Press release - 27/07/2023 Self-healing plastic becomes biodegradable Konstanz chemists develop mineral plastics with numerous positive properties from sustainable basic building blocks and, together with biologists, demonstrate the material's excellent microbiological degradability.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Self-healing-plastic-becomes-biodegradable
Press release - 03/05/2023 Rapeseed makes more than just oil – it’s a source of proteins too At the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP in Leuna, Germany, representatives from politics, research and industry opened a novel pilot plant for the mild processing of rapeseed to increase the added-value potential of rape as a raw material.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/nicht-nur-oel-auch-proteine-aus-raps
Press release - 25/04/2023 Jellyfish-like robots could one day clean up the world’s oceans Roboticists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have developed a jellyfish-inspired underwater robot with which they hope one day to collect waste from the bottom of the ocean. The almost noise-free prototype can trap objects underneath its body without physical contact, thereby enabling safe interactions in delicate environments such as coral reefs. Jellyfish-Bot could become a tool for environmental remediation.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/jellyfish-robots-could-one-day-clean-worlds-oceans
City of the future - 04/04/2023 FamoS: climate protection on facades Resource-efficient water management, photovoltaic modules and innovative facade greening - FamoS is all that. By combining proven elements, the ‘facade module with synergy’ makes a valuable contribution to combatting climate change and boosting climate resilience in cities.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/famos-climate-protection-facades
Residual materials with potential - 16/03/2023 PeePower™ – energy from urine The objective of the PeePower™ BUGA 2023 collaborative research project is to produce green hydrogen and platform chemicals from wastewater. This fits in nicely with BUGA 2023’s (German National Garden Show) four major themes, namely, climate, energy, environment and food security.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/peepower-energy-urine
Press release - 08/03/2023 Green gold: Torrefied biomass to replace coal and oil In February, the Estonian-based startup New Standard Oil successfully commissioned their first industrial-scale prototype for drying and torrefaction of biogenic feedstock operating with superheated steam at atmospheric pressure.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/green-gold-torrefied-biomass-replace-coal-and-oil
Press release - 06/10/2022 New Electrolysis Processes for Sustainable Chemical Production Basic chemicals, which are needed as raw materials for a wide range of products such as medicines and detergents, can currently only be produced with an enormously high input of energy and raw materials. In many cases, fossil fuels and raw materials are still used. The extraction of chemical substances alone requires high temperatures, expensive catalysts made of precious metals and, in some cases, environmentally harmful starting materials. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/neue-elektrolyseverfahren-fuer-eine-nachhaltige-chemische-produktion
Press release - 26/07/2022 Lavender cultivation on the Swabian alb: Essential oil and textiles from plant residues In Provence, the lavender fields are in full bloom again. This blaze of color may soon also be seen in Baden-Württemberg. In a joint research project, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), the University of Hohenheim and the company naturamus are testing suitable lavender varieties and developing energy-efficient methods for producing essential oil from them. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/lavender-cultivation-swabian-alb-essential-oil-and-textiles-plant-residues
Press release - 20/05/2022 RoofKIT: How to Build in a Recycling-Oriented and Sustainable Way The construction industry consumes large amounts of energy resources and produces tons of waste. At the Solar Decathlon Europe 21/22 university competition, students and researchers from KIT are eager to demonstrate that the building sector is already compatible with a functioning circular economy. The task of the interdisciplinary “RoofKIT” team is to convert previously unused roofs of buildings into usable spaces.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/roofkit-how-build-recycling-oriented-and-sustainable-way
Press release - 25/08/2021 Material efficiency holds great potential for climate neutrality and should be utilized more for this purpose An international research team has calculated the potential for material efficiency strategies in residential buildings and passenger cars. Up to two-thirds of global emissions could be saved in these areas, provided that appropriate strategies are consistently implemented.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/material-efficiency-holds-great-potential-climate-neutrality-and-should-be-utilized-more-purpose
Press release - 02/08/2021 CO2 as a raw material for plastics and other products Carbon dioxide is one of the main drivers of climate change – which means that we need to reduce CO2 emissions in the future. Fraunhofer researchers are highlighting a possible way to lower these emissions: They use the greenhouse gas as a raw material, for instance to produce plastics. To do this, they first produce methanol and formic acid from CO2, which they convert via microorganisms into building blocks for polymers and the like.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/co2-raw-material-plastics-and-other-products
Biosensors - 09/04/2020 Sensors for the bioeconomy Sensor networks are one of the keys to achieving digitalisation of the bioeconomy. Sensor networks are on the way to becoming important analysis and control instruments for energy-efficient and sustainable material cycles. Dieter Hertweck, Professor of Business Information Systems at Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, shows what is already possible in digital agriculture and waste recycling and what is feasible for the future.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/Sensors-for-the-bioeconomy
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.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/sustainable-textiles
Dossier - 08/03/2018 Building sustainably - actively protecting the climate Using renewable and recycled raw materials, minimising the use of water and energy during construction works and subsequent operation of a building, conserving resources and protecting the environment while maintaining biodiversity are all important components of sustainable building construction.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/building-sustainably-actively-protecting-the-climate