Two-day, virtual congress  /  February 24, 2021  -  February 25, 2021

Bioeconomy: Building block of the circular economy – opportunities for products and processes

Congress series BIO-raffiniert

The 11th event in the BIO-raffiniert congress series will once again cover a wide range of topics under the theme „Bio-economy: A building block of the circular economy – opportunities for products and processes“: from the bio-economy to the circular economy.

Raw materials have to be processed in flexible, modular processes that fit perfectly. On the product side, properties such as bio-based and biodegradability are becoming increasingly important for a circular economy. The product is also a new raw material – for this we need new product designs and processes based on circular principles. These are some of the challenges that will be discussed at BIO-raffiniert XI.

The aim of the congress series is to discuss progress, applications and trends in the use of renewable raw materials, to explore different perspectives and to promote the exchange between science, politics and industry. Fraunhofer UMSICHT as well as the EnergieAgentur.NRW and CLIB with the regional innovation network Material Flows invite you to BIO-raffiniert XI.

Greetings

„For one thing, beginning and end are on the periphery of the circle. Already the philosopher Heraclitus pointed out a basic principle of circular economy. In the meantime, circular flow management plays a decisive role in sustainable economic activity. The bio-economy is increasingly coming to the fore – mainly due to the fact that the materials used are bio-based and can be made biodegradable – and thus kept in anthropogenic cycles.

This means that the bio-economy is a central path to a more sustainably designed and resource-efficient world. Current research focuses, for example, on the material cascade use of biomass and thus ultimately the recycling of bio-based and/or biodegradable products.

As a pioneer in a sustainable world, Fraunhofer UMSICHT is involved both in the bio-economy and in the even more comprehensive subject area of the circular economy. With this congress we want to give impulses, promote holistic utilization and encourage interdisciplinarity. The focus is on the collaboration of different research institutions on the one hand and the cooperation between science and industry on the other. This is guaranteed, for example, by our co-organizers, whom we would like to take this opportunity to thank for their support: the Cluster Industrielle biotechnology e.V. (CLIB for short) and the EnergieAgentur.NRW. Together we want to initiate and support the professional exchange – as we did at the previous congresses of the BIO-raffiniert series.

A big thank you also goes to our congress partners and the numerous speakers, without whom it would not have been possible to organize the two-day event program.

And finally: Of course, we would have been very happy to welcome you personally here in Oberhausen. Unfortunately, the pandemic has thwarted our plans, so we can only invite you to participate online. Nevertheless, we are very much looking forward to the virtual exchange with you and are eagerly awaiting the discussions on circular economy and bioeconomy.“

Prof. E. Weidner, director Fraunhofer UMSICHT
Prof. G. Deerberg, deputy director Fraunhofer UMSICHT


Partners

Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt | VDI Society Technologies of Life Sciences | Industrial Biotechnology Bayern Netzwerk GmbH | VCI e.V. | Landesverband NRW

Circle of participants

  • from business and science
  • from research and development
  • from politics, associations, clubs and media