Next generation scientific collaboration to advance the biochemical supply chain: The Biochemical Technology Leadership Roundtable (BTLR)

Bio-based and renewable chemicals hold the potential to improve the environmental profile of the products we all use every day and ultimately improve the quality of life of all in the 21st century. New bio-based chemicals which function as the "feedstock" for products we use every day have made great strides to compete with petroleum-based chemicals based on performance and price for existing applications, while offering expansions into novel and innovative areas. However, to compete successfully in the market place with petroleum-based technologies on an even playing field, the bio-based sector needs to substantially scale-up production and overcome a wide array of challenges. An expansive series of stakeholder conversations and convenings identified key areas of potential collaboration across the biochemical technology value chain. In response to this critical need for a center of scientific excellence in the biochemcial technology sector, an industry-focused Biochemical Technology Leadership Roundtable (BTLR) is being organized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute (GCI).