Growing the Bioeconomy

1
Growing the Bioeconomy

• Michael Ott
• Executive Director
• BIOWA
• March 29th, 2006

2
Overview

• BIOWA
• Biobased products
• Biorefinery
• Coproducts
• Logistics
• Business problem solving

3
Educational Institutions
Commodity Manufacturers
Investors
Producers
BIOWA
Member Services
Economic Development
Biotechnology Companies
Environmental Groups
4
What does BIOWA do?

• Makes it easier for companies to do business
• Strategic partnerships
• Investors
• Training
• Business planning
• Member services
• Healthcare Insurance
• Retirement planning
• Vendor discounts

5
Biobased Products

• Biofuels are the best known example
• New fuels from byproducts
• Home building products
• Perceived to be higher priced, lower quality
• THATS NOT TRUE ANYMORE!

6
Fuel alternatives

• Fuel costs drive down profitability while
  increasing inflation
• Alternative heat sources will reduce
• Price volatility
• Emissions
• Costs over the long run
• Good solutions are available now, great solutions
  will be coming

7
Why is this right for Iowa?

• Leading producer of corn, soy, ethanol and
  biodiesel
• Much infrastructure is in place
• Talented, experienced workforce
• A biorefinery is the evolution of biofuel
  processing
• Co-products and logistics need to be solved

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Biorefinery Products

• Break down to a common source build up from
  there
• Fuel is the main product
• Byproducts
• Commodity chemicals
• Natural fibers
• Electricity
• Feedstock dependent

9
Biorefinery Logistics

• Plant size location
• Large- Economy of scale?
• Small- Save on transportation costs?
• Which technology scales up most efficiently?
• How will energy flow through a plant?

10
Business Problem Solving

• Solving unique problems is fun and valuable
• Corn vs. Soybeans vs. Dedicated Crops
• Contingency planning
• Examples
• Rail car shortage
• Licensing technology
• Screening acquisitions

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Conclusion

• Biobased products will replace everyday products
  because they are better and cheaper
• Alternative fuels offer near term solutions with
  great environmental benefits and increasingly
  better economic benefits
• This dramatic shift will have large societal
  impacts that need to be studied and prepared
  for.
• Energy Information parallels

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Websites to visit

• www.biowa.us
• www.ethanol.org
• www.biodiesel.org
• Feel free to contact me with any questions at
• biowa.us_at_gmail.com