Planetary Health Launch Event
Introducing Pioneer Presents, an inspiring new event series exploring the challenges that we, as a life-sciences community, strive to solve.
Join us for the launch event of our Pioneer Presents: Planetary Health series to hear more from experts working across our three core themes:
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Human Health in a Changing Climate
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Circular Carbon Economy
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Sustainable Food Systems
Draft Agenda:
| Time | Item | Presenter |
| 10:30 | Coffee and Registration | |
| 11:00 | Welcome and introduction to Pioneer Group | TBC, Pioneer Group |
| 11:15 | Overview of Planetary Health | Dr Jen Vanderhoven, Pioneer Group |
| Session One: Human health in a changing climate | ||
| 11:30 | Saving lives, whilst saving the planet: Making biomanufacturing sustainable | Professor Safwan Akram, Teesside University |
| 11:45 | Creating a UK capability to rapidly respond to pandemic threats | TBC, CPI mRNA Centre of Excellence |
| 12:00 | A UK centre of excellence for bioprocessing training in the North East | Connor Foster, National Horizons Centre |
| 12:15 | Lunch and Networking | |
| Session 2: Circular Carbon Economy | ||
| 13:00 | Keeping it above ground: The role of the circular carbon economy | TBC |
| 13:15 | Pioneering the future of a sustainable plastics economy | Kim Walker, Mura Technology |
| 13:30 | Biorefinery technologies to produce high value products from hemicellulose sugars and lignin’s | TBC |
| Session 3: Sustainable Food Systems | ||
| 13:45 | Smart, secure and sustainable food systems | Yvonne Armitage, CPI |
| 14:00 | Sustainable protein ingredients for feed and food | TBC |
| 14:15 | Reducing the climate impact of farming | Adriana Botes, Azotic Technologies |
| Session 4: Golden Ticket Pitches (optional attendance) | ||
| 14:30 | Pioneer Golden Ticket Pitches | |
| 15:30 | Close | |
Venue: Wilton Centre
About Planetary Health
At Pioneer Group, we believe in the power of innovation and collaboration, to tackle our human and planetary health challenges.
At the present global consumption rate, by 2030 we will need two planets to meet both our resource needs and absorb societies waste.
The health of the planet we all call home is under threat from human mass consumption, with earth’s natural systems and boundaries being increasingly breached on a daily basis.
Human health and well-being are intricately linked to the health of the planet, which is currently suffering from reduced air and water quality, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution from plastics and toxic substances.

