Bioeconomy News

Inspired by nature and built with natural fibers: the pavilion in the Botanical Garden of the University of Freiburg shows what sustainable building can look like.

Bosch and BASF develop Smart Spraying solution to automatically detect and control weeds.

BASF has developed a new biopolymer from the konjac plant tuber to replace synthetic ingredients in cosmetic products.

A Fraunhofer IMWS research team has been awarded the Halle IQ Innovation Prize for the development of a wound dressing made of natural elastin.

By using a novel solvent, the petroleum-based raw material polypropylene could be recovered from carpet waste for the first time - and in the highest quality.

With a functional fiber made from green waste, the young company nakt convinced the jury at the Bavarian PlanB competition for bio-based business ideas.

In its latest edition, the talk format "Karliczek.Impulse" devoted its latest edition to the smallest players in biotechnology - microorganisms and enzymes - and their important role for a sustainable circular economy.

The "FarmerSpace" project tests and compares new agricultural technologies to combat weeds and plant diseases.

The ‘MS Wissenschaft’ with the bioeconomy exhibition is on the road again. This year, the tour takes in 30 cities in Germany's north and west and also makes a stop in Austria.

On June 10 and 11, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German Federal Foundation for the Environment (DBU) will be inviting visitors to the Week of the Environment. The motto of the digital event is "This is how the future works!" and the bioeconomy is therefore represented several times.

The "Biofabrik" conference presented biobased products and bioeconomic production processes from biotechnology to biorefinery.

The chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck wants to develop industrial-grade bioreactors with the TU Darmstadt and Tufts University.

In a financing round, the Bavarian biotech company AMSilk has raised new capital and is now looking to penetrate new lines of business worldwide.

A process has been developed in Göttingen that can be used to produce sustainable packaging from popcorn granules using 3D printing.

The start-up for cell culture-based meat is making great progress and relocates to the campus of the University of Rostock.

The textile chemicals company Rudolf GmbH receives funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment for the construction of a manufacturing plant for an impregnating agent based on renewable raw materials.

The start-up Becanex wants to extract cannabidiol from industrial hemp. The Berlin-based company has now successfully acquired funding from the Central Innovation Program for SMEs (Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand, ZIM).

In search of new concepts for tomorrow's nutrition, the joint project Food4Future wants to analyze science fiction novels together with students from the University of Potsdam.

Molecular biologist Philip Wigge and biochemist Gert Bange have been awarded the highly endowed ERC Advanced Grants by the European Research Council for their innovative projects in plant research.

In 2020, the German biotechnology sector grew faster than it has in years. According to the sector association of the biotechnology industry BIO Deutschland, the 710 local companies generated sales of almost 6.5 billion euros. The industry stars BioNTech and CureVac were the main contributors.

Bio-based materials for sustainable textiles are the focus of the third online hackathon of the Science Year project “Hack Your Fashion”: Free workshops give insights into new developments and invite participants to experiment together.

The third edition of the Green Startup Monitor shows: The proportion of green startups in Germany continues to increase. 30% of young companies are now attributed to the Green Economy.

Six Fraunhofer institutes want to use insects, algae, fungi and plants as protein sources for new foods.

Compostable fruit and vegetable bags have been tested for customer acceptance since mid-March in some supermarkets in Straubing, Bavaria.

The German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ) has expanded its online database on the potentials and benefits of various biogenic raw materials in agriculture, forestry and waste management.

The EU research project BreedingValue aims to expand the genetic base of cultivars of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry.

BASF Venture Capital GmbH expands its commitment in the field of synthetic biotechnology and invests in the Chinese start-up Bota Biosciences.

Researchers in Bremen have discovered bacteria that can be used to fertilize teak trees naturally and thus grow them sustainably.

The German government has decided on the further development of the German Sustainability Strategy to address new developments such as the European Green Deal and the Corona pandemic, and repeatedly emphasizes the contribution of the bioeconomy.

With "Selstar," researchers at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences have developed an apple with a high selenium content. The fruit could possibly replace food supplements.

The further development of the "Bioeconomy Model Region in the Rhineland" is to be supported by comprehensive accompanying research. The experience is also intended to benefit other regions.

The Hamburg-based start-up LignoPure was able to secure 2.2 million euros from investors in a first round of financing. With this, the team now wants to start the large-scale production of lignin for cosmetics.

A research team is optimizing the cultivation of bacteria that secrete lime and can thus patch cracks in structures.

A research group has developed a new class of sustainable and functionalizable polymers.

Researchers at the University of Tübingen have modified the metabolic pathway of special cyanobacteria so that they produce large quantities of the natural bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).

Cleantech start-up BIO-LUTIONS has raised a further 2.7 million euros and can now push the expansion of its production of sustainable packaging and disposable products.

The combination of silica and a parasitic fungus has proven to be an effective long-term protection against insect pests in grain storage.

The projects of the second funding round in the extended Science Year of the Bioeconomy have been determined.

Berlin Fashion Week is focusing more than ever on sustainability by launching several new formats for "green fashion".

At the virtual Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), experts from all over the world are currently discussing resilient food systems in times of pandemic and climate change.

Potsdam biochemist Peter Seeberger has been awarded the International Green Chemistry Prize for the production of a particularly sustainable and cost-effective antimalarial agent.

In 2021, the sporting goods manufacturer Adidas will launch shoes using a fabric made of mushroom threads instead of leather.

The information portal bioökonomie.de has a new look! Cleaner, more visual and technically up-to-date – our website has been given a new, elegant design.

Genetic information from seed banks can help better equip today's arable crops for climate change.

It is not only eggs that can contain salmonella – but also almonds. Researchers have now been able to use compressed carbon dioxide to make these pathogenic bacteria harmless.

A team of researchers at Hof University of Applied Sciences wants to banish conventional plastic silage films from the fields and develop a bio-based alternative with better properties.

The 13th German Sustainability Day was dominated by the corona crisis. In virtual forums, around 100 experts discussed the opportunities of the pandemic for a sustainable future.

The new Bioeconomy Council has met for the first time. For the next three years, the 20-member body will advise the German government on the implementation of the National Bioeconomy Strategy.

By 2022, plastic bags are planned to disappear from the market for good. This has now been decided by the German Bundestag.

The BMBF has published the new strategy "Research for Sustainability" (FONA) and doubled the funding to 4 billion euros. The bioeconomy also plays an important role.

The digital Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020 successfully started its two-day plenary program yesterday morning. More than 1,000 participants followed the livestream at times.

A new method provides seed banks and breeders with results after only hours, without having to waste the tested seed.

The Berlin start-up Native Food is looking for investors on the crowdfunding platform Startnext to produce the first large batch of its insect crackers.

Hohenheim researchers are investigating the acceptance of plant-based alternatives to milk and meat as part of an EU project.

More than 1,800 attendees already registered for the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020. The conference takes place virtually from November 16 to 20. 

Researchers have formulated six principles for getting plastics back into the cycle - because progress in microbial recycling is currently only being made with PET.

Using satellite images, researchers have identified gaps in the canopies of European forests and visualized the changes in their condition on a map.

An analysis of the High-Tech Forum on Bio-IT shows the potential of innovations - also for the bio-economy. The panel advises to put the topic on the political agenda.

Over the next six years, the state of Brandenburg will provide 25 million euros to support the establishment of a model farm for biobased recycling management at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) in Potsdam.

The discoverers of the CRISPR-Cas gene scissors receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020. The tool for genetic modification has revolutionized biomedicine and breeding research.