At 8 am Beijing time on September 8, 2023, the third International Symposium on Bio-based Materials and Energy started at Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Prof. Orlando J. Rojas from the University of British Columbia, Canada, Prof. Bernd Strehmel and Prof. Veronika Strehmel from Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Germany, Prof. Zhang Kai from the University of Göttingen, Germany, Prof. Liping Cai from University of North Texas, USA, Director Gary Li from Suzano Company, Brazil, and Prof. Zhijun Chen from our university (in no particular order) participated and delivered great presentations on the scene. In addition, Prof. Xiaodong Chen from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Prof. Yonghao Ni from University of Maine, USA, Prof. Huining Xiao and Dr. Zhibin He from University of New Brunswick, Canada, Prof. Ning Yan from University of Toronto, Canada, Prof. Martin Hubbe from North Carolina State University, USA, Prof. Xuejun Zou from Canadian Forest Products Innovation Institute, Dr. Yuanyuan Li from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, Dr. Huayang Zhang from University of Adelaide, Australia, and CEO Jinyan Lv from MedPHA Company, China, delivered great presentations online. The conference was divided into four sessions, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Many professors, industry celebrities and students from various countries at home and abroad also participated in the international seminar on the scene or online by Zoom or Tencent.

At the beginning of the symposium, the host, Professor Long Bai introduced the invited professors. Professor Yanjun Xie, Dean of the College of Materials Science and Engineering of Northeast Forestry University, gave a welcoming address, expressing a warm welcome to the participants. After that, 17 appealing reports were presented and attracted all the audiences’ attention.

Fig.1 Dean Prof. Yanjun Xie made a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony.

Fig.2 Prof. Orlando presented the topic of Circularity with the Tools of Colloid Science.

Fig.3 Prof. Bernd Strehmel reported about Sustainable Materials for Initiation of Photopolymerization.

Fig.4 Gary Li gave a presentation on Suzano Innovability Hub: A Platform to Accelerate Commercial Applications of Bioproducts.

Fig.5 Prof. Liping Cai reported about Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) vs Carbon Neutrality.

Fig.6 Prof. Kai Zhang reported about Encoding Sustainable Compounds in Multiscale Functional Materials.

Fig.7 Prof. Veronika Strehmel gave a presentation entitled Synthesis and Photoinitiated Cationic Polymerization of Biobased Epoxides.

Fig.8 Professor Xiaodong Chen reported about Conformal Sense Digitalization.

Fig.9 Prof. Ning Yan reported about Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Derived from Renewable Biomass.

Fig.10 Professor Zhijun Chen gave a report on Biomass-derived Luminescent Materials.

At the end of the meeting, Professor Long Bai from Northeast Forestry University presided over the closing ceremony. Renowned professors from home and abroad held many intimate activities with the students and took photos for commemorating.

Fig.11 Renowned professors from home and abroad held many intimate activities with the students and took photos for commemorating.