Principles of Biobased Economy

This course is about exploring how to create a sustainable future by moving away from dependence on fossil resources to biomass resources for the production of food, chemicals, and energy-carriers. It is about discovering what are effective crops, how to to use microorganisms and catalysts to create biobased products, and then learning how to market and sell those products within a profitable business model. In addition, it is about understanding what it takes to create and implement a biobased product. After this course, all students will be able to understand and communicate with other disciplines, outside their own BSc-expertise.
The course provides students with a solid foundation of relevant concepts in the biobased economy and biobased products. For this purpose, the course deals with (1) an introduction to biobased sciences, (2) production of biomass, (3) biorefining, (4) achieving sustainability, (5) consumer behaviour, (6) bioconversion, (7) (bio)chemical conversion, (8) business, (9) logistics and supply chains, and (10) economy and regulations.

• Understand the concept and importance of the biobased economy and the value of biobased products

• Understand the factors and methods that can influence the breeding and production of biobased crops

• Understand how the composition and chemical nature of biomass fractions determines the processing steps within a biorefinery

• Assess sustainability issues for a given biobased case

• Decide how to implement a consumer point of view during the development of a biobased product

• Understand the potential of microorganisms for the production of biobased products

• Explain how catalysis can contribute to a biobased economy

• Understand commercial, financial and organizational aspects of running a biobased business

• Understand the complexity of logistics of biobased value chains

• Identify and qualitatively assess the major economic implications of different kind of regulations for the future of the bioeconomy

• Written test with open questions (50%)
• Assignment report (50%) Re-submission of an improved version of an insufficiently graded group paper is not possible; in that case a new report has to made next year. Papers might be screened for signs of using AI-tools. If unauthorized use of AI-tools is suspected an additional oral exam might be held (pass/fail).

• The course is based on MOOCs of which the clips and exercises are available to the students.