These workshops were desiged to develop an understanding of how research in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy can contribute to the goals of

the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). They brought together invited experts from a range of University departments, research institutes,

non-governmental organisations and specialist businesses from Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The discussions were

focused around 6 main themes:

- Novel non-food-competitive feedstocks for Advanced Anaerobic Digestion (AAD) - Potential for and benefits of energy production from wastewater - AAD from agro-industry, commercial and municipal wastes - Anaerobic biorefineries for new products - Integration of anaerobic digestion with other renewable energy technologies - Resource recovery and the circular economy The goal was to identify priority areas where research is needed to make advanced AD technology, its biomass substrates, and its product outputs (fuel, power, added value chemicals and nutrients) work best for sub-Saharan Africa; and to look for linkages and synergies between the UK and African partners in IBBE research. See photos of our workshop in Johannesburg and meetings at the University of Stellenbosch here.