Introduction:

Bioeconomy is the economy that use renewable biological resources such as crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms for the production of food, materials and energy. Bioeconomy Transformation Programme (BTP) was launched by the Malaysian Prime Minister in 2012 to further develop the bio-based industry in Malaysia into pursuing a high-income nation by the year 2020. The pursuit of bioeconomy is in line with the growing interest, worldwide, in the continuous development of novel and sustainable green materials and processes by researchers in the academia. It is imperative that we find long-term solutions using development and application of innovative biotechnology principles for sustainable global peace, prosperity, and improved quality of life. Advances in biotechnological engineering involve the optimal use of nature, in the form of plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and algae to produce renewable energy, food and nutrients in a synergistic integrated cycle of profit making processes where the waste of each process becomes the feedstock for another process. It also involves offering ways to make biochemical processes work more efficiently and create less pollution, improves treatment and utilization of wastes. To facilitate and keeping pace with the rapidly growing global demand in biotechnological advancements, the Faculty of Engineering at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is organizing the 5th International Conference on Biotechnology Engineering (ICBioE 2018) in the vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur under the theme: “Harnessing Innovation for Sustainable Bioeconomy”. The forum will provide a platform for promoting innovation through collaboration among the stake-holders such as researchers, academics, technopreneurs, policymakers, decision makers, and captains of industry.

Objectives:

• To serve as a platform for engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to meet and interact to exchange information, ideas and share knowledge.
• To promote opportunities for commercialization of biotechnology research findings, innovations and products.
• To enhance proper and efficient documentation and dissemination of research and innovation to interested parties.
• To promote the efficient utilization of natural resources through application of green technology principles in research, innovation and product development for sustainable and healthy environment.