Siegfried Knecht

Siegfried Knecht, CEO of aireg, has over 15 years of experience in the aerospace industry in general and in the field of SAF in particular. With more than 60 national and international members, covering the entire SAF value chain, aireg is the initiative in Germany for the development, production and supply of SAF.

In 2006, Siegfried joined EADS (today Airbus) as Senior Manager Political Affairs. In September 2013, he was appointed VP Head of Political and External Affairs for Airbus in Germany. In this role, he was responsible for all political matters in Germany. Today, he is part of the Airbus Public Affairs Germany team, advocating as VP Director R&T Affairs for aeronautics R&T policy and public funding.

Session Overview

Thursday, 6 November

12:00

Downstream & Chemical Conference Room B 12:00 - 12:40

Alternative fuels and bio-based chemicals: aligning production with market demand

As investment in alternative fuels and bio-based chemicals accelerates, a critical question is emerging: are these solutions being matched to where they are most viable and urgently needed? While production technologies are advancing rapidly, the downstream and chemical segments are grappling with misalignment between what’s being produced and what end markets are prepared to absorb. Asia’s capacity to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), for example, is projected to outstrip regional demand, leading to potential oversupply and export reliance. In parallel, producers of bio-based chemicals are scaling capabilities without matching uptake, as end-use sectors remain hesitant due to infrastructure constraints, pricing pressure and limited incentives for the use of low-carbon materials. While the disconnect between cost-effective production and strong demand raises commercial risks, it also presents opportunities for industries and innovators to advance in strategic offtake agreements, cross-border collaboration and targeted innovation - helping to bridge the gap between feedstock-driven supply and market readiness.

Attendee insights:

Learn how alternative fuel and chemical production can more closely align with market demand, and explore the strategies needed to better synchronise market readiness and supply.

Thursday, 7 November

11:45

Decarbonisation Conference Decarbonisation Theatre 11:45 - 12:45

View Session

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) take-off: ensuring financing and production scaling

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is gaining recognition as a sustainable alternative to traditional jet fuel. Despite considerable interest and investment, challenges hinder its widespread adoption including the high cost of production compared to conventional jet fuel, limited availability of sustainable feedstocks, lack of clear and consistent government policies for production, and infrastructure. Scaling SAF production can play a key role in meeting the aviation industry's need to decarbonise. To achieve this, significant R&D investment will be required to optimise SAF production from emerging feedstocks as well as consistent international policies to provide clear, long-term signals to incentivise the necessary capital investments by SAF producers.

Attendee insights:

Learn about the potential of SAF to reduce carbon emissions and the strategies required to finance and scale its production.