Straw to fuel: It was the first large-scale plant for the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol, a second-generation biofuel, which started operations in Podari, Romania, in June last year. Now the specialty chemicals group Clariant has surprisingly announced the end of the new plant. As the Swiss company announced on December 6, the Board of Directors decided to close the flagship plant for ethanol production using the Sunliquid process. Development activities at the German sites in Munich, Planegg and Straubing are also to be scaled back accordingly.

After a digital edition last year, the Bioeconomy Forum hosted by the Federal Government's Bioeconomy Council took place in person this time, and the organizers were pleased to welcome a full house: more than 200 stakeholders from science, business, politics and administration came to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) on Kapelle-Ufer in Be

The European Research Council (ERC) is the most important European funding organization for excellent frontier research. The Consolidator Grants, which are aimed at outstanding scientists in the middle of their careers, are among the most sought-after funding formats. They receive funding of up to 2 million euros over five years to consolidate their independent research teams and conduct research in their specialist disciplines.

Research funding plays a key role in leveraging the potential of the bioeconomy, not only at national but also at international level. After all, the bioeconomy must be considered globally. In 2012, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the "Bioeconomy International" funding measure (original title: "Bioökonomie International").

In everyday life, textiles are usually associated with clothing, blankets and the like. But textiles can also be found in civil engineering: Made from highly resistant synthetic fibers, they are used to reinforce embankments so that they can be planted with vegetation. They stabilize water protection dams and enable thinner asphalt layers in road construction.

In view of global challenges, markets and trade relations, a sustainable bioeconomy can only succeed through international cooperation. In 2012, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the "Bioeconomy International" initiative ("Bioökonomie International"), with the first projects starting the following year. Research alliances between German players and partners from non-EU countries are supported. The aim is to strengthen research cooperation with the world's best and tap into international innovation potential.

Microorganisms are important protein factories that can replace animal protein and thus contribute to a sustainable diet. The food tech start-up MicroHarvest uses these microbial helpers to produce new, healthy and sustainable protein ingredients. Two years after the Hamburg-based biotech company was founded, the first pilot plant was opened in Lisbon on November 16.

Meadows and pastures are important carbon sinks. The soils of so-called grasslands absorb a third of the world's carbon stock. Until now, researchers have assumed that carbon storage depends on the amount of plants growing on the soil. A recent study now disproves this assumption. In it, an international research team with the participation of Leuphana University Lüneburg examined the connection between the plant diversity of grasslands and carbon sequestration in soils in more detail.