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TWB START-UP DAY promotes bioeconomy, biotechnology through ‘green growth’

17 February 2020 | News

An international reference event in the field of industrial biotechnologies to showcase innovative tools derived from biological resources

image courtesy: Maddyness

image courtesy: Maddyness

TWB, an expert in scientific project management, for the third consecutive year devoted a day to start-ups on the theme of sustainability. This unique event brought together 18 exceptional speakers and almost 200 international representatives from the field.

Distinguished speakers

On the 6 February 2020, TWB organised the third edition of ‘TWB® START-UP DAY’, this event is now firmly planted in the landscape of essential meetings of innovation and entrepreneurship. The objective is to promote the ecosystem of start-ups in the field of industrial biotechnologies and to unite all its international players.

Among many renowned speakers, Didier Miraton; currently President of the consulting firm La Combe, lecturer at the Collège des Ingénieurs and former Managing Director of both the Michelin Group and Pierre Fabre Laboratories; delivered the keynote speech for  the TWB® START-UP DAY 2020.  He shared his unique vision on the role of societal start-ups, which, far from being a fashionable phenomenon, constitute a new social structure that enables solutions to demographic and environmental issues to be rapidly built on the basis of fundamental research.

Randy Rettberg, President of the iGEM Foundation (MIT), announced that the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition (Giant Jamboree) will be held in Paris, France, for the first time in 2021. Previously this event has always been held in Boston. The competition will integrate current societal and environmental issues.

Other notable speeches: Susan Schofer of the American start-up, Modern Meadow  (production of biofabricated leather), Thomas Grotkjaer of Novo Holdings (promoter of sustainable investment) and Markus Pompejus of BASF (integration of biotechnology with chemical production to reduce CO2 emissions).

Focus on innovation

The various conferences and round-table meetings of the day were followed by a competition of pitches by the start-ups. The aim of this competition is to select and support the start-up that presents the most innovative and ground-breaking solution, with a prize worth 50,000 in the form of services provided on the technological platforms of TWB. This year, 5 pre-selected start-ups from 3 European countries took it in turns to face a jury composed of experts from the investment and innovation sectors: Fungus Sapiens, Glowee, Hoekmine BV, Octarine and Zymoptiq. Thanks to an inspiring speech, the Danish start-up Octarine wowed the jury.

Octarine exploits synthetic biology to develop new products capable of improving the health and well-being of populations worldwide.

The proof of success

TWB® START-UP DAY brought together 200 professionals from 9 countries: France, Spain, USA, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Germany and Switzerland. Almost 50 start-uppers were present, (BioC3, Biotecal, PILI, Aruru Molecular Ltd, Kapsera, Green Spot Technologies, e-Zyvec, Micropep, DAB, Afyren,…). They were able to interact and establish links with structures for innovation and promotion of biotechs, meet with industrialists (Adisseo, BASF, Lallemand, Givaudan, Kering, Biotalys, L’Oréal, …) as well as a whole range of investors (Novo Holdings, Capricorn Venture Partners, Elaia, Go Capital, Demeter,…).

The event, hallmarked by French Tech Toulouse, benefited from the promotion of partners from IAR-the Bioeconomy Cluster, the Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation Cluster and Hello Tomorrow, it was appreciably supported by Toulouse Métropole and Région Occitanie and sponsored by the Toulouse Business School and the companies ARD, Carbios, Plasseraud, ResiCare by Michelin, Sofinnova Partners and Syngulon.

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