Wood as an innovative resource and material was in the focus of the 9th BioSC Spotlight on March 5, 2024 at the NGP2 Center for Next Generation Processes and Products at RWTH Aachen University. In an auditorium of around 50 persons, scientists from the BioSC and external experts discussed current developments for a wood-based bioeconomy.

On February 29, the members of the Bioeconomy Council NRW received their certificates of appointment from Minister Neubauer. With Prof. Dr. Monika Hartmann, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schurr and Prof. Dr. Ralf Pude, three members of the BioSC have been appointed.

Photos: MWIKE NRW / A. Bowinkelmann

Professor Joachim von Braun, former member of the BioSC, has been appointed Ambassador for Bioeconomy and Sustainable Development by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

Photo: IICA

In order to strengthen the bioeconomy location of North Rhine-Westphalia, the state government has decided to establish the Bioeconomy Council NRW which will be involved in developing a bioeconomy strategy for North Rhine-Westphalia over the next two years. Among the 15 experts from industry, science and civil society are three members of the BioSC, Prof. Dr. Monika Hartmann, Prof. Dr. Ralf Pude and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schurr, as well as Prof. Dr. Stefanie Bröring, BioSC member until 2022.

Two research teams led by Dr. Till Tiso (Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, and member of the BioSC) have successfully acquired research projects to continue work from the BioSC projects SurfIn, Bio² and NovoSurf, among others.

(Photo: iAMB, RWTH Aachen)

Four members of the BioSC have been honoured this year as "Highly Cited Researchers" by the analysis platform "Web of Science": Björn Usadel (Forschungszentrum Jülich/HHU Düsseldorf), Hendrik Poorter (Forschungszentrum Jülich), Frank Ewert (University of Bonn/ZALF Müncheberg) and Matin Qaim (University of Bonn). A total of 6,849 people from 67 countries and regions were honoured this year. They are authors of publications that have been among the 1% most cited in their field(s) and publication year(s) in the last ten years.