Supporting the biofuels industry
In 2006, the European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP) was established to support and accelerate research for the application of various biofuel technologies. A secretariat was established on a three-year contract to administer the EBTP. The EU-funded 'European biofuels technology platform secretariat' (BIOFUELSTP) project aimed to support and fund the continued activity of the EBTP secretariat. The secretariat's role was to organise and administer several working groups within the EBTP, as well as manage its communication strategy. As such, the key task was the coordination and administration of the EBTP, which improved its efficiency and public impact. This included managing steering committee meetings, setting up a cloud-based document management system, and investigating ways for the secretariat to fund itself in the future. Other activities of BIOFUELSTP promoted cooperation with other European technology platforms on various topics through networking events, collaborating on academic papers and setting up joint task forces for specific projects. Lastly, the project helped create various biofuels factsheets targeting interested parties and the public. BIOFUELSTP has thus succeeded in supporting crucial administrative activities and improving communication with the public. The EBTP has now secured funding to support the next secretariat while it irons out a strategy for future funding.
