KTT Activities

Overview

Bioeconomy based on industrial uses of biobased products is the wave of the future. This new wave is generally seen by the broad society as a laudable goal but the challenges faced toward development of sustainable bioeconomy are generally not well understood. Understanding of the opportunities the bioeconomy creates, as well as the trade-offs involved for businesses to invest in R & D and market their products is important for society’s acceptance, as for any technology to become viable. As a part of its activities, BDDC is committed to increasing awareness of the efforts needed to develop greener materials from sustainable resources.

Professor Amar Mohanty has received Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) grant from OMAFRA/U of G Partnership program Agri-Food and Rural Link, for the project entitled “Bioeconomy Seminar Series and Innovative Outreach Program for Wider Dissemination of Knowledge”.The main goal of this project is to conduct a ‘Bioeconomy Seminar Series’ that will benefit the bioeconomy industry of Ontario through access to expertise from national and international experts.

Agri-Food and Rural Link is the hub for KTT at the University of Guelph and is an important component of OMAFRA/University of Guelph (UofG) Partnership Agreement. 

The KTT program sets aside funds for projects that improve the impact of research by transforming knowledge into use for different audiences across the agriculture, food and rural sectors. It also provides new and improved networking and collaboration opportunities among researchers and public- and private-sector partners. Or more simply, KTT can be defined as: “… accelerating the transformation of knowledge into use.” 

Bioeconomy Seminar Series

Public Seminar  -  04 October, 2012

Part of OMAFRA-UofG KTT Bioeconomy Seminars

Speaker 1

Speaker 2

Speaker 3

View Seminar Announcement

Ron Buckhalt Public Seminar - "Biopreferred: Creating New Markets for Biobased Products"
17 April, 2012

Part of OMAFRA-UofG KTT Bioeconomy Seminars

"Biopreferred: Creating New Markets for Biobased Products"
Speaker: Ron Buckhalt
Manager, BioPreferred® program, USDA/Agricultural Research Service, Washington, DC
When: Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Time:   6 pm, followed by Reception at 7 pm
Location: OVC Lifetime Learning Centre, Rm1714, University of Guelph

We will hear about the steps the U.S. government is taking to support the development of the bioeconomy.  The BioPreferred program is a mandatory Federal procurement program put in place 10 years ago to help pull the market for biobased products by harnessing the purchasing power of the Federal government by mandating the purchase of products designated by USDA. The program now also has a USDA Certified Biobased Product label which is beginning to appear in retail outlets.  Additionally, the Administration is expected to announce a new Federal research thrust to support the bioeconomy.

Hosted by Prof. Amar Mohanty, Director of Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre
View Seminar Announcement

Seminar Recording

Brenda Platt - Public Seminar "Sustainable Biomaterials: Criteria, Benefits, Challenges & Market-Based Tools"
13 March, 2012

As a part of OMAFRA-UofG KTT Bioeconomy Seminars, the first speaker in the series will be Brenda Platt, Co-Chair, Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Washington, DC
"Sustainable Biomaterials: Criteria, Benefits, Challenges & Market-Based Tools"

When: Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Time:   6 pm, followed by Reception at 7 pm
Location: OVC Lifetime Learning Centre, Rm1714, University of Guelph

The development of bioplastics and other biobased materials holds great promise to mitigate many of the problems associated with plastic derived from nonrenewable sources. However, they are not an automatic panacea. As the interest in biomaterials grows, so follows concern regarding sourcing and end-of-life issues surrounding these materials such as food competition and GMOs and compostability vs recyclability. We will hear from the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative, and its efforts to promote innovative programs that allows buyers of biobased products to support sustainable agricultural practices.

Hosted by Professor Amar Mohanty, Director, Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre

View Seminar Announcement

Seminar Recording