The Global Bioeconomy Alliance (GBA) proudly announces that Dr. Yan Zhou has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural GBA Award for Impact and Leadership in Bioeconomy 2025, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Dr. Zhou serves as Professor and Associate Chair (Faculty) at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, @Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and as Program Director for Bioprocess and Biotechnology at the @Nanyang Environmental and Water Research Institute (NEWRI).
She receives the prize for her pioneering work in waste valorisation and sustainable biotechnology. Her research focuses on transforming waste into high-value resources through microbial systems and bioprocesses, driving innovations that are scalable and industrially relevant, advancing the circular bioeconomy and creating impact across the water, energy, and food sectors – ultimately creating true impact by turning scientific breakthroughs into real-world sustainable solutions.
The award consists of:
- A personal prize of €15,000
- A one-year grant of €100,000 to support research and activities related to the award-winning work
- A complimentary one-year institutional membership of the GBA
As part of the recognition, Dr. Zhou delivered a keynote lecture at the GBA5: Conference on Key Technologies in the Bioeconomy, held in Denmark, from 29 September to 3 October 2025.
The GBA congratulates Dr. Zhou on this prestigious recognition of her leadership and outstanding contributions to advancing a sustainable bioeconomy.
We also thank The Novo Nordisk Foundation for funding the GBA Award for Impact and Leadership in Bioeconomy.