Staying Focused on the Mission as Market and Policy Landscapes Shift

Dear Colleagues,

One of the goals of IB is to help our readers chart the uncertain terrain of technological innovation to meet global societal needs. Whether it is producing novel bioproducts, driving sustainable agricultural development, or addressing water availability and quality challenges, our goal must be to expand and diversify the portfolio of technologies that can be integrated and deployed to provide feasible solutions. As an engineer, I very much value having a diverse and expansive technology portfolio to tap into to address challenging problems—I detest being trapped in a corner with limited options. However, there is a significant R&D investment required in providing such a portfolio, and securing this investment is challenging during times when market and policy landscapes are uncertain.

This uncertainty can be observed when we step back and review some events that have unfolded during the past year. On the bright side, the White House released its “Bioeconomy Blueprint” that champions the cause for sustainable biobased industries. We had several major corporations break ground on cellulosic biofuels projects, and there continues to be a stream of scientific breakthroughs that are feeding into global technological innovation efforts. We are also seeing a strong surge in the commercialization of biobased chemicals, as discussed in the commentary in this issue of IB contributed by Bergeson, Auer, and Peveler.

A number of challenges have also emerged, however, that have tilted the landscape in the other direction. Expansion in natural gas and oil supplies have altered market dynamics for renewables, there are challenges to the Renewable Fuels Standard, and there is political opposition on Capitol Hill to the US Navy's effort to expand biofuel development by stimulating market pull. Thus, for those of us on the ground trying to expand and diversify the technology portfolio, these are very uncertain times. How do we maintain our commitment and enthusiasm for innovation with so many unknowns?

First, we must realize that we are committed to bioeconomy development for the long haul. As noted in the commentary by Reed, perseverance pays off! The uneven but sustained investment from the public and private sector here in the US has resulted in several advanced biofuels projects coming on line in the past 18 months. Second, we must realize that we are not alone. The building of the global bioeconomy is being driven by a group of competitive innovators and investors from around the world. Our colleagues in Brazil, Europe, China, India and other parts of the world are seeking novel ways to deploy science and technology to meet local and regional sustainability challenges. One of our goals at IB is to facilitate collaboration between these global players by providing a forum for sharing original research, perspectives, and commentaries. Finally, for the sake of future generations, we must continue to believe that it is possible to translate dreams into reality!