Further Development of the “National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030”

Recommendations of the German Bioeconomy Council

How to continue?

Überblick

The first phase of the “National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030” comes to an end in 2017. The Bioeconomy Council actively supports the continued development of the research program. Many correct decisions have been made and now we must commit unwaveringly and purposefully to promoting research into the bioeconomy to bring the development of biobased solutions into wider use. In so doing we should take into account the whole range of biologi-cal resources and knowledge. A narrative on the bioeconomy which the general public find convincing and understandable may also be very helpful for this purpose.

The German Bioeconomy Council

The Bioeconomy Council advises the Federal Ger-man Government on the implementation of the “National Research Strategy Bioeconomy 2030” towards a biobased economy. It is the Bioeconomy

Council’s aim to establish a cross-sectoral know-ledge-based bioeconomy. It generates sustainably created products and services, thus combining eco-nomic growth with the objective of environmental compatibility. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) appointed the Bioeconomy Council with its present line-up as an independent advisory board to the Federal Government in 2012. With its recommendations, the Council wants to:

| encourage the research and development of new technologies in the knowledge-based bio-economy,

| set up positive framework conditions for a bio-based economy,

| improve interdisciplinary training and profes-sional development in the bioeconomy,

| inform society and engage an open dialogue.

Overview

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Members of the Bioeconomy Council

Prof. Dr. Joachim von Braun, Director, Department of Economic and Technological Change, Center for Development Research (ZEF)

Prof. Dr. Christine Lang, Founder and Managing Director, ORGANOBALANCE GmbH

Prof. Dr. Ingrid Kögel-Knabner, Chair of Soil Science, Technical University of Munich

Prof. Dr. Johannes Vogel, Director General, Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science

Prof. Dr. Georg Backhaus, President, Julius Kühn-Institute - Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants

Prof. Dr. Daniel Barben, Head, Institute of Science, Technology and Society Studies, Alpen-Adria-University of Klagenfurt

Prof. Dr. Regina Birner, Chair of Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development, University of Hohenheim

Dr. Léon Broers, Member of the Executive Board, KWS SAAT AG

Prof. Dr. Hannelore Daniel, Chair of Nutrition Physiology, Technical University of Munich

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hamm, Head of Department Agricultural and Food Marketing, University of Kassel

Prof. Dr. Reinhard F. J. Hüttl, Chairman of the Board and Scientific Executive Director, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

Prof. Dr. Folkhard Isermeyer, President, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute

Prof. Dr. Lucia Reisch, Professor for Intercultural Research in Consumption and Consumer Policy, Copenhagen Business School

Prof. Dr. Manfred Schwerin, Professor for Animal Breeding, University of Rostock & Board, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (ret.)

Prof. Dr. Daniela Thrän, Head of Bioenergy Department, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, German Biomass Research Center

Prof. Dr. Wiltrud Treffenfeldt, Chief Technology Officer EMEAI, DOW Europe GmbH

Dr. Holger Zinke, Deputy Chairman of Supervisory Board, BRAIN AG

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Narrative on the bioeconomy

It feeds people. It clothes them. It warms them. It moves them.It gives them a roof over their heads. It cares for and heals them.It connects them with nature.And it develops solutions for a better, more sustainable future.

Nature has always provided people with what they need to live. And the economy has been biobased by using renewable resources such as wood for thousands of years – though usually at the expense of nature.

Today human society has a better understanding of natural cycles. If it is to preserve nature and its essenti-al resources, society must act more sustainably and economically – more bioeconomically – in the future.

Thinking bioeconomically means knowing nature’s cycles and not only utilizing them for the energy industry, the food, paper and textile industry or even for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry but also preserving them in the sense of protecting the environment and resources. This requires bioeconomy research for inno-vation.

For example, it is bioeconomic to have micro-organisms produce materials for household or industrial use. They can thus replace high-energy manufacturing processes as well as those which are harmful to the cli-mate and the environment. It is also bioeconomic to manufacture biopharmaceuticals such as insulin with the help of micro-organisms and thus to help many people to obtain pain relief and healing.

The bioeconomy, however, is not a new sector of the economy. Rather it is a testimony to the transition that is already in full swing in many industries and sectors of the economy. Sometimes individual, chemically produced substances are replaced by biological alternatives to meet environmental protection regulations. Sometimes the demand for eco-friendly products is satisfied, for example if Lego building blocks no longer have to be made from petroleum-based plastic.

The transition to such a “greener economy”, a true bioeconomy, is not possible without political decisions. It requires incentives that make the long-term benefits of bioeconomic activities more tangible for entrepre-neurs and consumers. And it requires a change of mindset on the part of society to show that economic growth is only really valuable for society with environmental and socially fair products. This is accompanied by restrictions and growth opportunities for the future.

Besides new and attractive products, changes in behaviour are necessary to achieve this goal. This not only means forgoing products that are bioeconomically harmful but above all bringing creativity and social com-mitment to new ideas that no longer merely use nature but rather preserve it and wish to protect it as a source of healthy life for this and future generations of humans.

5Overview

Key aspects of the council recommendations

If research results are to be successfully converted into marketable applications and products, in addi-tion to research funding the following key issues are pivotal:

| Regulatory policy for a social and environmental market economy with incentives that stimulate market forces for bioeconomic innovations and profound changes in resource utilization

| Stronger focus on high-quality, knowledge-based areas of the bioeconomy

| Activation of the German capital market for start-ups and growing companies in the bioeconomy

| Institutional innovations to promote innovation “from the bottom up”. Active involvement of social groups, particularly in the areas of nutrition, health, housing and mobility

| Practical accompanying measures and research into the implementation of R&D projects

With regard to the research topics, the recommen-dations take the existing program of the research strategy into account1 and take its development forward into the future. Sustainable agricultural systems and food remain a key area of activity. The Council proposes two new areas of activity: urban development as well as resource protection and biobased circular economy. They build on the pro-motion of biobased industrial (non-food) innovations in the research strategy. The area of activity covering bioeconomy and consumption includes key research topics for promoting the bioeconomy on the demand side. In the energy sector, the Council sees potenti-al for technological breakthroughs and follow-up developments in the research field of artificial pho-tosynthesis and direct storage of sunlight.

Structure of the paper

The Council makes higher-level recommendations both for the research policy and also for specific research topics. The first section of the report posi-tions the bioeconomy in the global political agenda after 2015. The second section briefly summarizes the developments and challenges of the bioeconomy in the German innovation system. The third section derives recommendations for the innovation policy and research promotion. The aim of these recom-mendations is to help set priorities but without un-necessarily restricting the diversity and breadth of the topics concerned (see Box 1).

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1 Positioning of the bioeconomy in the political agenda after 2015

2015 changed the international political landscape for the bioeconomy. With the adoption of the UN’s sustainable development goals (Agenda 2030) applicable for all countries, the G7 commitment to decarbonization and to ending hunger for 500 million people, as well as with the signing of the comprehen-sive Paris Agreement on climate change (COP21), it became necessary for the German research policy to promote the development of a sustainable bioe-conomy (see Box 1) which contributes to achieving these goals.

When the German research strategy was published in 2010, it was one of the first bioeconomy strate-gies worldwide. In the past six years, the bioeconomy and its underlying innovations have become increa-singly important globally. The Global Bioeconomy Summit 2015 showed that more than 40 nations

The bioeconomy is supported by a social change towards greater sustainability. It is based on innovations from research and development and on renewable resources.

The Bioeconomy Council perceives the bioeconomy as the knowledge-based production and utilization of biological resources, processes and principles, to provide products and services in all sectors of trade and industry within the framework of an economic system fit for the future. Foodstuffs and animal feeds are a key component of the bioeconomy.

In Europe the term biobased economy is used partly as a synonym for the bioeconomy and partly as a description of the non-food use of renewable resources in industry. The bioeconomy makes a significant contribution to the circular economy. The concept of the bioeconomy, however, is much more compre-hensive than that of the circular economy2. It looks not only at the optimization of material flows and resource management but aims for social change and a biologization of the economy which generates entirely new products and solutions.3,4

Political support for the bioeconomy and its knowledge base should enable smart, sustainable and inclu-sive growth, thus encouraging the transition to a green economy. A sustainable bioeconomy protects and uses nature, at the same time supporting global food security, climate protection and the regeneration of natural resources, in particular fertile soils, clean air and clean water.

Box 1: Definition and demarcation of the sustainable bioeconomy

target research and development efforts for the bioeconomy in their policy strategies.5

While only a few years ago, peak oil was the driving force behind the political support for the bioecono-my6, now it is the climate protection targets and the innovation potential for sustainable development. Realignment of the bioeconomy policy from a substi-tution strategy to a comprehensive innovation strate-gy is also the result of important learning experiences. The bioeconomy’s development is not automatically sustainable. Careless promotion of the bioeconomy can lead to social, environmental and economic draw-backs. Therefore, building on the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (2015) and the Global Bioeco-nomy Summit, an initiative for sustainable bioecono-my policy at international level was established under the leadership of the FAO at the end of 2015.

7 Basic positioning of the bioeconomy in the political agenda after 2015

In recent years, the bioeconomy has spawned nume-rous innovations for greater sustainability in agricul-ture, forestry and fishing, in the energy, chemical and food industries as well as in the construction industry, the environmental and healthcare sec-tors.3,7

Biotechnology has proven to be a key technology, for example in medicine8 and in “green chemistry”9. The bioeconomy makes a significant contribution to the development of high-tech solutions and products that are based on the convergence of biotechnolo-gies with sensor technology, nanotechnology, infor-

mation technology and cognitive technologies. The latest developments need to be considered in the Research Program. The rapid development of the new biotechnologies, such as CRISPR/Cas10, calls for scientific evaluation and social discourse.

Worldwide there are now many projects, research groups and educational programs that deal with bioeconomic issues.11 In future, achievements and solutions will be expected particularly in sustainable food systems, green cities, renewable energy sys-tems and sustainable production and demand.13

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2 Development of the bioeconomy and challenges in the German innovation system

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All areas of the sustainable bioeconomy are know-ledge-based and their success is therefore espe-cially dependent on continuous research and deve-lopment efforts. These include training, basic and applied research, industrial R&D as well as accom-panying and implementation research. In an innova-tion system, the interplay between science, innova-tive companies and society or market forces is central to the success of bioeconomic innovations. It must be emphasized here that new developments can only be successful if they are taken up by the various market players, such as investors, and are adopted by consumers. The implementation of re-search in products and applications is therefore an important part of an innovation strategy.

In the past six years, the Bioeconomy Research Strategy 2030 has contributed to an increased awareness of the bioeconomy and biobased solu-tions among a wider expert public. The media quite regularly feature reports on biobased innovations

and research projects. Funding by the National Re-search Strategy and by the EU has initiated a large number of interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral re-search projects.13 As a result, there has been a strong increase in the number of specialist publica-tions and conferences. There are now also specia-lized bioeconomy research networks, training cour-ses and clusters in Germany that are also connected with international partners.

Despite this progress and promising product deve-lopments3,14, there are still too few biobased innova-tions on the market. So far German industry has only made use of the technological opportunities in niche areas. With regard to the innovation system several challenges and barriers can be identified.15,16 The German chemical industry, for example, works very efficiently based on the existing production facilities and established supply chains. Many biobased inno-vations have an environmental benefit, e.g. lower emissions, but they are not sufficiently valued in the

Interactive exhibition on bioeconomy in everyday life

9Development of the bioeconomy and challenges in the German innovation system

market. Sometimes the products still lack practical excellence, for example in terms of durability or processability. Biobased solutions are often in com-petition with fossil-based or energy-intensive pro-ducts whose production costs have been optimized over the course of many years. There has not been a level playing field to date. In addition, more susta-inable solutions also fail to achieve cost benefits due to unfavorable legal conditions. Added to this is the fact that the bioeconomy is not yet sufficiently esta-blished in the German innovation system. Although the Federal Government and some states have built up remarkable bioeconomy centers, it still remains to network or expand them.

Among the public the concept of the bioeconomy is still too little known.17 The demand side, however, is critical to its long-term success. The product attribu-te “biobased” is not clearly defined; it is perceived quite differently and sometimes even inconsistently by consumers.18 In this market environment, it is difficult for companies to commercialize biobased products and processes, particularly if the end cus-tomer is not made aware of any essential difference in performance.

Furthermore, venture capital and growth financing are essential for implementing innovations. There is still a great need for action on the capital market in Germany to adequately reward sustainable innova-tions.19,20 Involving savers, investors and financial institutions in the innovation strategy is just as im-portant as changing the framework conditions in favor of longer term investments in sustainable in-novations.

Without implementation and market access, bioeco-nomic research results cannot generate any added social and economic value, and they can hardly contribute to the transformation towards a sustaina-ble economy. In this context, the bioeconomy re-search strategy must play an even stronger role in the development from invention to application and market maturity, and support it with concrete mea-sures and research projects.

Überschrift

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3 Recommendations for further development of the research strategy

Firstly, the following section refers to higher-level recommendations for the research strategy. They are deemed to be central so that in future it is pos-sible to translate and successfully implement even more research results. The aim is to support the change to a more sustainable society and in parti-cular to a biobased, sustainable economic system.

Higher-level recommendations

| The enhanced research strategy aims to build on the goals and areas of activity that have been pur-sued in the existing program.1 In future, however, greater consideration is to be given to the full ran-ge of biological resources and to the functions and findings (knowledge) associated with them. On the one hand in Germany, the biopharmaceutical sec-tor including biotechnological R&D is relevant, even from the aspect of “one health” strategies21. This would underpin the bioeconomy’s health be-nefits. On the other hand, greater emphasis should be placed on the biobased circular economy and the aquatic bioeconomy.

| The bioeconomy as a contribution to a more sus-tainable society should assume a central role in the Federal Government’s new high-tech strategy. Bioeconomic innovations bring about a large num-ber of breakthroughs in basic research (see page 11ff). Collaboration from research to application should receive continued support and specific encouragement in funding programs. One example is the promotion of networking among basic re-search, applied research and companies that de-velop innovations from them in various, non-com-peting industries.22

| In the area of bioeconomy research strategies, Germany is deemed to be a political pioneer. To maintain this leading role will require increased effort in view of the research strategies now com-

petitively established in many countries. A holistic understanding of the bioeconomy and visionary agenda setting will secure USPs for the new pro-gram. For the purposes of future competitive ad-vantages and market developments, the German research strategy should, however, also search for alliances with similarly positioned international activities. Longer-term partnerships with leading technology nations are particularly recommended for the priority issues that may have global impacts and are therefore better dealt with internatio-nally.22

| Various federal states have established their own significant bioeconomy strategies or maintain spe-cial funding programs. The Federal Government’s research strategy should hence provide for the coordination of federal and state activities; the recommendation is to establish a national bioeco-nomy platform where the Federal Government and the federal states as well as other stakeholders can exchange ideas and coordinate their funding programs.

| There is a significant need to expand the capacity in biodiversity, food, agricultural and forestry re-search to enable us to manage the wide variety of innovation and nature conservation tasks in the future. In this respect, targeted education, training and the promotion of young researchers are huge-ly important for Germany.23 In Article 91b of the Basic Law, the German Constitution provides for the Federal Government and the federal states to cooperate on the funding of teaching and research in cases of national importance. Particularly in “small” research disciplines that are critical for bioeconomic innovations, a joint approach could ensure the capacities necessary.

11Recommendations for further development of the research strategy

Thematic research priorities

The Council recommendations address three central cross-cutting issues that should be considered in each of the five thematic areas of activity. These thematic areas build on the existing research pro-gram1 and have been developed further on the basis of key projects (see Box 2). The research topics that are particularly relevant in the Council’s opinion are highlighted for each area of activity.

Cross-cutting issue: Involving society and the key players of the innovation system| In addition to the R&D activities of the universities,

research institutions and companies, the aim was to involve society and key stakeholders of the inno-vation system to an even greater degree than be-fore. Greater involvement of investors and financi-al institutions would be particularly important. Ex-tensive research efforts are required to initiate and support social change. Here it is necessary to de-fine the bioeconomy’s possible development paths jointly and to illustrate them more clearly with the help of scenarios and models. A narrative that highlights the challenges and solutions of the bioeconomy for sustainable development in the

In 2015 the Council developed four comprehen-sive flagship projects for the Bioeconomy, taking into account the current discussions in science, the economy and society. These projects should call for technological breakthroughs and be visi-onary, contribute significantly to achieving the global sustainable development goals, be interes-ting for Germany as a technology location, and involve broad, cross-cutting R&D collaboration. The Council firstly defined the flagship projects Bioprincipled City, Artificial Photosynthesis, Sus-tainable Food Systems and Global Governance for Sustainable Bioeconomy which were then developed further in an international Delphi sur-vey. Furthermore, three additional flagship pro-jects were derived from the suggestions made by the study participants: sustainable aquaculture, biobased circular economy (biorefinery 4.0) and sustainable consumption and social participation.12

Box 2: Flagship projects for the bioeconomy

various areas of activity should describe scenarios of the transformation process, including the neces-sary basic conditions, on a time line. There is also a need to research the impact assessment for the opportunities and risks of various technological development paths and in respect of society’s (changing) demands on the bioeconomy.24

Cross-cutting issue: Digitization| The bioeconomy is increasingly shaped by the

convergence of sciences and technologies. In par-ticular, the combination of the life sciences and biotechnology with the information and communi-cation technol-ogies offers extensive opportunities for sustainable innovation and “green growth”, for example in robot-ics, precision agriculture, plastics processing, medical technology, pharmaceutics, plant breeding, navi-gation systems and in process and computer technology. The Council recom-mends anchoring digitization in the research stra-tegy as a key cross-cutting issue.24

Cross-cutting issue: Accompanying measures and research into implementation| The bioeconomy envisages a transformation of

entire value chains. The change can only succeed if technological, organizational and social innova-tions work together.25 This requires specific accom-panying measures, dialogue processes and re-search for implementation in all areas of activity.26 An ex-post evaluation alone is often not adequate in this case. Ideally, important findings regarding successes and undesirable developments can be used to improve the program while it is still run-ning. Furthermore it is necessary to study the re-gulatory framework and the incentive systems for innovations in the relevant areas of activity and economic sectors. The insights gained may provi-de the knowledge base for any necessary legal changes.

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Area of activity 1: Bioeconomy for a high quality of life in citiesThe application of biobased principles and materials in urban planning and urban design can contribute significantly to making cities more environmentally friendly and better places to live. Greening techno-logies, green spaces and green belts play an incre-asingly important part in resilience and the living climate in cities.27,28 Basic research and applied re-search are necessary for developing sustainable solutions (e.g. green roofs, mobile greening ele-ments). The construction and proper long-term care of green elements and green spaces in urban plan-ning must be optimized.12 New concepts for urban gardens with the involvement of community mem-bers are as much part of such a strategy as the in-tegration of existing allotment and home garden structures29

Fascinating new bioeconomic concepts are on the horizon in architecture and the construction indus-try, for example in the construction of timber highri-se buildings, energy-positive and greened or recyc-lable houses. These concepts promise buildings worth living in with a low resource footprint and more flexible use. Biobased material innovations need to be further developed30 and their contributi-on to sustainable building is to be assessed. Large sections of the traffic in cities will have to be conver-ted to electric drives and alternative fuels, such as new generation biofuels.31 Technological innovations are urgently needed in these areas if sustainable solutions are to be achieved.

The new concepts for consumer-oriented cultivation of food in the city and close to the city, such as sky and peri-urban farming, also require intensive re-search work and technological breakthroughs in va-

Illustration of a Bioprincipled City*

*personal interpretation of the artist

13Recommendations for further development of the research strategy

rious disciplines, such as research into plants, biolo-gical crop protection, cultivation and lighting tech-niques, nutrient cycles, architecture, logistics, etc. Here it is possible to develop technologically advan-ced products, processes and services that are in high demand worldwide. Research must highlight how this can be achieved, if necessary with modified regulati-ons, so that it actually leads to positive sustainability effects. Circular systems for biobased materials and energy are also a key research topic for resource-efficient cities. In this area, there is a need for tech-nological and social innovations for the collection, processing and intelligent use of resources.

Area of activity 2: Healthy and sustainable food systemThis area of activity has been taken into account in research programs in Germany over the previous six years. Against the backdrop of ongoing climate change, the task is not only to stabilize these efforts

in order to significantly reduce the resource foot-prints and emissions in agriculture and fishing, while at the same time taking into account the demands of consumers for healthy and sustainable nutrition, but also to utilize opportunities for innovations. The following are particularly important research topics: Breeding research32, biological and biotechnological33

crop protection systems and sustainable methods of nutrient supply, precision agriculture and sustai-nable livestock farming. With regard to the increa-sing demand for raw materials of a growing global population, the supply of high-quality proteins, which traditional livestock farming alone will be unable to provide in future, is noticeably gaining in importance. In addition to extracting and processing high-quality plant proteins, the alternatives include extracting protein from insects and sustainable breeding of marine organisms, such as mussels and algae. R&D is necessary to find solutions for an economically viable and environmentally sustainable aquaculture

Illustration of future food systems*

*personal interpretation of the artist

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in Germany. Ideally, aquacultures will even perform important ecosystem services, such as coastal pro-tection or water purification and treatment. This should ensure synergies and connectivity with blue bioeconomy strategies in Europe.

Due to the alarming degradation of fertile soils world-wide, there must be new and continued development of research approaches to understanding interac-tions between the parent substrate, climate, landsca-pe morphology, usage history, management and the carbon and nutrient balance of soils. Soil microorga-nisms are a driving force of nutrient cycling and nut-rient availability in soils. Their role in efficient plant nutrition, building up and breaking down humus, and climate protection must be explored further and made usable for sustainable agriculture.34

The development of sustainably produced, healthy food, even based on new sources of protein, will play a key role in securing the food supply for a growing global population and also in climate protection. Research in this field is necessary to ensure the health aspect of food, the sustainability of produc-tion, storage and consumption, as well as food se-curity in the future. Basic research and biotechnolo-gical innovations are also needed to optimize the nutrient content (e.g. vitamins) of food in terms of a healthy diet. Industry-related research projects may become increasingly important in this case. Supply concepts at the interface between nutrition science, medicine and digitization, such as bioprinting and nutrigenetics, are key research topics for an aging population in industrialized countries.

Food in industrialized countries is no longer merely the provision of calories and nutrients but repre-sents an essential factor in health, wellbeing and lifestyle. In this sense, the issues surrounding food and health are complex and have a direct impact on the quality of life. For development of the research strategy, this means including not only product inno-vations but also appropriate incentives and accom-panying measures for sustainable and healthy ea-ting habits. This requires exploring and developing strategies for improved consumer communication in respect of health and the shelf life of food, e.g. by means of innovative packaging or mobile informati-on apps.24 Reducing food waste is an important is-sue in the bioeconomy. Consumer research into in-

centives and regulations for biobased consumption should therefore be extended. One focal point here may be on the development of everyday, easy solu-tions for changing behavior. Attempts should be made to conduct large-scale, research-based expe-riments with local participation relating to sustaina-ble consumption, particularly the prevention of malnutrition and food waste. Area of activity 3: Resource protection and bio-based circular economy In a sustainable bioeconomy, the economy must use and process biological resources more efficiently than before, so that ideally more output and added value is created from each unit of input. Resources should be recycled following nature’s example, whe-re high-quality food and industrial products are ob-tained first before the by-products and residual products are used for base chemicals and bioenergy for example.35 Biorefinery concepts should be further developed so that various parallel products can be generated from one raw material stream. Ideally, no waste would be created or raw materials would be recovered using biological methods. There is a con-siderable need for research and development in this area.36 Process and product innovations must be developed in addition to technological innovations (e.g. enzymes for treating various biogenic raw ma-terials and residual materials). Research should continue into the use of CO2 emissions for extracting raw materials biotechnologically. Wider implementa-tion of the biobased circular economy requires the support of demonstration projects illustrating tech-nological feasibility, as well as the assessment of environmentally and economically beneficial conver-sion paths.15,35

The bioeconomy can only succeed if the resources necessary for life – fertile soil, clean water and clean air in addition to the diversity of organisms – are cared for. Intact ecosystems and biodiversity in particular are important for maintaining and regene-rating these resources.24 Bioeconomic innovations must therefore have a clearly smaller resource foot-print than products and methods that are already established. The Council generally recommends completely measuring the external effects of using renewable resources and comparing them to the footprint of the traditional established products and processes. This includes the entire process chain in

15Recommendations for further development of the research strategy

Illustration of the direct conversion and storage of solar energy*

*personal interpretation of the artist

16

addition to different forms of use (food, industrial use, energy).19 At the same time, joint consideration of water and land use and of emissions and energy demand is especially important so as to reduce ad-verse external effects. Research efforts are neces-sary to analyze trade-offs, to communicate and to develop possible solutions.

Genetic diversity is an essential and valuable re-source for breeding animal strains and plant species that are more adaptable and for discovering new active substances and ingredients. To further deve-lop and research the still incomplete knowledge of organismal and genetic diversity, funding should be given to genome and microbiome research, integra-tive biodiversity research, biodiversity informatics38 and phenotyping. The research, development and use of biological and biotechnological33 defense systems or zoonoses (e.g. antagonists and microor-ganisms) in conjunction with biotic or abiotic stress components is very important for the resilience of ecosystems, nature conservation37 and human health39.

Area of activity 4: Sustainable biobased consumption Social development trends and consumer preferen-ces for sustainable products and services have al-ready encouraged a large number of innovations, e.g. in the food sector. Society’s opportunities to influence and shape the development of a sustaina-ble bioeconomy should be more strongly identified and encouraged. Here, school education, particular-ly in the life sciences, is just as necessary as the practical communication of knowledge about the bioeconomy. Measurement and communication of the sustainability and climate relevance of consumer behavior remains an important research topic for helping consumers to prevent waste and avoid the excessive consumption of resources. The involve-ment of social groups in the development of the bioeconomy can be achieved, for example, by invol-ving students and interested citizens in innovation networks, grassroots research projects and bio-based product developments. Concepts for consu-mer co-creation and citizen science are already being tested within the topic of sustainable con-sumption.40 They should also be developed for the bioeconomy. It is necessary, however, to ensure the quality and safety of the solutions developed.

Area of activity 5: Conversion and storage of solar energy, hybrid energy systemsThe aim in the area concerning the biological sto-rage of solar energy and hybrid energy systems, and also at the same artificial photosynthesis, is to ge-nerate high-energy hydrocarbons directly from water and CO2. They can be used as a versatile primary material for fuels or chemical raw materials (starch, sugar). A technological breakthrough in this area would make a huge contribution to the distributed use of renewable energies and is therefore encou-raged in the leading technology countries. In Germa-ny, too, there is established basic research on this which should be further supported and more inten-sively networked with the applied research.

Bioeconomy research in context

In future, the funding of bioeconomy research has to be even more strongly oriented on long-term socio-political models. These particularly include sustai-nable consumption, living well in a rapidly changing work environment, sustainable production and glo-bal responsibility towards the environment and living conditions in Germany and in other countries that can be positively influenced by innovations from Germany. The intelligent use of innovation capacities and resources will play a crucial role for Germany as an industrial location. Here, new opportunities will arise due to a stronger focus on high-quality, know-ledge-based areas of the bioeconomy. The bioeco-nomy research strategy provides a means of linking together and implementing the goals and ideals of important strategies. In particular, the Federal Government’s bioeconomy policy strategy41, the Fed-eral Government’s strategy on sustainable consump-tion42, the European Union’s strategies on bioecono-my43 and circular economy44, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)45 and the international obligations referred to in chapter two require incre-ased research and innovation efforts for the bioeco-nomy. The Federal Government’s high-tech strate-gy46 currently under way should therefore assign an important position to the bioeconomy in order to achieve the sustainable development goals.

17Endnoten | Impressum

Referenzen

[1] Handlungsfelder: weltweite Ernährungssicherheit, nachhaltige Agrarproduktion, gesunde und sichere Lebensmittel, industrielle Nutzung nachwachsender Rohstoffe sowie Energieträger auf Basis von Biomasse.

[2] „In a circular economy the value of products and materials is maintained for as long as possible; waste and resource use are minimised, and resources are kept within the economy when a product has reached the end of its life, to be used again and again to create further value.“ (European Commission, 2012)

[3] BMBF & BMEL. (Hrsg.) (2015). Bioökonomie in Deutsch-land: Chancen für eine biobasierte und nachhaltige Zukunft. Verfügbar unter http://www.bmbf.de:8001/pub/Biooekonomie-in-Deutschland_001.pdf [31.10.16].

[4] www.bioökonomie.de [5] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Bioeconomy Policy (Part II):

Synopsis of national strategies around the world. Ver-fügbar unter http://gbs2015.com/fileadmin/gbs2015/Downloads/Bioeconomy-Policy_Part-II.pdf [31.10.16].

[6] En Route to the Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (2007). Verfügbar unter https://www.bmbf.de/pub/cp.pdf [31.10.16].

[7] www.bioökonomie.de [8] Mittra, J. (2016). The New Health Bioeconomy: R&D

policy and innovation for the 21st century. London: Palgrave MacMillan.

[9] BMBF. (2015). Weiße Biotechnologie: Chancen für eine biobasierte Wirtschaft. Verfügbar unter https://www.bmbf.de/pub/Weisse_Biotechnologie.pdf [31.10.16].

[10] CRISPR/Cas-System (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) ist eine biochemische Me-thode, um DNA gezielt zu schneiden und zu verändern (Genome Editing).

[11] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Global Bioeconomy Summit: Conference Proceedings. Verfügbar unter http://gbs2015.com/fileadmin/gbs2015/Downloads/Procee-dings_neu_2.pdf [31.10.16].

[12] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Global Visions for the Bioeco-nomy – an International Delphi-Study. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/berichte/Delphi-Study.pdf [31.10.16].

[13] BMBF-Förderdatenbank. (2016). Verfügbar unter http://www.foerderdatenbank.de/Foerder-DB/Navigati-on/root.html [31.10.16].

[14] www.bioökonomie.de[15] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Die deutsche Chemieindustrie

– Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Bioökonomie. Verfügbar un-ter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/berichte/BOERMEMO_Chemie_final.pdf [31.10.16].

[16] Carus, M. et al. (2011). Level playing field for biobased chemistry and materials. Policy paper on biobased economy in the EU. Verfügbar unter http://bio-based.eu/policy/ [31.10.16].

[17] Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach. (2013). IfD-Umfa-ge 11013.

[18] Sijtsema, S. J. et al. (2016). Consumer perception of bio-based products – An exploratry study in 5 Euro-pean countries. Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences (77), p. 61-69.

[19] Bioökonomierat. (2013). Bioökonomie-Politikempfeh-lungen für die 18. Legislaturperiode. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/empfehlungen/Politikempfehlungen.pdf [31.10.16].

[20] Das EFI-Gutachten (2016) mahnt, dass die im Koaliti-onsvertrag angekündigten gesetzlichen Grundlagen ge-schaffen werden müssen, um die Rahmenbedingungen für Wagniskapital und damit die Finanzierungsmöglich-keiten für innovative Unternehmen zu verbessern.

[21] Das „One Health-Konzept“ erkennt an, dass die menschliche Gesundheit mit der Gesundheit von Tieren und der Umwelt verbunden ist“, siehe Centre for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/

[22] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Bioeconomy Policy (Part I): Synopsis and Analysis of Strategies in the G7. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/berichte/BOER_Laenderstudie_1_.pdf [31.10.16].

[23] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Landwirtschaft in Deutsch-land – ihre Rolle für die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Bio-ökonomie. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/berichte/BOERMEMO_Land-wirtschaft_final.pdf [31.10.16].;

Bioökonomierat. (2016). Holz in der Bioökonomie – Chancen und Grenzen. Verfügbar unter http://biooe konomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/empfeh lungen/BOER_Memo_Holz.pdf [31.10.16].[24] International Advisory Committee. (2015). Communi-

qué Global Bioeconomy Summit 2015: Making Bioe-conomy Work for Sustainable Development. Verfügbar unter http://gbs2015.com/fileadmin/gbs2015/Down-loads/Communique_final.pdf [31.10.16].;

Bioökonomierat. (2014). Förderkonzept „Lebensmittel konsum, Ernährung & Gesundheit“. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/ empfehlungen/Empfehlungen_Ernaehrung.pdf [31.10.16].[25] Bioökonomierat. (2014). Positionen und Strategien des

Bioökonomierates. Verfügbar unter http://biooekono-mierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/empfehlungen/Strategiepapier.pdf [31.10.16].

[26] Expertenkommission für Forschung und Innovation (EFI). (2016). EFI-Gutachten 2016. Verfügbar unter http://www.e-fi.de/fileadmin/Gutachten_2016/EFI_Gutachten_2016.pdf [31.10.16].

[27] Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ). (2016). Ökosystemleistungen in der Stadt: Gesundheit schüt-zen und Lebensqualität erhöhen. Naturkapital TEEB Bericht Nr. 3.

[28] BMUB. (2015). Grün in der Stadt − Für eine lebens-werte Zukunft. Verfügbar unter http://www.bmub.bund.de/fileadmin/Daten_BMU/Pools/Broschueren/gruen-buch_stadtgruen_broschuere_bf.pdf [31.10.16].

[29] In Deutschland summiert sich die Fläche der Kleingar-tenanlagen auf deutlich über 1 Mio. Hektar. Diese An-lagen bestehen seit über hundert Jahren. Sie sind ge-stezlich geregelt über das deutsche Kleingartengesetz, werden meist in einer Verbandsstruktur organisiert und haben damit einen gewissen Sonderstatus. Rechnet man die Hausgärten, die teils dringend einer „Biologi-sierung“ bedürfen, hinzu, so verfügt in Deutschland fast jeder Zweite über einen Gartenzugang. Diese Gar-tenvielfalt, die es in vielen anderen Ländern so nicht gibt, ist inzwischen ein immens wichtiges Element für das Überleben von Tier- und Pflanzenarten.

[30] z. B. selbstheilender Beton, biobasierte Leichtbauele-mente, Naturfaser-Komposite und biobasierter Asphalt

[31] Umweltbundesamt. (2015). Alternative Kraftstoffe. Verfügbar unter www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/verkehr-laerm/kraft-betriebsstoffe/alternative-kraft-stoffe [31.10.16].

[32] Gilbert, N. (2016). The race to create super-crops: Old-fashioned breeding techniques are bearing more fruit than genetic engineering in developing hyper-efficient plants. Nature, 533, p. 308-310.

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[33] Biotechnische Verfahren sind: die gezielte Nutzung natürlicher Reaktionen von Schadorganismen auf bestimmte physikalische oder chemische Reize, die „zweckentfremdet“ für ihre Bekämpfung eingesetzt werden. Beispiele sind: Farbfallen, Sexualpheromone, Dufstoff-Fallen, Lichtfallen, Kairomone, Attract- and kill-Verfahren.

[34] Bioökonomierat. (2010). Empfehlungen zum For-schungsfeld Bioökonomie: Boden, Wasser und Landnutzung – Herausforderungen, Forschungs-, Technologie- und Handlungsbedarf. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/templates/publi-kationen/berichte/Berichte01-Boden.pdf [31.10.16].

[35] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Bioenergiepolitik in Deutsch-land und gesellschaftliche Herausforderungen. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/berichte/BOERMEMO_Bioenergie_final.pdf [31.10.16].;

Bioökonomierat. (2016). Holz in der Bioökonomie – Chancen und Grenzen. Verfügbar unter http://biooe konomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/empfeh lungen/BOER_Memo_Holz.pdf [31.10.16].[36] siehe beispielsweise Biorefineries Fact Sheet der

International Energy Agency unter www.iea-bioenergy.task42-biorefineries.com/en/ieabiorefinery/Facts-heets.htm

[37] Bioökonomierat. (2015). Beitrag der Pfanzenforschung zur Deckung des Rohstoffbedarfs der Bioökonomie. Verfügbar unter http://biooekonomierat.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/berichte/BOERMEMO_Pflanzenzuech-tung_final.pdf [31.10.16].

[38] Leopoldina. (2014). Herausforderungen und Chan-cen der integrativen Taxonomie für Forschung und Gesellschaft: Taxonomische Forschung im Zeitalter der OMICS-Technologien. Verfügbar unter https://www.leopoldina.org/uploads/tx_leopublication/2014_Stel-lungnahme_Taxonomie_LANG_final.pdf [31.10.16].

[39] Scientific Collections International. (2015). Scientific Collections and Emerging Infectious Diseases: Report of an Interdisciplinary Workshop. Verfügbar unter http://scicoll.org/scicollpubs/EID_2015March.pdf [31.10.16].

[40] Bonn, A. et al. (2016). Grünbuch. Citizen Science Stra-tegie 2020 für Deutschland. Verfügbar unter http://www.buergerschaffenwissen.de/sites/default/files/assets/dokumente/gewiss-gruenbuch_citizen_sci-ence_strategie.pdf [31.10.16].

[41] BMEL. (2014). Nationale Politikstrategie Bioökonomie: Nachwachsende Ressourcen und biotechnologische Verfahren als Basis für Ernährung, Industrie und Energie. Verfügbar unter https://www.bmbf.de/files/BioOekonomiestrategie.pdf [31.10.16].

[42] BMUB. (2016). Nationales Programm für nachhaltigen Konsum. Verfügbar unter http://www.bmub.bund.de/fileadmin/Daten_BMU/Download_PDF/Produkte_und_Umwelt/nat_programm_konsum_bf.pdf [31.10.16].

[43] European Commission. (2012). Innovating for Sustaina-ble Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe. Verfügbar unter http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/pdf/official-strategy_en.pdf [31.10.16].

[44] European Commission. (2015). Closing the loop - An EU action plan for the Circular Economy. Verfügbar unter http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52015DC0614 [31.10.16].

[45] United Nations. (1992). Convention on Biological Diver-sity. Verfügbar unter https://www.cbd.int/doc/legal/cbd-en.pdf [03.11.16].

[46] BMBF. (2014). Die neue Hightech-Strategie Innovati-onen für Deutschland. Verfügbar unter https://www.bmbf.de/pub_hts/HTS_Broschure_Web.pdf [31.10.16].

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Imprint

Secretariat of the German Bioeconomy CouncilDr. Beate El-Chichaklic/o BIOCOM AGLützowstraße 33-3610785 Berlin

Design: Sven-Oliver Reblin, BerlinProduction: Benjamin RöbigPictures: Benjamin Röbig (p. 7), Bioökonomierat (p. 8), Swapan/Fotolia.de (p. 9), Benjamin Stolzenberg (p. 12, 13, 15)

Berlin, 13.12.2016

This is a CO2-neutral publication.

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