Since the beginning of June, it's been time to cast off again for the hands-on exhibition on the bioeconomy aboard the MS Wissenschaft (MS Science). Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the converted cargo ship will stop at a total of 30 locations in Germany and Austria between now and October 26. After an eight-month break, the ship dropped anchor in Hamburg on June 5 as the first stop on the second tour. After Glückstadt and Rendsburg, the exhibition ship will also call at Kiel and Hildesheim in June.

How can we shape our future in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way? Which innovations, trends and ideas can help to keep our earth livable for future generations? The Week of the Environment on June 10 and 11 in Bellevue Palace will provide answers.

The transformation to a biobased economy is in full swing. Start-ups, but also established large corporations, are increasingly producing biobased products using new, often biotechnological production processes. The economic development agency of the German state of Hesse therefore organized the online conference "Biofabrik" on May 25 and 26, 2021, at which experts from business and science presented current developments.

It's a win-win solution that has so far mostly failed because of the price: Cell-based meat could allow meat lovers to consume without moral, environmental, and climate concerns. There have been research projects on this since the 1970s, but commercialization has always failed due to production costs. Merck, the Darmstadt-based chemical and pharmaceutical company, now wants to change this and is seeking research cooperation with Darmstadt Technical University and Tufts University in the United States.

AMSilk is accelerating its growth: The world's first commercial supplier of high-tech biopolymers made from artificial silk has received further financing from its existing as well as additional investors. This means that the company, which is based in Martinsried near Munich, has access to an additional 29 million euros. The biotech specialist intends to use this money to "accelerate industrial scale-up and expand commercial operations to new markets."

Popcorn is a popular snack - but that's not all. The grains could also be a new resource for replacing conventional plastic or Styrofoam. A team led by Göttingen researcher Alireza Kharazipour has spent ten years taking a closer look at popcorn grains to find out whether they are suitable for the production of new sustainable products. As a result, a process has been developed with which 3D molded bodies for various packaging can be produced from a popcorn granulate.

Meat is not the problem, but the way it is produced - that is the credo of the German start-up Innocent Meat. The young company led by CEO Laura Gertenbach and CTO Patrick Nonnenmacher wants to drive the transformation from traditional livestock farming to a sustainable and efficient model via cell culture-based meat.