Bioeconomy

Article - 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…

Dr. Gerhard Leubner from the University of Freiburg is investigating the regulation of seed dormancy and the onset of germination. The scientists insights are extremely valuable for companies that are working on the optimisation of seeds for agricultural purposes.

Press release - 08/02/2012

Project BioConSepT - From plants to plastics

The project BioConSepT wants to convince and inspire stakeholders of the Bio-based Economy by demonstrating the complete feasibility of an integrated chain approach which is regarded as the basis for the next generation industrial White Biotechnology processes. The aim is to deliver processes that convert 2nd generation biomass into valuable chemicals which are cheaper and more sustainable than the corresponding chemical routes or the…

Press release - 10/11/2009

Genes and proteins can’t explain everything

Andreas Wachter has been the head of the Emmy Noether research group at the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP) at the University of Tübingen since 2009. Of particular interest to Wachter are the molecular regulation mechanisms in key biological processes. He is the first person to transfer the latest insights from bacteria research to plant cells and stresses the importance of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in these vital processes.

Article - 02/05/2011

Intelligent adhesives inspired by nature

Boston ivy ivy and other woody vines have unusually strong adhesive forces. The question researchers are asking is can they transfer the surface adhesion principle of ivy to technical applications? The Plant Biomechanics Group led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck in Freiburg is working on one project that focuses on using nature as a model for intelligent adhesive bonds.

Press release - 14/12/2010

EU-funded research on genetically modified crops

In order to help inform debate on genetically modified organisms, the European Commission is publishing a compendium entitled "A decade of EU-funded GMO research". The book summarizes the results of 50 research projects addressing primarily the safety of GMOs for the environment and for animal and human health. Launched between 2001 and 2010, these projects received funding of €200 million from the EU and form part of a 25-year long…

Press release - 17/06/2011

Lehner GmbH: Text message from houseplant: "Please water me!"

Lehner GmbH Sensor-Systeme has developed a completely new system for monitoring plants. Electrodes attached directly to a plant can detect and report water shortages or pest infestation early on, thus optimizing pesticide use and avoiding unnecessary watering. Lehner GmbH Sensor-Systeme, a medium-sized company from Kirchheim unter Teck, scored a victory with this innovation in the 2011 CyberOne business plan competition.

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…

Press release - 03/02/2011

BASF starts operations at expanded Ecoflex plant

The production capacity for biodegradable plastics of BASF SE increases by 60,000 metric tons per year. BASF expects significant market growth for biodegradable plastics through 2020.

Article - 06/06/2016

Natural genetic engineering

New plant breeding technologies, and the CRISPR/Cas technique in particular, are making headlines. For the first time in the history of agriculture, these technologies enable the quick and, in particular, precise modification of DNA at a predetermined locus. However, these methods provide authorities with an unexpected headache: are genome-edited plants genetically modified organisms or not?

A palm tree by the name of Acrocomia is currently keeping a large number of scientists and investors busy. If the tree is able to live up to these peoples expectations then Latin America will benefit from a sustainable oil source.

Bionics - 14/12/2015

Architecture meets biology – biological functional principles for the construction sector

What has emerged in nature in the course of evolution can now be used to break new ground in architecture thanks to computer-based simulations and manufacturing techniques. As part of a transregional collaborative research centre, German researchers have started to use this bionics approach to explore new designs and functional innovations.

Perspectives of methane as energy source - 18/06/2020

New technologies for using biogas as a balancing energy

The microorganisms in biogas plants do a great job biologically converting CO₂ and hydrogen, which are primary fermentation products, into methane. Biomethane has a great future as an energy source. Scientists at the University of Hohenheim are investigating new ways to produce and use biomethane.

Article - 15/03/2016

Chicory root and its potential in bioplastics production

Researchers from the University of Hohenheim use waste in the form of chicory roots to extract basic chemical building blocks for producing nylon and plastics. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is one of 12 platform chemicals used to produce plastics. The raw material obtained from the chicory root improves the plastics’ environmental performance, notably because it is an oil substitute and does not compete in any way with food production.

Article - 16/05/2012

Ecologists can drive forward biogas research too

The biologist Prof. Dr. Marian Kazda from Ulm has worked on biogas research for many years. However, he occupies a particular niche in that he approaches the topic from the point of view of a problem-oriented ecologist. The 55-year-old is head of the Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology at the University of Ulm and his specific field of research is plant ecology. It was his work on wetlands that first got him interested in biogas research.

A software developed by the Stuttgart-based Systemhaus Schegel covers all activities related to administering cultures it guarantees the foolproof production and propagation of plants and when printed out on a thermal printer incorporates all the necessary information on a barcode label.

Article - 03/05/2010

Energy produced from poplars and other plants – how efficiently can this be done?

Renewable energies do not come out of nowhere. The sustainable cultivation of firewood requires land for plantation. The main criticism of the use of land for the production of renewable energies is that the production of renewable resources is in strong opposition to the production of human food. The forestry scientist Janine Fischbach and her colleagues at the University of Freiburg are investigating ways to avoid a plate petrol tank dilemma.

Article - 27/03/2019

Residues from biogas plants as feed for algae

Algae are frugal organisms. They require only light, water, minerals and carbon dioxide to be able to produce biomass. These properties will now be exploited economically in a two-year research project. Dr. Stefan Sebök from the University of Hamburg plans to study the holistic utilisation of degradation products of a biogas plant in Wallerstädten by linking them to land-based algae cultivation.

Press release - 29/07/2009

Second roundtable discussions dealing with plant genetics

“Today, we have made good progress. The talks were very focused and intensive,” said the German Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan, summarising what had been achieved at the second green genetic engineering roundtable in Berlin attended by invited representatives from science, the agricultural and food industries, environmental associations and churches.

Bionics - 24/11/2016

Plants as models for self-repairing materials

It’s a great idea: everyday products that can repair themselves. Although it’s still a pipedream, the foundations are already being laid in a series of investigations being carried out by Dr. Olga Speck from the University of Freiburg. Dr. Speck is a botanist who is studying wound-healing reactions in plants to try and find mechanisms that can be used as models for developing materials with “self-healing powers”.

Plant breeding - 19/11/2018

Tobacco for health

Plants can be used as biofactories to produce valuable active ingredients such as proteins, antibodies, dyes or vaccines. A project called Newcotiana aims to re-position the existent tobacco industry infrastructure. The project partners, including Prof. Dr. Holger Puchta from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, use modern breeding methods to develop tobacco varieties with new capabilities.

Article - 16/08/2016

Learning from wild grapevines

Grapevines are treated with pesticides more frequently than any other crop. Peter Nick from the Botanical Institute at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is pursuing an ambitious goal: sustainable viticulture rather than toxins. Sustainable viticulture takes into account plants’ natural capacities of resistance. Nick uses the European Wild Grape, the ancestor of cultivated grapevine varieties, for his research as the plant is able to…

Dossier - 09/12/2013

Industrial biotechnology – biological resources for industrial processes

Industrial or white biotechnology uses microorganisms and enzymes to produce goods for industry, including chemicals, plastics, food, agricultural and pharmaceutical products and energy carriers. Renewable raw materials and increasingly also waste from agriculture and forestry are used for the manufacture of industrial goods.

Article - 25/01/2018

Ö-Klo: recovering valuable materials by composting toilets

The Freiburg-based start-up company Ö-Klo leases composting toilets and is committed to the recovery of human urine and faeces. The young Ö-Klo entrepreneurs believe that reviving natural material cycles of soil, plants, food and excreta is crucial in times when natural resources such as phosphorus are dwindling.

Overview

Baden-Württemberg and its companies

Bioeconomy refers to the sustainable management of renewable natural resources, which is why there is no such thing as a bioeconomy industry in the traditional sense. However, there are companies in Baden-Württemberg that use biomass as raw material base and have already developed products and processes in their effort to act more sustainably