RBI Executive Conference Draws Record Crowd
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Growing Resources for a Sustainable Tomorrow—People, Technologies, Ideas was the theme of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute annual executive conference on the Georgia Tech campus this week (March 7-8, 2017) in Atlanta, Ga., USA. An estimated 200 executives, faculty, and students attended sessions featuring a range of disciplines across the university. Details and many of the presentations are available on the RBI website.
Domtar President and CEO John D. Williams (photo left) delivered the keynote address, The Building Blocks of Our Nation’s Future. "Wood fiber is the age-old wonder material that is seemingly new again," he told the audience. "Its inherent attributes—renewable, sustainable, carbon-neutral, and cost-competitive—are driving exciting new developments. "There are some useful lessons as the Renewable Bioproducts Institute prepares to support the industry’s next great transformation—unlocking and recombining the chemical building blocks of trees in new and interesting ways to make advanced, sustainable biomaterials," Williams continued. "The challenge is to demonstrate that we have the skills to find the emerging opportunities and to play in that value chain."
The conference showcased many of the graduate students supported by the RBI Endowment. Six advanced students presented their core technology and bioprocess research at concurrent sessions. They were joined by additional third- and fourth-year students in a panel addressing the student experience and the value of industry engagement as an important element of their preparation.
RBI executive director Norman Marsolan (photo right) told conferees that "we welcome this chance to present our outstanding students and their research to you and your companies. We invite you to engage with them here and through seminars, mentoring opportunities, internships, and other means."Thirty-four students competed for top prizes in the Institute’s annual poster contest (photo below). More than 40 company representatives crowded the area to learn more about the endowed research in RBI’s three strategic thrust areas: pulp, paper, and packaging; biorefining and chemicals; and biocomposites and nanocellulose.
"My research has definitely benefited from the one-on-one industry exposure gained through RBI’s partnerships," said RBI Fellow Bailey Risteen, who won a prize. "Hearing their feedback and experiences really grounds our work in practical applications."
In the photo above are (l-r) Norman Marsolan with poster winners Lu Jiang, Chad Hume, Bailey Risteen, Augustus Lang, Huibin Chang, and Yadong Chiang.
Two faculty sessions consisting of veteran and recent additions to the Georgia Tech faculty offered their research on advancement opportunities for core technology and emerging bioprocessing and bioproducts areas. A panel discussion presented the possibilities for the industry through RAPID—"Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment"—the most recently announced U.S. Department of Energy Innovative Manufacturing Institute, of which Georgia Tech is a leading partner. Speakers included David Sholl, acting chief technology officer of RAPID and chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Shri Ramaswami of the University of Minnesota, lead for biorefining and pulp and paper; and David Turpin, executive director of Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, another RAPID partner.
The conference closed with an interactive discussion featuring leaders of five Georgia Tech interdisciplinary research centers. In the photo above are (l-r) Garry McMurray, Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines; Dave McDowell, Institute for Materials; Tina Guldberg, GT Manufacturing Institute; Oliver Brand, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology; Norman Marsolan, Renewable Bioproducts Institute; and panel moderator Chris Jones, GT associate VP–research.The discussion focused on the opportunities the five leaders see in their research areas for advanced manufacturing and what they consider the grand challenges in those areas.
Norman Marsolan urged conference participants to share the learnings with their colleagues and return to campus. "Georgia Tech is well positioned to support your companies and their opportunities for transformation."
John Williams summed up the conference with what many considered good advice for those present. "The purpose of a research organization is not to deliver short- and medium-term results. In fact, the advantage of a world-class research institution is its ability to operate untethered from today’s short-term business needs. So, as you plan your budgets, resist the temptation to spread your resources evenly across different planning horizons. Go long."
