WASHINGTON, DC (April 4, 2019) – POET CEO Jeff Broin today received the Global Bioeconomy Leadership Award for his vision and leadership in pioneering new technology and building his company into the largest biofuel producer in the world.

The award, from Biofuels Digest and Nuu, recognizes individuals who are still in the midst of their careers and who continue to demonstrate “conspicuous leadership in the development and deployment of new technology.” Broin received the award during the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference at the Mayflower Marriott Hotel in Washington.

“Biofuels are aiming the trajectory of our economy and global energy away from fossil fuels and toward a 100% renewable future,” Broin said. “I’m deeply honored by this award and very proud of the contributions POET has made over the past thirty years to unlock the potential of biofuels and generate new demand for America’s family farmers.

“For more than a century, fossil fuels have polluted our air and clouded our future with no alternative in sight,” he said. “But today we have a readily available, affordable solution that can begin to reverse the devastating effects of climate change. Biofuels are transforming the energy landscape and creating a brighter future, and we now see nearly infinite alternatives to petroleum-based products on the horizon. POET will continue to lead the way by innovating sustainable technologies and introducing renewable, eco-friendly bioproducts derived from the surface of the earth to protect the health of our families and our planet.”

Broin is the third recipient of the Global Bioeconomy Leadership Award. The two previous recipients were Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

“Jeff Broin exemplifies what the words “global leadership” should mean in the bioeconomy: an ability to envision a bold future, inspire a generation of leaders to work with him to develop that vision into promising technologies and products, and to build a great company to deliver on the promise,” said Jim Lane, editor and publisher of Biofuels Digest and Nuu. “He, and the company he founded, POET, have catalyzed the development of renewable fuels, advanced feed and a new generation of fuels and materials based on waste residues; they’ve led at every step of the journey in the development of new markets and applications for farmers, new good-paying jobs for rural areas, and the rebirth of American manufacturing and refining.”

POET has a large team of engineers, scientists and business development experts working at lab-, pilot- and commercial-scale to discover and implement new technology. Over its more than 30-year history, the company has continually found ways to make biofuel production more efficient, develop new co-products and use new sources for biofuel.

Recently, POET announced its new biofuel co-product, JIVE, which rejuvenates and modifies asphalt for roadways across the country. POET’s efforts in research and development have led to 125 patents related to biofuel and coproduct production. Other innovations include

- Total Water Recovery, a system to eliminate wastewater discharge from its biorefineries
- BPX, a process that lowers energy use by using enzymes instead of heat in fermentation
- Fast Fiber, a proprietary process to convert corn fiber to cellulosic biofuel
- Cellulosic biofuel from crop residue, through a joint venture with DSM
- Continuous biofuel yield improvements, to more efficiently convert corn starch to ethanol
- Use of landfill gas and waste wood to power a biorefinery in South Dakota, in partnership with the City of Sioux Falls

About POET

POET, the world’s largest biofuels producer, is a leader in bio refining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. Started in 1987, the company today has a network of 27 production facilities. POET, through its joint venture with DSM, also operates a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. This year, Fast Company recognized POET on its annual list of “Most Innovative Companies” for transportation. For more information, visit http://www.poet.com.