ABISURE_Network

ABISURE

Alliance for Biomass and Sustainability
Research

BULLETIN DECEMBER - 2021

FARID CHEJNE JANNA

Editor
Scientific director

Alliance for Biomass and Sustainability Research -ABISURE

Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Medellín
Facultad de Minas

Farid Chejne Janna
Scientific director
Farid Chejne and Robert J. Macías
Editors
Juan C. Maya, Carlos M. Ceballos, Farid Chejne, Robert J. Macías
Editing & Proofreading Team
© Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Medellín
2021

ABISURE is a center of excellence

made up of a network of international
scientists and professionals from both
the public and private sectors, headed

by the Universidad Nacional de
Colombia and oriented to

interdisciplinary work in the areas of
knowledge related to the

transformation of biomass, modeling,
and optimization of physical-chemical

processes, biomaterials, and
sustainability.



ABISURE   | 1

WHAT IS THE NETWORK LOOKING
FOR?




To consolidate the ABISURE center of
excellence and to take advantage of
the capacities of network members; to
position the country on the frontier of

scientific and technical knowledge,
which allows its social, economic, and
technological development based on
green chemistry; and to contribute to
the reliability of the energy supply in a

sustainable way during the energy
transition in Colombia.

ABISURE   |  2

As President of the Colombian Academy of Exact,

Physical and Natural Sciences, I am extremely pleased

to know that the Alliance for Biomass and Sustainability

Research (ABISURE) has been recognized as a center

of excellence by the Universidad Nacional de

Colombia. Given its emphasis on the transformation of

biomass, modeling, and optimization of physical-

chemical processes and biomaterials in terms of the

development of new and innovative methods to

achieve sustainability, this new network constitutes an

important interdisciplinary step towards the

implementation of the conclusions and

recommendations of the International Mission of

Experts 2019 (Misión Internacional de Sabios 2019). The

impressive list of collaborating organizations and

scientists, their expertise and background, will make it

possible to reach the objectives defined by the

alliance.

Enrique Forero

President of the Colombian Academy of
Exact Physical and Natural Sciences

ABISURE   |  3

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, from its Research
System and in harmony with the International Mission of
Experts 2019 (Misión Internacional de Sabios 2019), has
generated a first high-impact bet through centers of
excellence that generate national and international
networks for the solution of global-scale problems.

In this sense, the creation of the ABISURE Network in
relation to the transformation of biomass, modeling,
and optimization of physical-chemical processes,
biomaterials, and sustainability, is an important
scenario for the management of knowledge on these
issues and Glocal issues; so we face in a correct way
the challenges that we have as humans in the historical
moment that we are living.

Camilo Younes

Vice-Rector of research
Universidad Nacional de Colombia

ABISURE   |  4

ABISURE represents a look towards the future of Colombia in
one of the crucial issues for its sustainability and commitment
to a prosperous and socially equitable economy. We know it is
not easy to build a suitable future for our new generation;
therefore, the effort of many people will be the convergence
strategy to take on the ABISURE challenge.

ABISURE means building a roadmap around the use of
biomass as agro-industrial and domestic waste for taking
advantage of the capacities of national and international
scientists, businessmen, and government officials. Right now,
we have the possibility of strengthening our cooperation links
to understand the biomass transformation, how to model it,
how to produce new materials or new biomaterials, and how
to guarantee sustainability for getting the best and relevant
solutions for Colombia and the world in general.

ABISURE will be a center of excellence made up of a network
of scientists and international professionals from the public
and private sector, headed by the Universidad Nacional de
Colombia and oriented to interdisciplinary work by taking the
knowledge of different disciplines like engineering, physics,
chemistry, medicine, biology, and social sciences.

Farid Chejne Janna

Scientific Director ABISURE Network

ABISURE   |  5

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS

ABISURE   |  6

NATIONAL PARTNER UNIVERSITIES

ABISURE   |  7

NATIONAL PARTNER COMPANIES

ABISURE   |  8

ABISURE TOPICS

BIOMASS TRANSFORMATION

Thermochemical processes:
gasification, pyrolysis, torrefaction,
pretreatment processes, etc.
Biochemical processes: anaerobic
digestion, fermentation, etc.

BIOMATERIALS

Biochar production, activated

carbon, carbon nanostructures,

microencapsulated phase

change materials, pellets, and

nanomaterials.

MODELING & OPTIMIZATION OF PHYSICAL-
CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Multiscale process

modeling: pore,

particle, reactor
Molecular modeling

Process plant modeling

Optimization through
superstructure analysis

SUSTAINABILITY

Life cycle analysis, energy transition,

integration of processes to minimize waste,

CO2 capture, and supply chain

ABISURE   |  9

HOW WILL WE MAKE IT?

FACE-TO-FACE VIRTUAL
DISCUSSION SPACES DISCUSSION SPACES





To hold the first ABISURE To make ten meetings of

scientific conference member of the ABISURE

network to discuss network's

issues

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY INTERNSHIPS
OF THE NETWORK
To visit five national centers
To formulate proposal for and four international
research projects institutions

INDUSTRY ACADEMY DISCLOSURE STRATEGY
INTERACTION
To submit five papers
To carry out vir
tual or face- To prepare monthly technical
newsletters
to-face discussion spaces to To prepare an international
address the challenges of Master of science program
the Colombian productive
sector

ABISURE   |  10

PARTICIPANTS

Argentina France United States

Noemi Zaritzky Anthony Dufour Adrián Bejan
Brennan Pecha
Australia Germany Ljubisa Radovic
Manuel García-Pérez
Suresh K. Bhatia Axel Funke Peter Ciesielski
Nicolaus Dahmen Juan Ordóñes
Brazil Pablo Arauzo
Netherlands
Electo Silva Iran
Marcio de Sousa Erik Heeres
Payam Ghorbannezhad Jessi Osorio
Fatemeh Aghili
Bijan Yeganeh Spain

Canada Italy Antonio Valero
Fredy Vélez
Jean-Michel Lavoie David Chiaramonti Jesús Arauzo Pérez
Mary Martínez Aguilar Matteo Prussi José Luis Sánchez
Prabir Basú Edoardo Miliotti José Ramón Perán
Vijaya Raghavan Juan Adánez Elorza
María Isabel Fonts
Javier Ábrego

Chile Mexico Saudi Arabia

Alex Berg Raul Ocampo Juan Restrepo Cano
Adriana Blanco
Gladis Vidal ABISURE   |  11

PARTICIPANTS

Colombia

Farid Chejne Janna Elena Stashenko Olimpo García





Sonia Rincón Adriana Quinchía Carlos Álvarez





Farid Cortés Marlon Bastidas David Lopera Arango





Benjamín Rojano Carlos Ceballos Omar Cadena





Rafael Ribadeneira Jader Aleán Fernando Enríquez





Jairo Espinosa Jesús García Tomás Restrepo





Iván Aristizábal Whady Flórez Luis Javier Hoyos





Albeiro Espinosa Bedoya Hernán Mauricio Romero Fredy Avellaneda Vargas





Carlos Sánchez Sáenz María Del Pilar Noriega Edgar Castillo





Carlos Londoño Giraldo Jorge Sánchez Molina Julián Sánchez





Javier De La Cruz Faustino Moreno Andrés Felipe Niño





Robert J. Macías Darío Fajardo Diana Ruano





Juan Carlos Maya Javier Martínez Ana Casas Botero





Myriam Rojas Carlos Martínez Smit Mario Sanchéz












ABISURE   |  12

ABISURE

Alliance for Biomass and Sustainability Research

[email protected]