Courtesy of the University of Alberta's Website
U of A researcher David Bressler

The bioeconomy is a big focus in Alberta's impact innovations right now.  

Stan Blade, the CEO of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions says scientists are starting to take a closer look at all of the biomass we produce in Alberta.  "We're starting to think a bit more about other things we can do with the biomass. Whether is it wheat, straw or other kinds of things."

University of Alberta researcher, David Bressler spoke at an event last Thursday about a $3.8 million investment made to the bioconversions network run out of U of A.  He says the money is going towards taking biomass, ripping it apart and refining it into new kinds molecules for materials, chemicals or even energy that people will pay for.  

"We could get some additional value out of the material of the biomass we produce in the this province, and it's happening both in agriculture and in forestry," Blade says.  "There are new ideas and new ways to make products, such as replacing hydrocarbon, so for example if we can make bioplastics or even if we can make the kind of products that the car industry is looking for, but out of natural products that are produced in this province." He says the industry is very interested in these ideas and they are getting a lot of traction.

"There are many companies from around the world looking at Alberta as not only a place to do research on this area of biorefining, but also to consider building plants and production facilities here."

Blade says Alberta has been a huge supplier to the world when it comes to canola, barley, wheat and meat products. "It's also a very completive world and I think it's tremendous we can use science to start to give us an advantage and say that these are the kind of things that make our food products attractive. It also gives both processors and producers a chance to think about how they can make these products even better." 

Blade says Bio Solutions will help commercialize new technology from agricultural and forestry research.