Chimie ParisTech & AgroParisTech, obtained in 2013.

Ms. Drouault provided a lecture entitled “Business development in a start-up Environment” on March 21st 2022 to the Bioceb students from intake 2 at AgroParisTech.

The purpose of the presentation was to:
– Share an example of what a career in Business could look like.
– Present the activities of her company, producing a protein-rich ingredient by fermentation for the feed and food market
– Illustrate what business development in a start-up environment looks like with the example of the activities of her department

On the last topic of the talk, the presentation included the different necessary steps to go from a proof of concept to the 1st sales of a product/innovation.

It showed the activities to consider in order to ensure a technical and commercial validation.

On the technical side, the presentation included the different steps of process validation (including scale-up activities and metrics), and product validation (including various analysis and in vitro/in vivo trials).

On the business side, the commercial validation encompasses the different steps to define and implement a go to market strategy: market analysis, competitor analysis, market segmentation, sales process, customer interactions and deal making, customer relationship management

Testimony from Ms. Drouault
Thank you for inviting me. It was a great pleasure to share more insights on how Arbiom has bridged the gap between our proof of concept and commercialisation, and to meet the bioceb students.

Natacha Giger-Janski, entrepreneur and industrial property engineer

2022-04-11T15:22:27Z

Natacha Giger-Janski is an entrepreneur and an industrial property engineer. She also has a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology. She is currently self-employed in the industrial property, a sector in which she has been working since 2012. From April 2019, she has been working as a consultant at Brevetarium, an independent firm she founded in 2019.

Ms. Giger-Janski provided a lecture entitled “Introduction to Intellectual property” on March 31st 2022 to the Bioceb students from intake 2 at AgroParisTech. The students were initiated to key aspects of intellectual property such as patents, legal basis, patent documents, etc… The students will now be able to use the tools presented to search patent databases effectively. They will learn to quickly decipher information in patent documents. More generally, they will be able to identify IP issues in their professional lives and projects.

Testimony from Ms. Giger-Janski:
“Industrial property can quickly become a complex subject, especially in the health and life sciences fields.
The idea of this course was to address some essential and useful notions for Bioceb students.
We saw some striking examples, and I think they enjoyed experiencing concrete cases rather than purely legal aspects. The questions were numerous and relevant, which is always appreciated. I was glad to be invited again this year to talk about IP!”

Student's testimony, Anusha Bhat:
"The session by Natacha Giger-Janski gave a general introduction to intellectual properties and its different types. It also gave a general idea of patents, how to apply and how long it takes for granting a patent. The session was simple and effective in terms of communicating the importance of protecting the know-how of the novel innovations. This is especially useful for masters students as we are doing some projects as a part of our GLP. It will help us understand how important it is to be confidential and yet communicative to the world about our innovations. I, personally, was fascinated to know the different types of trademarks that exist for example, the word mark of Google is different from the figurative trademark of Google. Both of them in-turn differ from the semi-figurative trademark of Google. The colours, text and figures play a very important role in brand building and recognition. It was a very informative session overall and I wish to attend many more such sessions in future."

Adrien Jahier, freelance consultant, trainer, and lecturer

2022-03-24T19:57:57Z

Adrien Jahier is a freelance consultant, trainer, and lecturer in ecological redirection and communication. He holds a Ph.D. from the Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier. He also works as a lecturer (Polytech Mons) and guest professor (IHECS) in Belgium.
Adrien Jahier gave a lecture on “How to Detect Green & Carbon Neutrality Washing”.

Greenwashing is an often-used but not clearly defined term. The goal of Adrien Jahier's first part of the lecture was to define exactly what greenwashing is. More exactly, he has relied on eight categories of greenwashing and provided examples for each of them. The students were given the floor to discuss each of the advertising materials shown and to understand what was wrong with reality.

The second part of the lecture was dedicated to carbon neutrality washing. More and more organizations including companies are claiming to be carbon neutral in their fight against climate change. Adrien Jahier has given several tools to critically analyze these claims and thus detect cases of carbon neutrality washing.

Testimony from Adrien Jahier:
"Bioceb students will tackle the challenges related to the deployment of the bioeconomy across the world and greenwashing is one of them. For example, presenting bio-based products with and without physical bio-based content simultaneously represents a potential risk of greenwashing. I was very glad to present to students different tools to detect this communication and marketing practice. Their feedback was very interesting and we have had a great discussion about how to regulate it".

Student testimony: “It was great to attend that presentation, you have provided us with some interesting examples and concepts behind greenwash. Additionally, you have shared some important experiences from your professional life as working with consultations in this sector, as well as the impact you are making through it.”

Alex Giurca, Heidelberg Center for the Environment, Germany

2022-03-24T19:50:34Z

"Introduction to Sustainable Forest-Bioeconomy" by Dr. Alex Giurca, Heidelberg Center for the Environment, Germany

The lecture "Introduction to Sustainable Forest-Bioeconomy" touched upon a series of important concepts such as forests, forestry and forest governance. It introduced the students to the complex world of forestry, and critically discussed the opportunities and challenges the European and international forest-based sectors face when transitioning to a circular-bioeconomy. We then looked at different wood-based innovations and innovation systems, as well as discussed the importance of policy discourses, actor networks, research and innovation.

Testimony from Dr. Alex Giurca
"It was a pleasure to interact with such engaged and active students, who have proven that they can easily go beyond their academic disciplines and engage in interdisciplinary debates around forests, sustainability, and innovations. It is this kind of interdisciplinary, critical thinkers that the bioeconomy needs."

Piergiuseppe Morone, University of Rome, Italy

2022-03-24T19:48:24Z

Efficiency, Market failure, public policy and the environment & The role of society in the transition towards a circular bioeconomy by Piergiuseppe Morone, University of Rome, Italy.

“The objective of my lectures was twofold.

The first three-hour session aimed at providing students with an overview on resource and environmental economics by putting environmental economic theories in the context of bioeconomy, and by outlining the fundamental characteristics of an economics approach to environmental analysis. The analysis developed along two lines: (1) market failures and the environment; (2) sustainability and intergenerational equity. To this end, the lecture animated a discussion on the economy– environment interdependence, how this concept develops in the context of bioeconomy (including a discussion on the circular use of resources) and which tools can be used to model it.

The second three-hour session developed the concepts of transition and paradigm shift and further discussed the concept of a sustainable transition towards a circular bio-based economy. During the lecture, dynamics and actors involved in the purposive sustainability transition at a micro (e.g. pilot projects, emerging technologies), meso (e.g. leading sectors and industries) and macro (global social, economic and environmental drivers) level were identified and their roles discussed.

Students actively participated to both sessions showing a great interest on socio-economic aspects associated with the bioeconomy transition. The discussion provided an opportunity to blend the technical knowledge already possessed by the students (all with backgrounds in engineering, chemistry, biology, etc.) with the new economic concepts presented during the lecture.”

François Pick, theatre teacher (2022)

2022-02-03T15:13:31Z

Theatre workshops based on verbal and non-verbal communication skills, August 26th 2021, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)

François intervened during the Bioceb induction week in two workshops with 10-15 students each. Based on verbal and non-verbal communication, the workshops contributed to breaking the ice between the foreign students, getting them to experience playful theatre group exercises (to which Bioceb coordinators also took part !). Here are some examples of exercises:
– Games of personal introduction to the group
– Relationship-based exercises using imaginary objects
– Voice and speech exercises
– Exercises for the expression of various emotions with and without verbalization

2nd Theatre workshop based on verbal and non-verbal communication skills, November 22nd 2021, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)

Once again, François intervened in two workshops with 10-15 students each. Here are some examples of exercises:
– Group warming in circle:
– Rythm exercises with music
– Voice training
– Improvisations