CLIB, the Cluster industrielle Biotechnologie, is organizing an event for SMEs and start-ups. The Duesseldorf-headquartered cluster is inviting both SMEs and start-ups, as well as investors, industry experts, and consultants to apply for the fourth “SME & Start-up Pitch Event @ CLIB” on 3 September 2025 in Düsseldorf (in-person event).
Stuttgart, Germany, is the first city in Europe to launch its own bioeconomy strategy. Il Bioeconomista has interviewed Dr. Max Schuchardt, who developed the bioeconomy strategy of the City of Stuttgart, and Dr. Elisabeth Saken-Braunstein, who is leading the bioeconomy team at the Ministry of Environement, Climate and Energy and the strategic development of the urban and industrial bioeconomy strategy section in the Amendment of the bioeconomy strategy of Baden-Württemberg.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
Evonik and Uniper officially launched the Technical Options for Thermal Energy Recovery (TORTE) project in Gelsenkirchen. As one of the first phases of Evonik’s ‘Herne Green Deal’ to sustainably transform the Herne chemical site, the TORTE project will feed industrial waste heat from isophorone production into the district heating network. Around 1,000 homes in the Ruhr region will be supplied by the end of 2024.
Global Bioenergies, France-headquartered company which is a key player in industrial biotechnology, signed a new development contract with Shell Global Solutions (Deutschland) GmbH to further develop low carbon road fuels. While the previous phases of the collaboration, starting at the end of 2022, were dedicated to exploring different potential options based on proprietary Global Bioenergies’ technology, the aim now is to focus on one specific route.
UPM Biochemicals acquired SunCoal Industries GmbH, a German-based company that developed a unique technology portfolio to produce performance products from renewable raw materials. With this acquisition SunCoal Industries’ technology will be integrated into the production of UPM’s BioMotionTM Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF), one of the products to be produced at UPM Biochemical’s first-of-its kind biorefinery in Leuna and strengthen the overall technology portfolio of UPM’s biorefining businesses.
German environment minister Steffi Lemke said on Tuesday she would soon send proposals to the cabinet for the country to withdraw from the use of crop-based biofuels to achieve reductions in greenhouse gases, International Press Agency Reuters states. “Biofuels stand for land consumption and loss of biological diversity,” Lemke said in a speech on Tuesday posted on the environment ministry’s website. “To replace only around 4% of fossil fuel use in German road transport, a land space in Germany and abroad is needed which represents about 20% of the German agricultural area. That is not future-orientated.”
UPM has officially opened a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Germany, bringing the company closer to meeting its ambitious target to decrease its CO2 emissions by 65% by 2030. The Finnish company is committed to meeting the targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement well in advance, through practicing climate-positive forestry, innovating novel products and taking actions such as investing in renewable and efficient energy solutions to power its own sites, while taking part in the transformation of energy systems in Europe.
UPM and Dongsung Chemical announce a development partnership that will accelerate the introduction of renewable, sustainable forest-sourced materials into the Asian market and reduce fossil resource consumption.
In 2021, the bioeconomy in EU4 (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) has reached a value of production of €1,500 billion, employing over 7 million people. Germany is confirmed as a leader with a value of €436.6 billion, then France (379.4 billion), Italy (364.3 billion) and Spain (251.5 billion). This is according a new Report realized by the Intesa Sanpaolo Research Department (Intesa Sanpaolo is one of the major banking group in Europe), in collaboration with Italian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster SPRING and Assobiotec, and today presented in Salerno (South Italy), which is dedicated to bioeconomy, which, in line with the definition of the European Commission, was defined as the set of activities using renewable natural resources to produce goods and energy, generating great advantages in terms of sustainability.
BRAIN Biotech AG and Formo Bio GmbH launched a strategic collaboration to further advance the production of animal-free milk proteins. BRAIN Biotech is a leading industrial biotechnology company, Formo is a pioneering food-tech startup in the space of alternative milk protein. As experts in their field, the two German biotech companies are powering European innovation.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 