Bioeconomy

- 21/10/2019

Plant pots made of natural fibres – "bio", no ifs or buts

Plastic plant pots are not good for the environment; strictly speaking, they should not even be disposed of in recycling bins. Alternatives such as coconut fibre pots are compostable, but not pollutant-free and not "bio" at all. The Karlsruhe-based company Fiber Engineering has developed a truly ecofriendly way to grow plants: pots made of hemp or grass, which are preserved with biological components and decompose completely within a…

Article - 10/07/2019

More than just a nut – new products for the bioeconomy

Plants are often used for one particular purpose only. However, walnut trees have much more to offer than just delicious nuts. The AlpBioEco project is studying the potential of walnut trees for the bioeconomy and how the potential can be exploited commercially. The international team of researchers is also focusing on apples and herbs.

In a research project, the Fraunhofer Institute for manufacturing engineering and automation (IPA) and the company Tecnaro and d dealt with orthoses and prostheses made of bio-based materials. You developed suitable organic polymer compounds, it produced prototypes and tested them.

Dossier - 04/03/2019

Sustainable textiles

Baden-Württemberg is known for innovation in textiles and for playing a decisive role in the development of sustainable textiles for the future both in the clothing and the booming technical textile sectors. Companies and research institutes are focused on making the entire textile value chain from raw materials, production and useful life to disposal more sustainable than ever before.

Article - 11/02/2019

Natural biopolymers - the sustainable almost-all-rounders

Wood pulp as well as hemp and flax are renewable raw materials that can be processed into fibres of a new performance class using innovative technologies. They are environmentally friendly and help to solve waste problems. Products and processes for these fibres of the future are being developed at the DITF Denkendorf. They are suitable for textile and technical applications.

Article - 10/01/2019

Stocktaking and recommendations for action: the BBAW’s fourth gene technology report

In the new gene technology report, the interdisciplinary working group of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW) takes stock of gene technology developments in Germany during the past few decades, and discusses the societal, legal and ethical challenges associated with these technologies in the future. The report is highly topical due to the controversy surrounding the ruling of the European Court of Justice on CRISPR/Cas9 genome…

Using ultrapure lignin from the lignocellulosic biorefinery at the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP in Leuna, researchers at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (TU HH) have produced lignin-containing aerogels and processed high-porosity insulating boards with excellent insulation properties. The lignin was recovered from beech residual wood at the Fraunhofer CBP using the Organosolv process.

Article - 05/07/2018

Sustainable building construction: municipalities go wood

The days when forests died off in Germany are over. This is not only excellent news in terms of carbon storage. Using wood also helps us avoid carbon dioxide emissions. More and more cities rely on timber constructions, which have long been used in the high-tech sector. The HolzProKlima competition has massively promoted sustainable building construction in Baden-Württemberg, highlighting what it can offer in terms of climate protection.

Bioplastics - 03/05/2018

LIGNOSIT - using lignin in value-added products

The environmental footprint of petroleum-based plastic products does not look good. Alternatives for plastic production involving renewable raw materials are now being sought. Wood is experiencing a renaissance. Prof. Dr. Marie-Pierre Laborie, who holds the Chair of Forest Biomaterials at the University of Freiburg, and her team are researching the potential use of lignin, the natural glue in wood.

Press release - 18/01/2018

Wood for clothing, reducing microplastics in our seas: VAUDE participates in the TextileMission research project

Together with various partners from environmental associations, the scientific community and the textile industry, VAUDE has launched the TextileMission research project. The goal is to find solutions that will reduce the environmental impact of microplastics released when synthetic apparel is washed. VAUDE is excited about the initial successful developments.

Article - 15/01/2018

PULaCell: inspiring wood construction with biobased polyurethane

The aim of the joint three-year "PULaCell" project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is to develop biobased reinforcing profiles for solid wood construction materials. As part of the project, several research institutes and industrial companies are developing biobased, cellulose fibre-reinforced polyurethane profiles that will make future wood-based materials stronger.

Article - 04/12/2017

Textiles: water-repellent thanks to fungal proteins

Outdoor lovers and athletes love them: water-repellent jackets and trousers. However, many consumers are unaware that the chemicals used to functionalise the textile surface often pollute the environment. Organic fluorine compounds (perfluorocarbons = PFC) are usually added to textiles to make them water-repellent. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and the Hohenstein Group are researching an…

Article - 15/11/2017

From biomass to diesel

Using the power of microbes: biochemists from Leipzig and Tübingen use the combined power of microbes and electrolysis to produce fuels from organic material. This new process uses electricity from renewable resources to produce diesel from organic waste and green cuttings, amongst other things, and can therefore also be used for storing wind and solar energy.

Bioeconomy in construction and architecture - 25/10/2017

Development of innovative, ecological construction materials and methods at the University of Stuttgart

The Baden-Württemberg construction sector is currently experiencing a similar boom to the one that occurred in 1996. Between January 2016 and January 2017, low interest rates and uninterrupted demand for housing has led to an increase in orders of almost 10%1. A shift from conventional building materials to biobased building materials and products would likely also support the transition to a bioeconomy in this economic sector. The Institute for…

Article - 29/09/2017

Building with bamboo and fungi – renewable buildings of the future

Bamboo to replace steel and fungi to replace concrete: a research group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is working on ways of using renewable raw materials in the construction industry. Biological building materials such as bamboo and fungal mycelium could one day replace conventional materials such as steel and concrete.

Article - 03/08/2017

PURCELL – cellulose to replace plastics

Glass fibre-reinforced plastics have become an integral part of our everyday life: in cars, playground slides, swimming pools or on facades, such composites are used wherever stability is required. Unfortunately, both production and disposal are far from sustainable. Scientists from the German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf have now developed an innovative material made from pure cellulose, which has practically the same…

Article - 28/06/2017

The bioeconomy – buzzword or future concept?

The use of wood and other renewable raw materials for the production of industrial goods presents opportunities and risks. Is the shift from petroleum to wood possible and how can such a shift be best achieved? A research project at the University of Freiburg combines forestry know-how with political science methodology in order to sound out the bioeconomy.

Applied research in the bioeconomy field - 19/06/2017

Biobased electrode materials for future energy storage systems

Novel biomass materials suitable for various applications need to be developed in order to establish a biobased raw material platform within the bioeconomy. These biobased materials must be able to compete with conventional fossil fuel-based materials, both from a technological and economic point of view. Researchers at the University of Hohenheim are working on the development of conductive carbon materials from biomass with the long-term goal…

Process engineering - 17/05/2017

Enzymes help save costs and protect the environment

The Biopolymers/Biomaterials cluster was one of five clusters that won the BioIndustry 2021 competition in 2007 and that received funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The cluster’s ”Biotechnological process development for novel membranes based on collagen” research project was funded by the BMBF from 1st February 2013 to 31st January 2016. The project involved four companies and one university and aimed at…

Article - 28/03/2017

Biogranules for industrial foils and a new class of products

Biogranules are a starting point for the production of a wide range of novel biobased materials: in a BMBF-funded project called ”EnzymaCell”, a company called TECNARO and its cooperation partners have developed thermoplastic biofoils. The innovative combination of cellulose and natural additives has led to a material with many application possibilities.

Article - 06/03/2017

Research focuses on lignin as an alternative to fossil resources

Along with cellulose, lignin is one of the most common organic compounds on earth. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT are working on optimising the yield of aromatic platform chemicals using innovative sustainable processes for the extraction and fractionation of lignin. The ultimate goal is to provide an alternative to petroleum in the pharmaceutical, plastics and food industries.

Article - 07/12/2016

Insect chitin makes textile production more sustainable

Insects have an external skeleton composed mainly of chitin. Chitin is a long-chain polysaccharide with functional groups that make it a valuable biopolymer for a broad range of applications. Chitin is an almost inexhaustible resource, as it is constantly produced in huge quantities throughout nature. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) and six cooperation partners are working on…

Article - 25/10/2016

Mosca GmbH: biobased strapping tape

Mosca GmbH, a family-run company, produces strapping machines and strapping tape for the transport of goods. Sustainability is one of the company's core concerns and has been successfully applied to their products for many years. A further move towards sustainability is a biobased strapping tape made of polylactic acid (PLA), which has been available since 2016.

Article - 12/09/2016

Valuable new biopolymers from crustacean shells

In the EU alone, more than 250,000 tons of seashell waste are discarded every year. The exoskeleton of crustaceans consists of proteins, calcium carbonate and chitin, a long-chain sugar molecule which could be used to produce valuable building blocks for the polymer industry. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in Stuttgart have developed a biotechnological process aimed at a sustainable…

Article - 01/09/2016

Tailor-made biotech fibres for improved wound dressings

Scientists have developed a biotechnological process to produce bacterial alginate. The alginate quality is highly reproducible, making it suitable for the production of fibre-based medicinal products such as wound dressings.