Bioeconomy

Article - 11/11/2013

Pesticides and their effect on the environment

Ecotoxicologists from Tübingen are calling for new interdisciplinary approaches in order to improve investigations into the effect of pesticides on the living environment. They expect that a more effective and more frequent combination of field work and laboratory analyses will provide them with a clearer picture of the overall situation. This knowledge will enable all stakeholders involved in solving environmental issues to draw the right…

The BioRegio STERN Management GmbH and the Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH sent out invitations to the 7th Brüssels Background entitled Bio-energy Out of research. Into practice. Experts presented and discussed the latest figures and information on the subject of bio-energy.

Article - 13/09/2010

Molecules adapted to the environment

For many years Prof. Dr. Klaus Kümmerer from the University Medical Centre Freiburg has been investigating how the chemical structures of drugs and other chemicals can be modified in order to enable them to be degraded more quickly in rivers and soils. There has to be a new way of thinking said Kümmerer going on to add the appropriate methods are already in place.

Press release - 02/09/2011

Environment Action Programme evaluated

Major accomplishments in the field of environment during the past ten years have been the extension of the Natura 2000 network to cover almost 18 of the EUs land area the introduction of a comprehensive chemicals policy and policy action on climate change.

Article - 30/01/2017

Rhapynal for a better environment - innovative, biobased and sustainable

Biotensidon GmbH is on the up. Rhapynal is about to be placed on the market. The company is involved in a 100-million-euro joint venture and was nominated for the German Next Economy Award in 2016. Rhapynal has three components and offers virtually unlimited possibilities for application in the agricultural, pharmaceutical and many other sectors.

An alliance of global companies from the plastics and consumer goods value chain today launched a new organization to advance solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean.

Article - 23/05/2011

Evolutionary biology – connections between environment and phenotype

One important way of preventing the extinction of species is to conserve and protect their habitats. In order to achieve this, some important questions need to be answered: how do new species develop and spread? How do they adapt to a new environment?

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 - 22/10/2012

How can a green economy protect the environment?

Jointly organised by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the recent Green Economy conference focused on how a sustainable bioeconomy can contribute to creating an environmentally friendly future. The conference participants agreed that immediate action was needed. Research programmes have been put in place to explore the…

Article - 14/01/2010

A biological test for environmental toxins

Every day, we breathe in gas emitted by waste incineration plants, evaporation from chemicals in wooden furniture and particulate matter from car exhausts or office equipment. Scientists in Dr. Richard Gminski’s group at the Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Hygiene (IUK) at the Freiburg University Medical Centre are investigating the components that can cause damage to body cells. The researchers are using living human cells to…

Press release - 15/11/2011

Are Natural Halogenated Hyrdocarbons Harmful to the Ozone Layer?

Over 20 years ago, the industrial production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) was prohibited in order to protect the ozone layer. However, research findings by environmental physicists from Heidelberg University suggest that the ozone layer may also be damaged by natural chlorinated, brominated and possibly iodinated hydrocarbons formed in significant amounts by water plants and microorganisms on the oceanic coasts. This conjecture, recently…

Article - 04/02/2010

Fraunhofer IGB – from biobased materials to products

The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB carries out applied research in the fields of medicine pharmacy chemistry environment and energy. The IGB looks for sustainable solutions using nature as model.

The final report including comprehensive fact sheets of 25 applications is now available online in German and English.

Article - 09/12/2010

‘Sniffer dogs’ working for the agrochemical industry

As a chemistry student in the 1980s, Thomas Class focused on the investigation of environmental toxins such as dioxin and PCB under the supervision of Professor Karlheinz Ballschmiter. Back then, everybody was talking about the “environment”. The public as well as students and professors at the University of Ulm were all fascinated by the subject. Ulm University institutes were renamed to reflect this interest in the environment. While some of…

Article - 07/12/2009

Exhaust air and wastewater: how to clean them correctly

The chemical industry, companies that build engines, hospitals and printing shops – they all discharge exhaust air and wastewater containing compounds that have a detrimental effect on the environment and/or human health. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart are investigating ways to counteract specific waste problems, including biological methods.

Press release - 10/01/2011

Establishment of an environmental technology network in Baden-Württemberg

The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs is supporting the establishment of a state-wide environmental technology network through the “Plattform Umwelttechnik e.V.” by providing financial support with ERDF funds. BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg is part of the network and is specifically tasked with the exploration of the development potential of biotechnology for the Baden-Württemberg environmental sector.

The European Chemicals Bureau has contributed substantially to the new chemicals regulation REACH which entered into force on 1st June 2007 which aims to improve human health and the environment.

Press release - 10/11/2011

Renewable electricity: the cheapest energy source for Europe by 2050

On the basis of calculations for 36 countries in Europe and Northern Africa the German Advisory Council on the Environment SRU concludes that a power supply completely based upon renewable sources by 2050 is achievable at average costs of 65 Mwh.

Renewable raw materials and the circular economy in the textile industry - 08/12/2021

Outdoor equipment made from cellulose, castor oil and coffee grounds - functional and durable

VAUDE develops outdoor gear made from natural or recycled materials that are harmless to people and the environment while protecting against the wind and rain. The company relies on renewable raw materials, biobased plastics and the circular economy.

On 21st November 2007 the German Minister of Agriculture Horst Seehofer and the German Minister of the Environment Sigmar Gabriel presented a strategy on Germanys climate and energy policy in the biofuel sector the Biofuels Roadmap.

Press release - 25/06/2010

World-first biorefinery pilot project to promote the use of wood

The German Minister of Agriculture, Ilse Aigner, has launched the pilot phase of the world’s first lignocellulose biorefinery to be set up by a research consortium at the Leuna chemical location. Speaking in Berlin, Aigner presented the decision of the German government to grant more than 8.5 million euros to a consortium that also includes researchers from Baden-Württemberg as part of the “Renewable Resources” programme of the German Ministry of…

Article - 19/06/2009

Bacteria with a chromium envelope

Heavy metals have become a huge problem for mankind. The construction of factories and the varnishing of cars leads to the contamination of soils and waters and therefore also to the poisoning of many organisms including people. Scientists are trying to use natural means to remove inorganic chemicals from the cycle or at least make them harmless. Dr. Johannes Gescher and his team at the Department of Microbiology at the University of Freiburg…

The BioSinn project found products and applications for which biodegradation at the end-of-life is a real option. 25 fact sheets answer technical and regulatory questions for each application. The market volume of these applications was also estimated: in Germany it is about 170,000 tonnes, in the European Union about 1 million tonnes per year!

Article - 14/04/2014

WEHRLE Umwelt GmbH: Smart process water treatment reduces operating costs

Reducing energy consumption by 8,000 kWh and being able to generate 15,000 kWh of electrical power per day can save 500,000 euros operating costs in a year, as a project carried out by WEHRLE Umwelt GmbH on behalf of a pharmaceutical company found. WEHRLE Umwelt has been working with environmental technologies for over 30 years, principally focussing on plants for industrial wastewater treatment. The company offers intelligent solutions that are…

Dossier - 24/11/2009

Environmental medicine and biosensor technology

Smog, chemicals in rivers, particular matter from copying machines in offices – human beings are exposed to many toxic influences. Environmental medical specialists are investigating the effect that these kinds of substances have at the same time as trying to find ways to reduce their influence on human health as much as possible. Molecular and cell biologists and even biotechnologists all have a key part to play in these efforts. On the one…