| |
Strategic alliances are being developed in forming the algae industry. We have all come together wanting to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, create new jobs and for the US to become self-sustainable. Algae is one solution. Collaboration defines the success of the NAA. In the near future commercial-scale algae farms will be developed on a regional basis to serve the fuel, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, organic fertilizer and bioplastic industries. The algae industry is projected to be an estimated $1.4 trillion dollar market for fuel and biomass co-products.
“Countries that fail to commercialize their research discoveries remain diminished…”according to Juan Enriquez, Managing Director of Excel Venture Management and the author of two best-selling books: As The Future Catches You and The Untied States of America. “Take the U.K., for example: They discovered penicillin and DNA, but preferred to let the knowledge sit in a college lab somewhere, rather than let the professor, g-d forbid, benefit from the discovery. The moment we start adopting those same attitudes in the United States, we will begin to decay.”
And with those thoughts, the National Algae Association is continuing to pursue its mission to fast-track commercialization of algae. “It’s time to get algae out of the lab and into commercial production” according to NAA Executive Director Barry Cohen.
Last month, NAA successfully completed its first Algae Production Certification Program, followed by a two-day conference with updates and presentations from Sandia Labs’ research executive Ron Pate, who is currently serving as Biomass Program advisor with the Department of Energy, Chris Cassidy of the USDA, BioCentric Energy’s CEO Dr. Brian Goodall, Bob Vitale of Waterwheel Factory, Bill Shields of Gehr Plastics, Dr. Kyle Murray of the University of Texas San Antonio, Stoel Rives’ patent partner Karl Schwappach, Marcos Broken of Evidos, Scott Fraser of OriginOil, Mike Bellefeuille of Phyco Biosciences, Surajit Khanna of BARD Holding, Pall Corporation’s Dr. Maria Anez-Lingerfelt, Pierre Moulinie of Bayer MaterialScience, Ben O’Toole of Algaecake Technologies, Ted Hartke, representing SBAE Industries, Kent Peterson of Fluid Imaging Technologies, Will Thurmond of Emerging Markets Online, John Panabianco of Jacobs Engineering, Cindy Thyfault Westar Resources’, Gary Reeves of Yokogawa Corporation of America, Mike Vaughn of Millipore Corporation, Kevin Drumm of SRS, and Clay Claus, student at University of Denver. Algaepreneur awards were presented to Ed Baker, BioCentric Energy and OriginOil for their achievements and dedication. Each conference day ended with a field trip to the closed-loop photobioreactor donated to Lone Star College.
NAA's next event will be a one-day workshop, ALGAE AS A NEW FEEDSTOCK FOR BIOCRUDE AND BIOMASS CO-PRODUCTS, on June 17, 2010, at BARD Holding, Keystone Industrial Port Complex, 1 Ben Fairless Drive, Fairless Hills, PA 19030. Information and registration are available on our website.
NAA's next initiative is the Algae Innovation Awards, co-sponsored by National Algae Association and Algae Industry Magazine. With an eye toward young talent leading the future of algaebioenergy development, the National Algae Association (nationalalgaeassociation.com), in cooperation with Algae Industry Magazine, announces the launch of the Algae Innovation Awards, a scholarship competition for innovative university and college microbiology and engineering students as well as for high school science students. More information is available on our website.
|
info[.]nationalalgaeassociation.com 
