Frontrunners of the BioCircular Economy 2.0: Nordic-Netherlands Roundtable

Frontrunners of the BioCircular Economy 2.0: Nordic-Netherlands Roundtable is an official WCEF (World Circular Economy Forum) Side Event held under the auspices of the ECESP on Thursday 27 May 2021 (10:00-12:10 CEST). It also includes a digital lunch (for participants wishing to network afterwards) at 12:10-13:00 CEST.

This timely Nordic-Netherlands Roundtable will focus on creating a shared need between Nordic-Dutch frontrunners with the aim to lead and accelerate the transition to a Circular Bioeconomy 2.0. It will gather a select group of Nordic-based and Dutch corporate leaders and frontrunners who are leading by example, as well as key EU decision-makers and Mmebers of the European Parliament. This is the very first time that such a virtual roundtable is being organised.

Both the Nordics and the Netherlands have historically enjoyed very close biocircular business and investment relations and can learn from each other’s successes, challenges and experiences, while at the same time collaborating more intensively and co-ordinating efforts at European and international levels. As frontrunners, they have excellent qualifications and are well placed to take a united and leading position in the transformation to a biocircular economy 2.0, both in the EU and globally.

The Nordic-Netherlands Roundtable is co-hosted by:

  • Business Finland, represented at this roundtable by our guest of honour and co-host Nina Kopola, Director General and CEO, an experienced corporate leader who is best known for her career as the CEO of Suominen and for her pioneering role as a female CEO—for long she was the only woman heading a publicly listed company in Finland.
  • Circular Biobased Delta, represented at this roundtable by Willem Sederel, Chairman, whose organisation is spearheading green chemicals to bring about the transition to a biobased economy.
  • Holland Circular Hotspot, represented at this roundtable by Freek van Eijk, Director, who also serves as the Vice Chair, Circular Biobased Delta, an alliance of Dutch provinces, businesses and knowledge centres in the delta region of North Brabant, Zeeland and South Holland, and as Vice-Chair of the Coordination Group, European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP).
  • Nordic Circular Hotspot, represented at this roundtable by Peter Michel Heilmann, Managing Partner, a Dutchman. The consortium consists of Managing Partners who are based in all five Nordic countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark) plus The Netherlands.

In addition, H.E. Mrs. Päivi Kaukoranta, Ambassador of Finland to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative of Finland to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, will deliver her welcoming words.

The roundtable will be split into two parts:

  • Part 1: Biorefineries and circularity - the path towards a BioCircular Economy 2.0? Roundtable discussion: BioCircular Economy 2.0 - Netherlands-Nordic leadership and collaboration in Europe
  • Part 2: Nordic and Dutch biocircular economy clusters - opportunities for co-innovation, collaboration, new products and markets.

Confirmed speakers and participants include high-level executives and leaders from Fortum Group, Norwegian Research Centre NORCENeste Corporation, UPM - The Biofore Company, ChemistryNL, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, BTG Bioliquids, INNOWO, ECESP (Food Waste, Food System and Bioeconomy Leadership Group), Circular Biobased Delta, Holland Circular Hotspot, Nordic Circular Hotspot, Business Finland and others.

Franc Bogovič, MEP (EPP, Slovenia), Chair of the Bioeconomy Working Group of the European Parliament Intergroup on “Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development”, will also participate in the roundtable discussion.

For further information, please click here.

To register, click here.