Dear interested parties, The Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar GmbH is conducting an inventory of bioeconomy topics in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region as part of a national joint project (TransBIB) funded by the BMWK. We are pursuing the goal of making R&D and entrepreneurial activities visible and supporting them. Your expertise and experience are very valuable, and we would be delighted if you could take max. 10 min to take part in our survey Thank you in advance for your participation and support.

On June 25, 2024, the state government of Baden-Württemberg decided to update the state strategy for a sustainable bioeconomy in Baden-Württemberg for the years 2025-2029 . It focuses in particular on the transfer into practice for companies and municipalities. The aim is the system integration of a sustainable bioeconomy: "With measures tailored specifically to rural, industrial and urban areas, we are integrating the circular bioeconomy into existing structures and value chains. This will open up future-oriented diversification opportunities for companies. At the same time, municipalities are to be strengthened in their efforts to support the sustainable and circular design of material flows," emphasized Thekla Walker MdL and Peter Hauk MdL . Thestrategy focuses on both industrial/urban and rural areas. In the former, the focus is on the further development and introduction of bioeconomic processes for recycling and waste management, among other things. In the development of solutions for biological transformation, the resource water and, in particular, the use of industrial wastewater as a source of raw materials is also increasingly being considered. However, the procedural use of biological processes for the chemical industry, the construction and energy industries and the areas of supply and disposal are also being considered . In rural areas, on the other hand, the strategy focuses on the production of biomass and its further processing into innovative products. Central measures in this context include the establishment of a competence center for applied bioeconomy for rural areas and a broad-based education and information campaign.

How can the bioeconomy become even stronger in the MRN? The bioeconomy needs reliable data. That is why we are pleased to inform you: The potential analysis "Bioeconomy in the MRN" is now online! What is it about? Every good strategy needs good groundwork. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB ( ) and Prognos AG have prepared an analysis of the bioeconomy potential in the MRN. The analysis shows the material flows in the region and their utilization. For topics such as residual biomass, CO2 recycling and urban mining, it illustrates regional potential, shows active players and highlights value chains. Why are we sharing this data? We think so: Such data does not belong in a drawer. If we want to strengthen the bioeconomy , the basics must be accessible. Use the content, to take a closer look at the region's potential. Do you have needs that we can talk about? Then get in touch with us. A big thank you goes to Fraunhofer IGB and Prognos AG for their excellent collaboration in preparing the potential analysis. The Fraunhofer IGB continues to support us as part of its Urban BioÖkonomieLab project, funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector Baden-Württemberg.

The network 's vision is to focus on the intelligent biorefinery of the future, in which biological resources are efficiently utilized along the entire value chain. This is to be achieved through smart, modular, flexible and regional biorefineries and to bring the material use of residual materials more into the focus. Key technologies such as extraction, processing, production, biotechnology and recycling are essential for this. In order to overcome these challenges, national research institutions and SMEs in the industry have joined forces to develop innovative solutions. Specifically, the SmartBioRef innovation network aims to implement new concepts that develop and apply intelligent technologies and new conversion processes and enable more sustainable refining processes of residual materials into new recyclable materials. As a partner in smartbioref , MRN GmbH supports the networking of regional players with the innovation network as well as the implementation and application of the developed concepts in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. The network is funded by the BMWK as part of the ZIM network funding program "Central Innovation Program for SMEs". Are you interested in the results or would you like to join the network? Contact us for a non-binding exchange: Dr. Annette C. Hurst annette.hurst@m-r-n.com

How do we tackle the key challenges facing society today? The Federal Ministry would like to address this question in the context of the National Bioeconomy Strategy. It has therefore launched a new funding guideline to support junior research groups from the natural sciences, engineering and information technology. If you have projects in the field of application-oriented basic research with reference to industrial implementation and are committed to providingnew impetus for solving various challenges of the sustainable bioeconomy , you can apply. Thesubmission deadlines for project outlines are April 15, 2024, April 15, 2025 and April 15, 2026. Universities, non-university research and scientific institutions, state and federal institutions with research tasks and commercial enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular, can apply nationwide. The authors of the positively assessed project outlines will then be invited to submit a formal funding application.