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

Jean-Paul Michel

Then:  I was CFO for a consumer goods company (Sylvania  actually). Preparing the company for the perfect storm of the 2008 crisis and the technology transition from “traditional” lighting to solid state lighting. Not unlike the transition being undergone from ICE vehicles to EV for instance…

Now:  “Now EVP/CFO for LanzaTech. I fundamentally believe curbing carbon-emissions is one of the greatest (and most critical) challenges ever faced. Given its mission and objectives, joining LanzaTech was an easy decision, with a clear focus on a triple bottom-line contributions.

Inspirations:   We are about to become commercial (November 2017 is the date), this is the milestone everyone has been fighting for, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of it.” “It is the future. Or there is no future.

Changing our relationship to resource usage is crucial. Point blank. The challenge for everyone in the business is … to make it a business.

2 years ago, I was shocked to notice so much focus on processes, pathways and subsidies. Since then, I have observed a deep transition to a focus on products, value, fundamentally CUSTOMERS. This is the clear signal that we are becoming an economy that thinks and works alongside the lines of value propositions, customer demand, lifecycles etc. This will allow for a long-term consolidation of the entire industry into the landscape.

This is more exciting than ever, this is thrilling.” “With regard to fuels, legislation and regulations are the trickiest, most challenging aspect given their extreme complexity (even subtlety at times). Too many issues with regard to deciding the winners rather than focusing on societal benefits.

Challenges:  From a business perspective, competition against large established players is still alongside the lines of “traditional” (i.e. carbon-intensive) technologies vs “”alternative”” (i.e. low-carbon or bio) technologies. This is a surprisingly narrow-minded approach to end-customer needs, in stark contrast with other sectors I experienced where new technologies would be aggressively pursued as a way for existing players to consolidate their value proposition and market positions.

Finally, financing is a continuous challenge as, despite many billion dollar pledges, under-writing standards haven’t changed much at a time when it is about proving technologies at scale rather than replicating their deployment. Never a dull moment in a nutshell…