08.10.2024

Research alliance with Queensland: first projects launched

The first projects with Queensland have been launched as part of the ‘Bioeconomy International’ research cooperation programme.

Source

adobestock.com/niroworld

In 2022, Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger signed an agreement to strengthen joint bioeconomy research during her visit to the Australian state of Queensland. With the ‘Joint Declaration of Intent’, Germany and Australia want to expand their long-standing research cooperation.

The basis for the cooperation is the ‘Bioeconomy International’ funding programme. This initiative funds international research alliances with countries outside Europe. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) exclusively funds the German research players, while the co-financing of the international research partners is provided by the national funding organisations.

The first three projects from the first of four funding rounds in the Germany-Queensland co-operation were recently launched. The Queensland Government is providing approximately 250,000 Australian dollars for each project (more in this press release).

The Bio2Foam project aims to produce bio-based polyurethanes from agricultural waste from sugar cane production, which will be used in the German automotive industry and for the manufacture of outdoor sports equipment. The industrial partners involved include automotive supplier Grammer and outdoor specialist Vaude. Partners: Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH)
As part of the LignoPlast project, the plant material lignin is converted into valuable chemicals. The researchers are combining their experience in biomass decomposition (Queensland) and biotechnology, synthetic biology and enzyme technology (Germany) to produce chemicals such as 1,3-butadiene, which is used in agriculture and the chemical industry. Partners: University of Queensland (UQ), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin (BIH)
Bio-based solutions for sustainable agriculture - this is the goal of the project of the same name, which aims to produce new agricultural chemicals that can be used for plant protection, for example. Among other things, bioactive substances from plants native to Queensland are being developed and produced using biotechnology. Partners: University of Queensland (UQ), Technical University of Munich (TUM)

As part of the cooperation with Queensland, interested parties from Germany can currently still apply for the fourth funding round. The deadline for submitting project outlines is 25 November 2024.

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