A world in transitionChallenges for Wageningen UR

Prof. Martin J. Kropff

Rector Magnificus Wageningen University

1A world in transition

Growth of world population and major events

Healthy and safe food

Biobased economy

Algae

Primary residuals (road grass, wood trimmings,

Sustainable available (parts) of crops/plants

(Thermo)chemical conversion

Food & feed

PRODUCE BIOMASS CONVERT BIOMASS PRODUCE BIO-BASED PRODUCTS

Power

Biochemical conversion

Heat

Specialty chemicals

(Base)chemicals& materials

Fuels

Waste

Waste

Secondary residuals (beet pulp, beer brush)

Tertiary residuals (animal fat, dung, GFT)

Johan Sanders – Wageningen UR

Green and blue living environment

Complex issues

2 Complex issues require new approaches and arrangements

The Wageningen approach

Individual

Society

Community

Household

Gene/ Molecule

Cell

Organism

Products

Ecosystem

Planet

Policy & limiting conditions

institutions

technologies

Sys

tem

s bi

olog

y in

tegr

atin

g al

l lev

els

Beh

avio

uran

d go

vern

ance

Integrated theme of complex adaptive systems

Socio-economic

Technological

Incremental

Radical

Incremental Radical

� Bionanochips in crop protection� Robotica� Adapting micro flora to reduce

methane emission in cow� Soilless plant cultures

� New production chains in Africa� Manure as source of energy

and nutrients

� Adapting feed to reduce phosphate emissions

� Introduction GMO� Broad dikes� New mixed farming systems

Wageningen UR

DLO

VHL

WU

3The changing role of science and scientists

From individual approach to networks

authors

International and transnational

Increasing load of information

A new Olympus

Results 1-10 of 432,000,000 fo

r food

and health (0,32 seconds)

Results 1 – 10 of 1,120,000 for

biobased economy (0,16 seconds)

Informing the public and policy makers

4Required developments for Wageningen

Scientific exellence: team and individual

Educational excellence

Internationalisation

Concluding remarks

� Complexity: Interdisciplinary approach, co-innovation and international networks

� Individual excellence within team approach

� Comprehensive conclusions for public and policy� Report level of uncertainty� Realising our role as scientists and knowledge

brokers in stead of issue advocacy

A world in transitionScience by inspiration

Algae

Primary residuals

(road grass, wood

trimmings,

Sustainable available

(parts) of crops/plants

(Thermo)chemical conversion

Food & feed

PRODUCE BIOMASS CONVERT BIOMASS PRODUCE BIO-BASED PRODUCTS

Power

Biochemical conversion

Heat

Specialty

chemicals

(Base)chemicals

& materials

Fuels

Waste

Waste

Secondary residuals

(beet pulp, beer brush)

Tertiary residuals

(animal fat, dung,

GFT)