1:00 p.m.

Welcoming Remarks
The inaugural Michigan Bio-Based Economy Forum begins with a welcome that provides a backdrop for the event – what’s the case for developing a statewide sector, forming a connected industry community, and fostering innovation and growth with supportive resources.

Stephen Rapundalo, PhD
President & CEO, MichBio

Hon. Debbie Stabenow (Invited)
U.S. Senate

1:15 p.m.

The Bio-Based Products Marketplace: A Michigan Outlook
The bio-economy is becoming an increasingly important global reality as the world struggles to adequately feed and fuel a growing population. As a result the bio-based product marketplace is developing rapidly in areas of technology innovations, resource efficiency and sustainable life cycle management. Hear Michigan-based industry leaders discuss current trends in supply and demand, as well as the business opportunities and challenges, facing the bio-economy.

Moderator: 
Tim Colonnese (Invited)
President and CEO, KTM Industries 

Speakers:

Ken Farminer (Invited)
Vice President of Business Development, Zeeland Biobased Materials

Mark Rudnicki, PhD
Executive Director, Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute
Professor of Practice, Forest Biomaterials, School of Forest Resources & Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University

Aditya Gangadharad (Invited)
President & CEO, NOVI Energy

Deborah Mielewski, PhD (Invited)
Senior Technical Leader, Materials Sustainability, Ford Motor Company

Innovative Bio-Based Technologies: Chemicals, Materials and Energy

Increasing consumer demand for renewable and bio-based products means that academic and industry research is focused keenly on discovering new technologies that are transformative for chemical, materials and energy applications. Hear from scientists describe their pioneering research and innovations that will lead ultimately to technology transfer, new startup ventures and product development.

Moderator: 
Bruce Dale, PhD (Invited)
Professor and Associate Director, Office of Biobased Technologies, Michigan State University
        
Speakers:    
Jim Preston (Invited)
Vice President, Business Development, RheTech, Inc.
        
Ramani Narayan, PhD (Invited)
University Distinguished Professor, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, Michigan State University

Vijay Mannari, PhD (Invited)
Associate Professor, School of Engineering Technology, Eastern Michigan University

Craig Bashore (Invited)
Vice President, Development and Materials, Fabri-Kal, Inc.

<<BREAK>>

3:30 p.m.

Bio-Based Products: Implications for Sustainability and Environment

Products made in part or whole from renewable sources offer a great potential for a long-term shift to a bio-based economy. However, it is simply not a matter that products be made from a non-fossil feedstock base, as sustainable practices, environmental impacts and end-of-life options must be contemplated and addressed. Industry experts will discuss what considerations must be given throughout the product life cycle to ensure sustainability and environmental benefit.

Moderator:    
John Bradburn (Invited)
Global Waste Reduction Manager, General Motors

Speakers:    
Clinton Boyd (Invited)
Principal, Green Chemistry & Sustainability - Legal Strategies, Steelcase   

Jennifer Aurendt, PhD
R&D Program Manager, Valicor

Marianne Morgan (Invited)
New Business Development – Performance Materials, BASF

Commercializing and Capitalizing Bio-Based Technologies

Despite the growth in the bio-based products sector, scale up, competitiveness and adoption by end users and brands, no sector has felt the “valley of death” more prominently than the bio-based economy. Why is it so challenging to bring bio-based innovation to market? Panelists will cover the opportunities, challenges, benefits, and risks of commercializing bio-based products.

Moderator:    
Lee Walko 
Director, Business Development, OmniTech International

Speakers:    
Jeff Pavlik
SVP/Managing Director - Capital Markets, GreenStone Farm Credit Services

Pat Morand
President, Open Prairie Ventures

Richard Chylla
Executive Director, MSU Technologies, Michigan State University 

Keynote: Driving a Bio-Based Economy: Policies and Partners Needed

The bio-based economy can be a driver of innovation and a key contributor to Michigan’s economic, environmental and social well-being, through the application of biological tools and processes to the production of food, energy, chemicals and materials. What's it going to take to succeed in building a statewide bio-based products sector, particularly as other regions are aggressively developing their own? A government and industry leader will share perspectives on the current state of the global bio-economy and what Michigan must do to compete.

Moderator:    
Stephen Rapundalo, PhD
President and CEO, MichBio

Speakers:    
Hon. Mark Schweiker
Former Governor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Chief Relationship Officer and SVP, Renmatix

Networking Reception