Research • Educate • Connect
Towards a sustainable bioeconomy

Research • Educate • Connect
Towards a sustainable bioeconomy
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Sustainable bioeconomy!?

What is it? And how can research and education contribute to the transformation to a bio-based economy?

The Bioeconomy Science Center explanatory film provides a first insight into bioeconomy. It describes how interdisciplinary and integrative research cooperation on a regional scale can be organized and what is required to develop solution approaches for the challenges of the 21st century.

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Food security
Climate protection
Resource management
Energy supply

Integrative bioeconomy  |  Finding solutions for societal challenges

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Challenge Food security

How can we succeed in supplying a growing world population with high quality foods?

Unfavorable and complex constraints such as limitation of agricultural areas, competing uses of renewable resources – energetically or materially – and changing consumption habits call for new cross-disciplinary approaches from the field of sustainable bioeconomy. 

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Challenge Climate protection

How can the impacts of human activity on the earth’s climate be minimized?

The sustainable production of energy and renewable resources through resource-efficient processes and the development of a closed-cycle economy is an important aspect of adapting to climate change. Already today, the concept of a sustainable bioeconomy offers many solutions for improving climate protection.

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Challenge Resource management

How can we meet requirements for resources and energy production that are both secure and economical?

This can only be achieved through sustainable management of our natural resources, including air, water, climate and ecosystems. A sustainable bioeconomy can provide a number of promising solutions in this area.

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Challenge Energy supply

How can renewable fuels for mobile applications and bioenergy be made available sustainably and for the long term?

Its storage capability is what makes bioenergy such an important part of the future energy mix. It is an indispensable component that can compete with energy sources such as wind and solar energy that are not always available. The sustainable bioeconomy offers solutions for developing integrated production processes for sustainable production.

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Current news

24.11.2023

Four BioSC members among the "Highly Cited Researchers" 2023

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.

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14.11.2023

29th BioSC Lecture by Verena Siewers, Chalmers University

The 29th BioSC Lecture took place on 10 November 2023 as part of the Jülich Biotech Day. Prof. Dr. Verena Siewers from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg presented the establishment of yeast as a platform organism for the synthesis of flavonoids in a microbial consortium, using metabolic biosensors and directed evolution methods.

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13.11.2023

7th International BioSC Symposium "Bio-based solutions for a sustainable economy"

The 7th International BioSC Symposium on 6 and 7 November 2023 once again covered a broad spectrum of topics. At the LVR Landesmuseum Bonn, around 130 participants from academia, industry, civil society and politics discussed current topics and developments, from primary production and the development of new products and concepts to sustainability assessment and social transformation. The presentations and discussions were complemented by 39 posters, three of which were awarded prizes.

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30.10.2023

8th NRW PhD Day "Future Bioeconomy" with around 70 participants

The 8th NRW PhD Day "Future Bioeconomy" took place on 25 October 2023 in Neuss with around 70 participants, this year on the topic of "Biomass as feedstock". PhD students from all over NRW from a wide range of disciplines took the opportunity to exchange ideas and network, both with the speakers and among each other. The speakers gave very realistic reports on the challenges and obstacles in the transformation from fossil to bio-based raw materials.

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You can find an overview of all news articles here.

Topics

Figure: Seed Fund 3.0 ProPlant Micro

New Seed Fund projects

Five new Seed Fund projects were launched in October and November 2023: CasCar, InterPepHerb, LEDCyans, ProPlantMicro and Rhambo.

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Publications

Waßenhoven, A., Rennings, M., Laibach, N., Bröring, S. (2023). What constitutes a “Key Enabling Technology” for transition processes: Insights from the bioeconomy's technological landscape. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 197, December 2023, 122873. 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122873. Transform2Bio

Schonhoff, A., Stöckigt, G., Wulf, C., Zapp, P., Kuckshinrichs, W. (2023). Biosurfactants production with substrates from the sugar industry - environmental, cost, market and social aspects. RSC Sustainability, doi 10.1039/D3SU00122A  Bio2

Jafari, Y., Engemann, H., Heckelei, T., Hainsch, K. (2023). National and Regional Economic Impact of Changes in the Electricity Mix in Germany: A Dynamic Analysis up to 2050. Utilities Policy 82: 101583.  Transform2Bio

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Calls

Zukunftsweisende Produktionssysteme (BMEL)
January 24, 2024 (Project outlines)
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Moderne Züchtungsforschung für klima- und standortangepasste Nutzpflanzen von morgen (BMBF)
January 31, 2024 (Project outlines)
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ZukunftBIO.NRW - 3. Förderrunde (MWIKE)
Deadline: June 30, 2024
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Among others: Ideen aus der Biotechnologie und Bioökonomie für eine nachhaltige Wirtschaft - Press Release

Transformation Monitor Bioeconomy 2022 (German)

Jobs

Click here for information on job vacancies.

 

Events

next event: 21.02.2024
Düsseldorf
21.02.2024 - 22.02.2024

CLIB International Conference

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Reims, France
19.03.2024 - 21.03.2024

BIOKET 2024

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Frankfurt am Main
15.04.2024 - 19.04.2024

International Spring School: "Opportunities and Challenges of Process Intensification Application in Lignocellulosic Biorefineries"

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