Mission and goals

The Michigan State University Office of Biobased Technologies:
Growing a New Economy for Michigan

The bioeconomy holds tremendous promise for Michigan's economic and environmental future. When fully developed, Michigan's bioeconomy will harvest significant quantities of biomass from agricultural crops and trees, manufacture it into a range of desirable, high-quality products, and expand the necessary services and logistics sectors. The bioeconomy offers the potential to create a thriving economy based on research and development of clean, safe and renewable biofuels, chemicals and materials.

The Michigan State University Office of Biobased Technologies (OBT) aims to integrate innovations in the lab with advances in the marketplace to enhance the economy, the environment, and the quality of life in Michigan and around the globe. Simply put, the mission of the OBT is to identify, encourage and support research programs that will position Michigan State University as a world leader in the development of the bioeconomy.

Created in March 2006 by MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, the OBT is designed to marshal MSU research and resources to help foster connections with public and private sector initiatives designed to expand Michigan's bioeconomic sector. The OBT fits perfectly into Simon's "Boldness by Design" strategic plan, which calls for Michigan State University to undertake outreach and engagement and economic development activities that are innovative and research-driven, and lead to a better quality of life for individuals and communities. The bioeconomy is innovative and research-driven and will lead to a better quality of life for Michigan.

"Above all else, a thriving economic future requires the creation of new, knowledge-based industries," Simon says. "Because of our intellectual capital and our record of entrepreneurial success, Michigan State University is singularly positioned to help develop those industries and shape that future. I expect the Office of Biobased Technologies will play a pivotal role in this critical effort."

The terms "bioeconomy" and "biobased economy" describe a future in which people rely more on renewable resources to meet society's needs for energy, chemicals and raw materials. Instead of an economy dependent on the planet's limited supply of nonrenewable resources such as petroleum and coal, we will convert biomass -- plant material and municipal and livestock waste -- into electricity, fuels, plastics and the basic components of chemical processes.

"There is more to the bioeconomy than just fuel," says Steven Pueppke, director of OBT. "The bioeconomy is about making crop plants more valuable and providing consumers with products from renewable resources."

Researchers at Michigan State University have been conducting bioeconomy research for many years. But the Office of Biobased Technologies offers the campus community, state officials and private businesses a central location and point of focus for information and expertise.

"The OBT allows us to package all of the university's talents and technology together," Pueppke says. "Private companies and citizens need one point of contact at MSU to meet all their bioeconomy needs. The OBT is that point."