A sustainable economy based on biological resources is an important instrument for achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) recognized the potential of the bioeconomy early on and has been investing in research and development with strategies and programs since 2010.

It's a question of perspective: Up to now, many companies have regarded mining sludge and mine water as pollutant-containing waste because they contain cadmium and arsenic, for example. But a research team from the TU Bergakademie Freiberg sees things differently. In a pilot project, the experts have developed a process that removes the pollutants from sludge and water, extracts valuable substances and uses the rest as raw material for a more climate-friendly production of cement and concrete alternatives.

Hydrogen is set to become an important energy carrier wherever electrical energy cannot be used directly. However, this is only sustainable if the hydrogen is produced using renewable energies or biobased, and it can be stored. For this, a research team at Goethe University Frankfurt has now developed a process based on bacteria.

How can our food system become more sustainable? This question is currently occupying many researchers. Eating less meat and more vegetables is just one way of protecting the environment and climate, as well as making agriculture more sustainable. Like other sectors of the economy, however, agriculture is geared to constant growth. For a long time, there have been voices arguing for an economy without growth, because this development is harmful to the environment. Researchers have now taken a closer look at these so-called "degrowth" approaches.

Solvents are central chemicals in many manufacturing processes in the chemical industry. They are used to dissolve starting materials at the beginning of a production process, but also to isolate and condition the desired compound from the reaction mixture at the end. However, most solvents have been based on petroleum. The international DECADES research project funded by the European Commission is therefore now looking for bio-based alternatives.

A new tool for biotechnology has been discovered coincidentally by research teams from the University of Leipzig and TU Dresden: while studying the cyanobacterium Scytonema hofmanni, they came across an enzyme with a previously unknown ability. The enzyme, called furanolide synthase, masters the ability to create certain carbon-carbon bonds.

Whether for electricity and heat production, for use in gas-powered household appliances or as a fuel, biogas is firmly established in everyday life. There are around 9,000 biogas plants nationwide, producing 94 terawatt hours (TWh) of biogas. Biogas production currently accounts for about 9% of total natural gas consumption in Germany. About half of the natural gas was imported from Russia in 2021. However, with the attack on Ukraine and a looming gas embargo by Russia, gas supply has become more uncertain.

Energy crops such as rapeseed and corn are grown on more than one-fifth of the arable land in Germany. This means that they compete with food production for valuable agricultural land. Agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV) promises a resource-efficient dual use of arable land. The simultaneous use of fields for the cultivation of food crops and for the generation of electricity also opens up new sources of income for farmers.

With the trend toward plant-based nutrition, a food crop that seemed forgotten for decades is gaining in importance: the field bean. Nationwide, the area under cultivation has increased almost tenfold since 2010 and reached a new record level of around 56,500 hectares in 2020, according to the Federal Statistical Office. As part of the group's 2026 PLUS strategy, Südzucker subsidiary Beneo now wants to significantly expand its acreage under field beans.