Aktuelle Veranstaltungen

At just under one percent, the share of bio-based plastics on the global market is still very low. However, the global plastics industry is changing. Renewable raw and residual materials are increasingly coming into focus. In the Bio-Polyols project, researchers at Bielefeld University, together with an industrial partner, have now developed a process to produce the important plastic group of polyurethanes from domestic vegetable oils and make them usable for high-performance composites. The project received 78,000 euros in funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) from October 2020 to March 2022 during the exploratory phase as part of the "New Products for the Bioeconomy" ideas competition.

Bio-based plastic building blocks for floor coverings

Polyurethane (PUR) is a soft plastic that usually consists of fossil building blocks. These are foamed in combination with moisture and used in a variety of ways, for example in shoe soles, adhesives, but also car seats and flooring. The project focused on the use of bio-based plastic building blocks for floor coverings. To this end, the researchers worked together with Windmöller GmbH from Detmold.

Starting point: high oleic sunflower oil

In order to be able to produce these important PUR plastics from domestic vegetable oils, the Bielefeld team led by project manager Harald Gröger first had to find a suitable vegetable oil. The choice fell on high oleic sunflower oil, which has a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. "These unsaturated fatty acids have at least one carbon double bond, which can be chemically functionalized very efficiently," explains Gröger.

For the building blocks produced from the vegetable oil to be suitable for the desired polymer applications, they first had to be functionalized so that these individual modules can be coupled at the ends of the compounds.  These modules are molecules, so-called monomers, which are able to form polymers through chemical reactions. "Domestic vegetable oils cannot normally be used as basic building blocks for monomers because they lack a functionalizable group," explains the expert in organic chemistry and biotechnology. According to Gröger, the functional groups required to form the urethane group in the PUR polymers first had to be incorporated for the click reaction needed to build the PUR polymers.

Many building materials - whether concrete or insulating materials - are made from petroleum-based raw materials and are energy-intensive to produce. Large quantities of the climate-damaging greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced, particularly during the manufacture of the binding agent cement. In the ReMatBuilt project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI, together with partners from China, developed sustainable concrete building materials and high-performance components based on construction and demolition waste and agricultural residues. The three-year project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the "Bioeconomy International" funding initiative.

At the Hannover Messe Preview on February 21, the Fraunhofer researchers from the WKI presented the solutions from the ReMatBuilt project to a specialist audience. At the Hannover Messe from April 22 to 26, 2024, interested visitors will be able to see concrete building blocks with recycled aggregates, among other things, at the Fraunhofer stand in Hall 2.

Easy-to-implement recycling and production processes

In ReMatBuilt, the project partners from Germany and China were primarily concerned with identifying recycling and production processes that increase the proportion of renewable raw materials in the construction sector and are also easy to implement. "The special thing about our project is the holistic approach," says project manager Libo Yan. "We are combining our knowledge of the processes and properties of the various materials to understand the chemical, physical and mechanical performance from the micro to the macro scale and are already achieving a very high technology readiness level - an important aspect in terms of practical application."

Recycled concrete from building rubble and agricultural waste

In the production of recycled concrete, the team concentrated on building rubble, i.e. old concrete and masonry waste, as well as agricultural waste – instead of cement and gravel. Both raw materials are available in large quantities worldwide. These components were in turn reinforced with natural plant fibers such as flax and supplemented with residual materials from the forestry industry such as wood chips from waste wood.

The conventional binding agent cement, on the other hand, was replaced by the ash from burnt rice husks. "Rice is the most widely consumed food in the world. Its husks have hardly been used to date. We discovered that rice husk ash, which is produced in a special combustion process, is an excellent substitute for cement," says Yan. According to the researchers, the building blocks made from it are not only lighter than conventional bricks, but also impress in terms of strength, durability and thermal and acoustic insulation.

Sustainable insulation materials and composite systems

Insulating materials made from plant residues such as sawdust, rice and wheat straws were also developed in the ReMatBuilt project. These can also be combined with sustainable concrete blocks to create wall systems made from insulated blocks. In addition, the team has designed composite systems with which recycled concrete can also be used as floor slabs in combination with laminated veneer lumber and cross-laminated timber.

bb

The countries analysed were Denmark, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Spain. More than half of the agricultural land in these countries is currently used for the production of meat and dairy products. Only 20% of agricultural land is used to grow crops that feed the population.

The authors of the study conclude that plant-based substitute products could account for one-sixth of European meat and dairy consumption by 2050, even without much political support. With sufficient support, alternative proteins could even replace two thirds of current animal products and remedy the shortage of land.

In Germany, 22% of agricultural land could be freed up in the lowest scenario with a market share of one sixth (3.7 million hectares). Other European countries could even save 57% of the land currently used to export food to Europe.

he land freed up could be used to grow our own food, create natural habitats or expand agroecological cultivation methods. Further studies are needed to precisely calculate the effects on land and crop requirements. Overall, however, it is emphasised that alternative proteins could enable a significant reduction in the amount of land required for livestock farming.

Maize, the jack of all trades

Maize is a versatile crop. In the food sector, its cobs are on the grill and oil can be pressed from the kernels. A large proportion of the harvest is also used as animal feed and the pharmaceutical industry uses maize dextrin, a carbohydrate obtained from the plant, as a carrier and binding agent.

Industrial application

In the bioeconomy, starch from maize is used to produce bioplastics and to refine paper in order to increase its strength and resilience. The starch used for this is obtained from the whole grain, which is therefore no longer available for the food sector.

Moulded parts made from maize residues

In the case of CornPack packaging solutions, things are different. Their manufacturer, a company from Lübeck, produces moulded parts from corn semolina. And thus from a residual material that is produced in the manufacture of muesli, among other things. Mixed with organic binders, it becomes a light, robust material that protects glass bottles from breakage and fresh food from spoiling. 

The material is a sustainable alternative to polystyrene, which not only decomposes in industrial plants after a long service life, but also in domestic compost. 

Market readiness  

Market maturity is still being worked on. So far there is only a prototype.

Without microorganisms, there would be no bread, no cheese, beer or wine. The metabolic performance of bacteria, yeasts and molds is particularly important with regard to a sustainable economy. With their help, renewable raw materials can be transformed into new substances and customized products for the bioeconomy. Microorganisms are therefore valuable production factories for manufacturing chemicals, medicines, vaccines and fuels. The aim of Lena Hochrein's junior research group TAILOR is to make these cell factories even more efficient. The Potsdam researchers will optimize baker's yeast so that it can reliably produce a wide range of products for the bioeconomy as a cell factory. The work of the junior research group is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with 2.45 million euros until 2028 as part of the "Creative Young Researchers for the Bioeconomy" funding initiative. 

Birte Höcker conducts research at the Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Bayreuth. The professor and her research group are developing digital tools for protein design. For Höcker, artificial intelligence (AI) opens up fascinating and promising avenues for using language processing methods to produce customized proteins. Generative AI technologies can create proteins that do not occur in the wild - or have never existed in evolution.

This is the conclusion reached by an international research team led by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, which analysed studies from Europe, Asia, North and South America. According to the study, numerous wild animal and plant species in agricultural fields benefit from a diverse environment.

The findings are based on a global meta-analysis in which the researchers compiled and analysed 122 scientific studies. Data on the species richness of wild animals and plants on around 6,400 agricultural areas and the landscaping in their surroundings within a radius of up to four kilometres were included. Different crops such as cereals, rapeseed and vegetables, on the one hand, and semi-natural areas such as flowering areas, field margins, bushes and trees, on the other, contributed to a varied agricultural landscape - as well as their arrangement, such as field size and layout. The landscape effect was found in temperate and tropical/subtropical climate zones and for annual and perennial crops.

The study, in which Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) was also involved, shows on a global level that diverse crop populations and landscapes contribute to the protection of biodiversity and thus also to sustainable agriculture. It has been published in the journal Ecology Letters.

Climate change, water and resource scarcity, soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, but also population growth and food waste are putting the current food system under severe pressure across Europe. Sustainable food and nutrition security is therefore one of the major challenges of the future.

In order to make the food system in Europe more sustainable by 2050, the ‘European partnership for a sustainable Future of Food Systems – FutureFoodS’ was launched in June of this year. The EU-wide partnership aims to establish an environmentally friendly, socially responsible and fair, but also economically viable, healthy and safe food system. The initiative brings together 86 national and regional decision-makers, funding organisations and research institutions from 29 countries. The FutureFoodS partnership is one of several co-financed partnerships in the EU Commission's ‘Horizon Europe’ research programme.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food (BMEL) are also involved in the partnership. In order to drive forward the transformation of the food and nutrition system, the BMBF has now launched the funding guideline ‘FutureFoodS Call 2024: Transformation of food systems - reshaping interactions, driving innovation and strengthening sustainable diets’. By funding collaborative research and development projects involving foreign partners, the BMBF aims to strengthen the implementation of the National Bioeconomy Strategy in an international context.

Accelerating the transformation of food systems

The funding programme focuses on collaborative projects with European partners that accelerate the transformation towards more sustainable food production and nutrition and thus create resilient European and global food systems. In addition, the projects must offer a European perspective and focus on topics that are relevant for at least three project partners. The focus is on issues relating to post-harvest aspects.

Innovative business models and food

The following key topics will be funded:

• The path to sustainable and resilient food systems: This includes, for example, the reorganisation of market-based processes, business models, political measures and experimental approaches to solutions. Projects that are funded within the framework of this topic should focus in particular on cooperation and networking between players in the food system.
• New foods – promoting innovations in food design, processing and supply by changing sustainable supply and demand patterns: The aim here is to develop systemic approaches for the design, processing and provision of new types of food based on various raw material sources - such as pulses, cereals, nuts and seeds, but also algae and edible mushrooms as well as foods produced on a cell culture basis or using microorganisms.

Transnational collaborative projects funded

Funding is available for transnational collaborative projects with at least three of the partner countries involved in the call. The project objectives must be realisable within 24 to a maximum of 36 months. Universities, non-university research institutions, state and federal institutions with research tasks and commercial enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are eligible to apply.
The duration of the projects to be funded is generally up to three years. The maximum funding amount per joint project is 350,000 euros.

Soil is a vital resource and indispensable for ecosystems, the climate and society. However, industrial agriculture and the consequences of the climate crisis are putting increasing pressure on soils. As a result, fertile soils are becoming ever scarcer. According to studies, more than 60% of agricultural land in the EU is degraded. Omar Khalaf from the Berlin start-up Alganize wants to do something about that. "Stopping soil degradation is a matter close to our hearts," says the biotechnologist. Together with his team, Khalaf is developing innovative microalgae-based solutions to improve soil health and secure yields.

In addition, the GBS program will include different perspectives on bioeconomy innovations for the market and investment developments, for instance in the alternative protein area. Several high-level representatives from policy, science, business and industry will take part, among them the following: 

• Emily Chew, Global Head of Sustainability for Investment Management at Morgan Stanley
• Ray Dhirani, Head of Sustainable Finance, WWF-UK
• Agnes Matilda Kalibata, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
• Anja Karliczek, German Federal Minister for Education and Research
• Julia Klöckner, German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture
• Emily LeProust, CEO, Co-founder and Director of Twist Bioscience
• Ipshita Mandal-Johnson, Global Bio Fund
• Frank Rijsberman, Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
• Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University
• Hiroyuki Kojima, Chief Innovation Officer, Ajinomoto Co., Inc 
• Elspeth MacRae, Steering Group Member, IAC | Chief Innovation and Science Officer, SCION 
• Marcus Remmers, Chief Technology Officer, Royal DSM 
• Virgilio Mauricio Viana, Director General of the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS) 
• Brendan Edgerton, Director, Circular Economy at World Business Council for Sustainable Development 
• Louise Fresco, President, Wageningen University 
• Mary Maxon, Steering Group Member, IAC | Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 
• Michal Devir, Co-Founder and General Managing Partner at Rimonim Agro VC

Sie gelten als proteinreich, fettarm und könnten ein wichtiger Nahrungsmittelrohstoff der Zukunft sein: Insekten. Lange waren Grillen, Mehlwürmer und Co. jedoch Tieren als Futtermittel vorbehalten. Mit der neuen Novel-Food-Verordnung hat die EU 2018 den Weg für Insekten als Lebensmittel frei gemacht. Vor allem Start-ups haben diese Nische für sich entdeckt und gehen mit neuartigen Lebensmitteln wie Insekten-Burgern oder Fitnessriegeln voran. Mit der Native Food GmbH steht nun ein weiteres Start-up in den Startlöchern, um den Markt mit Insekten-Food zu bereichern.

Cracker aus Grillenmehl mit Kräutern

Das Team um Start-up-Gründer Camilo Carrillo Wilisch tüftelt seit knapp zwei Jahren an einem Cracker aus Grillenmehl, der in zwei verschiedenen Geschmacksrichtungen – Rosmarin und Zwiebel-Kräuter – nun den Markt erobern soll. Die proteinreiche Knabberei namens Pinaks besteht neben Insektenmehl und Kräutern nur noch aus glutenfreien Haferflocken.

Crowdfunding-Kampagne läuft

Auf der Crowdfunding-Plattform Startnext sucht das Berliner Team derzeit nach Investoren. Seit Beginn der Kampagne Mitte Oktober konnte Native Food bereits 180 Unterstützer überzeugen und mit 6.587 Euro mehr als die Hälfte des anvisierten Fundingziels von 10.000 Euro einwerben.

Produktion der ersten großen Charge geplant

Mit dem eingesammelten Geld will das Start-up die industrielle Produktion der ersten großen Charge seiner Insektencracker finanzieren und somit eine Alternative zu herkömmlichen Snacks bieten. Die Kampagne bei Startnext läuft noch bis zum 20. November 2020.

bb

Considered high in protein and low in fat, they could be an important food raw material of the future: insects. For a long time, however, crickets, mealworms and the like were reserved for animals as animal feed. With the new Novel Food Regulation, the EU has cleared the ground for insects as food in 2018. Start-ups in particular have discovered this niche for themselves and are moving forward with novel creations such as insect burgers or fitness bars. With Native Food GmbH another start-up is now ready to enrich the market with insect food.

Crackers made from cricket flour with herbs

The team around start-up founder Camilo Carrillo Wilisch has been experimenting on a cracker made of cricket flour for almost two years now, which is now set to conquer the market in two different flavours - rosemary and onion herbs. The high-protein nibble called Pinaks consists of gluten-free oat flakes in addition to insect meal and herbs.

Crowdfunding campaign running

The Berlin team is currently looking for investors on the crowdfunding platform Startnext. Since the beginning of the campaign in mid-October, Native Food has already managed to convince 180 supporters and, with 6,587 euros, has raised more than half of the targeted funding target of 10,000 euros.

Production of the first large batch planned

With the money raised, the start-up company intends to finance the industrial production of the first large batch of its insect crackers and thus offer an alternative to conventional snacks. The campaign at Startnext will run until 20 November 2020.

bb

Im Januar 2021 fällt der Startschuss für den nunmehr zweiten Durchgang beim Hallenser Weinberg Campus Accelerator. Dieses Mal werden Start-ups und Gründungswillige gesucht, die Ideen und Konzepte aus den Bereichen Greentech, Bioeconomy und New Materials voranbringen wollen. Interessierte können sich dafür noch bis zum 25. November 2020 beim Weinberg Campus Accelerator bewerben.

Viermonatiges Intensivprogramm

Im ersten Durchlauf, der Ende November endet, wurden bereits sechs Teams durch professionelles Coaching und maßgeschneiderte Workshops betreut. Die neuen Teams erwartet im kommenden Jahr ein ebenso anspruchsvolles viermonatiges Intensivprogramm zu Themen wie Geschäftsmodellentwicklung, Finanzierung, Zertifizierung, Upscaling oder auch Marketing & Sales. Auch werden sie bei der Gestaltung von Workshopinhalten einbezogen und profitieren von Netzwerkveranstaltungen, bei denen wichtige Kontakte geknüpft werden können.

Wegbegleiter für Tech-Start-ups

Der Weinberg Campus ist das erste Accelerator-Programm für Tech-Start-ups in Sachsen-Anhalt. Ziel ist es, die Start-ups bei der Weiterentwicklung ihrer Ideen bis zur Marktreife zu unterstützen. Bewerben können sich wissens- und technologiebasierte Projekte und Start-ups, die kurz vor der Gründung stehen und nicht älter als fünf Jahre sind.

Das Accelerator-Programm ist Teil des Projektes „AIMS plus Startup- & Growth-Accelerator" und wird vom Land Sachsen-Anhalt und dem Europäischen Sozialfonds (ESF) gefördert sowie von der TGZ Halle Technologie- und Gründerzentrum Halle GmbH koordiniert.