Then and Now: 120 Bioeconomy Pioneers look at yesterday, today, inspirations and challenges

Paul Zissermann

Then:   In July 2007, I was working as the Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa for Zander Corp, a small British start-up specialising in producing organic soil conditioners and biological fertilisers. I set up Zander’s offices in Dubai and Tripoli (Libya!), and started building strategic relationships with potential customers in the region. This involved field trials, factory establishment, marketing and branding, regulatory approvals, building field and sales teams, and a myriad of other admin tasks. Our motto was “creating a living soil”, and we were working closely with a number of terrestrial biofuels projects in arid areas, to help with plant establishment while reducing initial irrigation and fertiliser application rates. Exciting stuff! We were talking to VC companies about equity, we had $1m+ of sales under our belt, and then – boom –  the global financial crisis hit!  The capital dried up and I had to find another job – as Enviro Manager with Emirates Airline.

Now:   Today I’m back in my native Australia, working as an Enviro Manager with Airservices – Australia’s air traffic control agency.  The work includes working with airlines to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by improving airspace efficiency, and other environmental issues such as aviation noise and on-ground issues such as PFAS contamination (from old firefighting foams).  Although I no longer deal directly with alternative fuels in my daily work, I maintain a strong interest in the area (thanks to the Biofuels Digest!), and am still in touch with many colleagues who are working in the area.

Inspirations:  The thing I love most about the advanced bio-economy is the extraordinary depth of potential opportunities it brings!  The ability to make fuel or plastics or food supplements out of bio-based feedstocks (instead of fossil fuels) is incredible – plus the notion that things can be truly sustainable – ie. you can make money AND reduce our environmental impacts on the planet.  This is something I have been dreaming of and striving towards since my childhood…!

Challenges: The thing I find most challenging about the advanced bio-economy is separating out the fact from the fiction, and understanding which technologies are truly viable and scalable, and which are not.  It is also very disappointing (but not totally unexpected) that some of these amazing technologies are not supported more vigorously by national governments (such as in Australia), who are either paralysed by ultra-conservatives and climate change deniers, or who simply don’t believe in providing government support to these kinds of cutting edge technologies.  This leaves countries like Australia (who invented wifi!) trailing behind the rest of the world – instead of being at the forefront of the advanced bio-economy.  This is such a lost opportunity – unless policies change soon.