Especially with respect to production of medicinal preparations, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly resorting to biological insights. Although chemically produced medicine still represents the largest share on the German pharma market, so-called biopharmaceuticals are increasingly gaining ground. Their sales of 5.6 billion euros are currently 21% of the market, with a rising trend. These drugs consist of biomolecules that are so large that they cannot be manufactured by man – or only at prohibitive cost.

Mechanical and plant engineering are among the traditionally strong pillars of Germany as economic location: more than 20,000 companies employ around one million people. Plant and machine as well as production and process engineering represent a key factor in a bio-based economy, in order to implement sustainability and resource efficiency. This applies especially with respect to energy requirements and efficiency, and also to lubricants and other materials applied. Engineers always face a special challenge when technical and biological requirements coincide.

Animals and plants form the foundation for a bio-based economy. Agriculture and forestry additionally represent an essential economic factor: more than 300,000 companies are active in this field in Germany. The significance of agriculture and forestry for added value in rural areas is great. Those at work on farms and in forests husband more than three-fourths of the area of Germany. After the Second World War, one farmer could feed ten people: today, the number is 147. During recent years, many farmers have expanded their area of activity.

In the consumer goods industry, it is obvious that bioeconomy has long since found its way into daily life. Not only for long-life purchases such as appliances, but also for quickly consumed products such as washing agents, toothpaste and body care cream – natural raw materials are in demand in many areas, and bio-based processes are widely used in industrial production. Every year in Germany, the average household spends around 26,000 euros for private consumer goods. In addition to clothing and food, body care and cosmetics are among the areas with leading sales.

With around 6,000 companies and 555,000 employees, the food and beverage industry is one of the largest German industrial sectors. According to the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE), total sales for 2012 were almost 170 billion euros, a European record. This sector is especially characterized by small and medium-sized enterprises, since 95 % of sector companies have fewer than 250 staff.

Biomass – plants as well as plant and animal residue and waste – is valued among renewable energy carriers for its versatility: it can be used to produce heat, electric power and fuel. Wood fuels are typical for solid bioenergy carriers: for example, wood chips and shavings and wood pellets. Liquid bioenergy carriers include biofuels such as plant oil, biodiesel fuel and bioethanol. Biogas and biomethane constitute the gaseous energy carriers.

The German chemical industry, with approximately 2,100 companies, is one of the most important basic pillars of the German economy. More than 400,000 are employed in this sector, and major, internationally active chemical groups such as BASF and Evonik have their headquarters in Germany. These companies also represent the majority of annual sector sales, at 186 billion euros in 2012. The product portfolio of the chemical industry is enormous and includes more than 30,000 products. The automobile industry is its largest customer, with around 40%.

Since humans have built dwellings, they have used regenerative raw materials such as wood and straw as building materials. Since sustainability and energy efficiency have become increasingly important in the construction sector, the acceptance of bio-based materials is again on the rise. Wood, for example, is being more widely employed in constructive building. Bio-based binders are still in trials. To enhance added value in domestic agriculture and forestry, efforts increasingly go to enlarge the portfolios of natural sources for construction materials.

For the average German, modern life is hardly imaginable without the automobile. Each person in Germany now travels an average distance of 11.7 km per day, and the car is responsible for 55% of all distances travelled. A total of 78% of households have at least one car, and 80% of adult Germans have a driving licence. These figures are also reflected in statistical data for the automotive sector. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) declares that its sector is one of the key business areas of our present-day economy.