Bioeconomy and the shift toward a sustainable economy: For most people, this initially sounds like a lot of research, technology and new business models. Dennis Eversberg, on the other hand, thinks first of people and mentalities. Eversberg is a sociologist at the University of Jena and heads the research project "Mentalities in Flux - Worlds of Imagination in Modern Bio-Cycle-Based Societies". Its goal is to understand people's attitudes toward the bioeconomy and what this means for the development of the bioeconomy.
More light makes for better sea grapes
On land, agriculture urgently needs to become more sustainable for environmental and climate protection; in the water, many marine regions are considered overfished. But humanity's demand for food will continue to rise. One hitherto little-used source that can be both healthy and sustainable is algae, among which are marine grapes. Researchers at the University of Bremen and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) have now discovered a way to significantly increase their nutritional value.
“Climate change and land use are closely linked”
Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show how drastically heat waves and droughts have increased in recent decades. The consequences are crop failures, floods and forest fires.
Plant diversity keeps weeds in check
Weeds are a problem for many farms. In conventional farming, heavy equipment and pesticides are used to try to kill the unwanted plants or keep them in check. In organic farming, no chemicals are used. Here, the weed problem is solved mechanically or thermally. But even this method is not ideal: it is often expensive and can also disturb soil organisms and promote erosion. Researchers at the University of Rostock have now taken a closer look at weed vegetation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) in a large-scale field trial. Eleven organic farms from MV were involved.
BayWa invests in fruit pit rescuers
Fruit pits from plums, cherries, peaches or apricots usually end up in the trash. In fruit processing, over 500 million kilos of pits are thrown away every year in Europe alone. For Austrian start-up Kern Tec GmbH, this is a source of raw materials for new foods. The potential of this upcycling idea has also convinced the system service provider BayWa. Through its investment arm, BayWa Venture GmbH, the Munich-based company is now joining the food tech start-up as a partner and investor.
Bridges made from biocomposites
Building a bridge to the future - the project participants in the EU research project "Smart Circular Bridge" have taken this literally. To address the sustainability deficit of many established building materials, the experts have developed a walkway and bike path bridge made of a biocomposite material. The University of Stuttgart is also involved in this project.
Algae farming pays off for farmers
Microalgae can produce many valuable substances, from dyes to omega-3 fatty acids or proteins, and are therefore a source of hope for the bioeconomy. They are not only used by manufacturers of food, animal feed and cosmetics. Microalgae are also becoming increasingly important for the production of biofuel and new plastics. The cultivation of these aquatic plants could also open up new business areas in agriculture.
Cell-based fish ready for market
Overfishing of the oceans is a global problem. According to the environmental protection organization WWF, 33% of commercial fish stocks are affected. In Europe, the situation is even more dramatic: In the Mediterranean and Black Seas, as much as 62.2% of stocks are considered overfished. Meanwhile, however, demand for fish continues to rise. Food tech startup Bluu Seafood wants to rebalance overfished seas with alternatives made from cultured fish cells.
Biosynthesis for fluorinated drugs
Fluorine is a small atom with a big effect: For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has been using it to improve active medical ingredients. For example, fluorine can improve the binding of an active ingredient to its target molecule, increase the availability of the active ingredient to the body, or change the residence time of the active ingredient in the body. Until now, incorporating fluorine usually required complex chemical syntheses.
Share of green startups remains high
Almost every third startup founded in Germany in 2021 can be considered "green". This is the conclusion of the 4th Green Startup Monitor from the Startup Association and the Borderstep Institute. At 29%, the share of all startups is thus roughly at the previous year's level of 30%.