Bioeconomy - For a Sustainable Economy

The agricultural business of Agrargenossenschaft "Bergland" Clausnitz e. G. makes optimum use of material and energy cycles. Milk production and the cultivation of crops (cereals, rapeseed and fiber crops) are the main economic pillars of the farm. Energy production also takes center stage. The farm produces its own biogas, wind and solar energy and can thus supply its own infrastructure. Rapeseed cultivation supplies cows with food and agricultural machinery with biofuel.

Natural fibers are suitable for the production of a wide range of products. As yarns, tapes or in the form of high-performance fibers, they can be used in a wide range of industries. SachsenLeinen GmbH in Markkleeberg develops key solutions along supply chains and natural fibers for a wide range of applications and markets.

With its innovative product lines, madebymade GmbH from Pegau makes an important contribution to sustainability and resource-conserving production. The company produces proteins and fats that are obtained from insects. The maggots from Saxony are thus conquering the market as animal feed, fertilizer or in the form of palm oil substitutes.

fit "Grüne Kraft" washing-up liquid, tabs and household cleaners come from Zittau. For over 50 years, fit GmbH has been making German households cleaner with its cleaning products. With its products, the company focuses on a responsible approach to the environment as well as cost- and energy-saving production processes. Part of the product range consists of biodegradable ingredients based on citric acid or palm oil.

Vogtlandmilch GmbH in Plauen is supplied with around 220 million kg of milk annually by around 260 farmers from the Vogtland region, western Saxony and eastern Thuringia. The company uses the milk to produce a wide range of dairy products and soft drinks, which are known under the brands "Vogtlandweide" and "Sachsenland". At the Plauen site, the aim is to convert even more to environmentally friendly and sustainable production in the future. The company received investment funds of 13.85 million euros from the Free State of Saxony in 2022 for this purpose.

The start-up nevi GmbH specializes in the processing of birch bark for the construction industry. The company from Görlitz develops attractive veneers, handles and furniture surfaces from this native tree species. The raw material birch bark is harvested by hand and used sustainably in the region. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, nevi is currently developing an adhesive system with up to 90 percent biogenic ingredients.

The German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ), founded in 2008, develops practical solutions along the biomass value chains and cycles. Through applied research and development (R&D) of technologies for the energetic and integrated material use of biomass, the DBFZ contributes to the realization of a climate-neutral society.

The focus of the work at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ) in Leipzig is on research into the transformation processes of the entire economic system. Bioeconomy research at the UFZ is concerned with innovative (bio)technological processes aimed at the production of energy sources and valuable materials from sunlight and CO2, electricity and residual or waste materials (cellulose, lignocellulose, by-products of chemical and biotechnical synthesis) that have only been used to a limited extent to date.

The German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) is a research center of the German Research Foundation (DFG) with main locations in Halle, Jena and Leipzig. Here, researchers from 40 nations develop the scientific basis for the sustainable management of our planet's biodiversity.

The Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) strives to gain new insights in order to preserve and improve the basis of our existence. To this end, research in the fields of energy, health and matter is carried out at the HZDR in Dresden and other locations.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV is a leader in applied research for the secure supply of high-quality food and for sustainable packaging systems. At its Dresden site, the Fraunhofer IVV develops efficient processing and cleaning processes. Product safety and process efficiency are the most important aspects in the development of processing systems.