The Ghent Bio-Energy Valley is a joint initiative, started in 2005, of Ghent University

Ghent University

Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...

, the city of Ghent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

, the Port of Ghent

Port of Ghent

The port of Ghent is the third biggest port in Belgium. The first port of Ghent was situated at the Scheldt river and later on at the Lys river. Since the Middle Ages Ghent has sought for a connection to the sea. In the 13th century via the Lieve canal to the Zwin near Damme, in the 16th century...

, the Development Agency East-Flanders and a number of industrial companies. The initiative aims at the development of biofuel

Biofuel

Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...

s and bio-enzymes. It is an initiative of Professor Wim Soetaert

Wim Soetaert

Wim Soetaert is a chemical and biochemical engineer who heads the Centre of Expertise for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis at the University of Ghent, . His research group is active in the development of fermentative and biocatalytic production processes.-Early education and life:Soetaert...

 of the university and aiming towards a bio-based economy

Economy

An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...

.

The initiative is centered around:

• Stimulation of technological innovation
• Industrial integration and clustering
• Public acceptance and sensibilisation

Source

• Ghent Bio-Energy Valley (Dutch)
• Universiteit Gent lanceert Ghent Bio-Energy Valley (Dutch)
• bio-based economy (Dutch)