Recently, the Paris Olympics officially came to an end. Under the main theme of green environmental protection, all kinds of bio-based products in the current Olympic Games to brush a wave of presence.
From the venue to the decoration, from the clothing to the food, the “bio-manufacturing” element occupies the C-suite and becomes an important contribution to the reduction of emissions.
I: Bio-based materials present at this year's Paris Olympics
1. St. Denis Aquatic Center: One of only two new permanent stadiums being built for the Games, the 5,000-seat Aquatic Center is constructed entirely of biobased materials, with interiors made of recycled materials made in France. Meanwhile, Laudescher, a French company with a 55-year history, is using an innovative material made from pine wood for the Games, which absorbs sound and ensures durability and aesthetics in high humidity environments.
2. Hockey field: The field is a new type of artificial turf, developed by Polytan. Unlike traditional artificial turf, which is mostly made from fossilized materials, this product is made from bio-based polyethylene extracted from sugarcane, which greatly reduces the carbon footprint, while at the same time being superior in performance and able to withstand extreme weather.
3. Team USA Uniforms: The Team USA 100% recycled cotton polo shirt uniforms were designed by Ralph Lauren as a result of a partnership between Ralph Lauren and sustainable materials company Natural Fiber Welding. The latter is focused on creating a “plastic-free” platform with its proprietary CLARUS® technology, which allows natural materials such as cotton, hemp, and wool to compete with the highest levels of synthetic materials.
4. Meals: More than 60% of the diets of the athletes at the Games will be vegetarian. In addition, Nestlé's Garden Gourmet has launched a variety of “artificial meats” such as sausages, steaks, foie gras, fish nuggets, etc., developed from plant-based ingredients, which will be served to athletes, volunteers and spectators.
II: A compendium of current French support for biobased materials
Policy:
1. Green Economy Plan (Plan de Relance Écologique): contains policies to promote bio-based products and green technologies. The Government provides financial support for the development of bio-based materials and encourages sustainable production and consumption.
2. Strategy for the Bioeconomy (Stratégie Nationale pour la Bioéconomie): This strategy focuses on the promotion of the bioeconomy, covering the entire value chain from bio-based raw materials to final products. Emphasis is placed on supporting innovation, creating biobased industry clusters and promoting cooperation with international markets.
3. Environmental Tax Credit (Crédit d'Impôt Recherche, CIR): Provides tax credits to companies engaged in the research and development of biobased materials, incentivizing more companies to invest in the research and development of biobased products.
4. Green Growth Energy Transition Act (Loi de Transition Énergétique pour la Croissance Verte): the bill contains provisions to promote a biobased economy and support the use of green technologies and renewable resources.
5. France's Health Innovation 2030 Strategy: In 2021, French President Macron launched his ambitious “France 2030” investment plan, which will invest 30 billion euros to re-establish France as a productive and technological innovation powerhouse through re-industrialization, with 40% of the funds going to the decarbonized economy. As a key component of the plan, Macron highlighted “synthetic biology” in his “France 2030 Strategy for Health Innovation” as “demonstrating its importance in the context of global trends”.
Meanwhile, in 2023, to celebrate the second anniversary of the implementation of “France 2030”, Macron summarized the progress of the past two years and announced the next phase of the plan's seven key areas of focus, biobased resources and biopharmaceutical research and development are among them.
Support from industry organizations, etc:
1. French National Agency for Scientific Research (ANR): ANR provides financial support to encourage scientific research projects involving biobased technologies, including funding for research and development of biobased materials and technologies.
2. France Biotech: As an industry organization, France Biotech provides support to biotech companies, including policy advocacy, industry information and resources.
Other forms of support:
1. Participation in EU bio-based and green economy programs such as Horizon Europe.
Another incomplete compilation of local French bio-based companies are Carbios, Metabolic Explorer (METEX), Global Bioenergies, Algopack, Rivertree, Phaesun, Groupe Roquette, Ecovia, Tereos, Adocia, etc., which are engaged in the fields of biomedicine, biobased plastics, biobased fuels, and industry. They are not only boosting the French bio-based economy, but are also taking their place in the global market.
