It is the goal of the Biopolymers/Biomaterials Cluster to effectively support and accelerate the development process of biotechnology-based polymers and biomaterials. Innovative plastics will be identified and developed by using microbiological methods, bioprocess engineering and biotechnological methods.

Existing competences in biotechnology and bioprocess engineering will be combined with chemical engineering, polymer chemistry and plastics technology. About 60 companies and 34 research institutes have joined forces to deal with this challenge.

In April 2008, the Biopolymers/Biomaterials Cluster members were called upon to elect a steering committee. As a result, the Cluster now has a competent steering committee at the helm, consisting of renowned experts from all areas of science and industry that are part of the Cluster. The steering committee will, in future, provide advice and support the Cluster's strategic further development.

The first important decision was taken at the constitutional meeting of the steering committee which was held in July 2008: to launch a second call for proposals in autumn 2008. The calls are in general open for everybody, not only for members of the Biopolymers/Biomaterials Cluster. Proposals can be submitted to BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH. The steering committee will then evaluate the proposals. If a positive decision results, the applicants will be able to submit a complete proposal. Detailed information on the application procedure is given in the application guide.

The focus of the 2021 BioIndustrie funding programme is the diffusion of biotechnology-based products and processes into traditional industry sectors. This is to be achieved by increasingly optimising or replacing traditional chemical production processes through the use of microorganisms, enzymes or other production systems with funding for this available until 2021. New product classes, the chemical synthesis of which has so far been impossible, will be developed. Materials of plant raw materials, biopolymers as plastic replacements and environmentally-friendly chemicals are among potential products. The funding of the projects is an important part of the funding measure.

Prerequisites for receiving funding:

• Development of innovative biotechnological processes for industrial production
• Contribution to "sustainability" through the use of raw and residual materials of biological origin
• Perspective of economic implementation in the long term, for example by integrating end users
• Financial involvement of the business community in the overall cost of the project of, in most cases, at least 50 per cent.

The broad interest that the cluster has so far received at tradeshows and other expert events shows that the biopolymers/biomaterials topic is a current-interest topic of the processing plastics industry and polymer research. This is also likely to result in many interesting project ideas in future.

mk - 16 December 2008
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Contact:
Nadine Womann
BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH
Breitscheidstr. 10
70174 Stuttgart
Phone: + 49 (0)711 - 218 185 14
Fax: + 49 (0)711 - 218 185 02
E-mail: womann(at)bio-pro.de