Bioeconomy News

The European BioFibreLoop project aims to establish lignin as a bio-based fibre source for the textile industry. The main challenge is to establish a supply chain.

A research team led by Geisenheim University points to the potential of wild plants and their interaction with soil microbes for sustainable agriculture and calls for the establishment of protected areas to study this sensitive relationship.

As part of the EU project MATE4MEAT, Fraunhofer researchers are working on bio-based and antimicrobial meat packaging that extends the shelf life of food.

The collaboration between agricultural research and robotics has resulted in a novel 3D laser scanner system that enables precise plant analysis.

The development of bio-based adhesives, coatings and fibres for the construction industry is the focus of a new EU project involving researchers from the Steinbeis Europe Centre and the Fraunhofer Society.

Researchers at the University of Potsdam and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin have succeeded in explaining the working steps of an enzyme involved in anaerobic carbon fixation.

As part of the zukunft.niedersachsen science funding programme, two new large-scale projects are being supported with a total of 43.6 million euros in order to advance the transformation of the agricultural and food sector in the federal state.

Researchers from Dresden and Vienna have developed a method to precisely analyse the stability of plant cell membranes. The findings provide clues as to how plants react to rising temperatures.

The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development is launching a research project to improve agroforestry systems in arid regions of eastern Germany.

As part of the new life sciences strategy, the European Union intends to provide 10 billion euros annually to make Europe competitive in the field of life sciences. Innovations in sustainable bioeconomy solutions are a key driver of growth.

Jena researchers have elucidated the molecular structure of the so-called Yellow Affinity Substance (YAS) and provide new insights into how the yellow pigments produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum convert cellulose into sugar.

By analysing the genetic material of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, researchers in Jena have identified two new families of natural substances that could be of interest for agriculture and pharmaceutical research.

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), an international research team, including the University of Hohenheim, was able to develop three climate-adapted quinoa varieties for the Peruvian highlands.

Two newly founded research groups at the Max Planck Society are developing more efficient methods of photosynthesis to break down and bind CO₂ with the help of sunlight.

German forestry and timber research is strategically realigning itself with forest living labs in the Harz Mountains and Lower Bavaria. The SURVEY joint project combines scientific expertise and practical experience in an interdisciplinary approach.

At the 13th International Bioeconomy Conference in Halle, the spotlight was on the role of the bioeconomy in a world shaped by overlapping crises and evolving geopolitical priorities. In a global economy that is increasingly fragile, companies are under pressure to future-proof their operations - while also confronting the complexities of transitioning away from fossil-based systems.

Researchers show how digitalisation can also make small farms ready to compete.

With the opening of a new technology centre in the US state of Wisconsin, Düsseldorf-based plant manufacturer GEA is taking a further step towards advancing food innovations based on alternative proteins.

Using the Augsburg region as an example, a research consortium is showing how plastics can be recycled and replaced by bio-based plastics.

Magdeburg chemists are working with partners to research solvents made from renewable raw materials in order to replace petroleum-based substances and make chemical processes recyclable. The work is supported by the German Research Foundation.

A study by the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture shows that regenerative farming can achieve yields that are comparable to or even higher than those of conventional agriculture. It is considered to be the world's largest study of regenerative farming systems carried out by farmers to date.

The fungal disease yellow rust jeopardises wheat cultivation worldwide. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now discovered genes with natural resistance in Asian wheat varieties. These could help to breed robust wheat in the future and thus strengthen global food security.

With funding totalling 11 million euros from the British innovation agency ARIA, the Potsdam MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology is launching the SyncSol project: a universal plant genome is to make crops more efficient, climate-resilient and pharmaceutically usable.

A long-term study by the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart shows that agroforestry makes agricultural systems in temperate climate zones more resilient to climate risks. It therefore represents a resilient and sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture in Europe.

An international research team involving Graz University of Technology is working on integrating microorganisms into facade paints. The aim is to protect the exterior walls of buildings, bind CO₂ and break down air pollutants.

Photovoltaics on agricultural land is more accepted by the population than solar installations on unused open land. This is the result of a survey conducted by the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn.

The Leibniz Research Network ‘Green Nutrition - Healthy Society’ provides recommendations for the reorganisation of food and agricultural systems, taking sustainability and resilience into account.

The Cologne-based start-up SenseUP has concluded seed financing totalling 2.4 million euros. It will use the capital to drive forward its research activities in order to bring new biopesticides to market maturity.

How can the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii be reliably cultivated in the laboratory? - A handbook by researchers from Bayreuth and Göttingen provides answers.

Researchers were able to clarify how the oil-eating marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis synthesises a natural detergent to destroy the alkanes contained in crude oil.

Investment in the production of alternative proteins reached a new high in Germany last year. This is confirmed by the State of the Industry Reports of the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe.

The University of Geisenheim is participating in the European HydroSoilWise project to find solutions for climate-resilient soils in horticulture and agriculture.

The European Space Agency ESA has launched its BIOMASS earth observation satellite to measure forests.

The European environmental and climate protection programme LIFE has launched a new funding round. Bioeconomy projects can now apply to the ‘Circular Economy and Quality of Life’ sub-programme.

Together with a Ukrainian partner, the Cologne-based company PAPACKS has established the first scalable supply chain for certified industrial hemp.

The discovery of the PHL7 enzyme was the starting point for the founding of the Leipzig-based start-up ESTER Biotech.

Researchers at the University of Hohenheim have developed two tools for the use of agricultural side streams in order to recognize and optimally exploit their potential.

In the SHAPE project, researchers want to specifically enrich humus with microorganisms in order to strengthen plants and make soils more fertile.

The second REWE Green Farming centre in Germany will be built in Berlin-Lankwitz by spring 2026. In future, salad mixes will be harvested all year round in the glass roof farm.

Researchers at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences are investigating how the protein content in oats can be optimized and thus used as an alternative protein source.