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2013|14 Annual Report Fraunhofer IGB

28 BIOÖKONOMIE IM SYSTEM AUFSTELLEN Konzept für eine baden-württembergische Forschungsstrategie »Bioökonomie« – Stuttgart, Juli 2013 – Bioeconomy – a new economic system Fossil fuels are still by far the most important basis for the chemical products we know – ranging from fuel to plastics and textiles, lubricants and construction materials to cosmet- ics and pharmaceuticals. However, fossil resources are finite, and climate change coupled with a growing world popula- tion present society with major challenges. A “biobased” economy – “bioeconomy” for short – promises a sustainable solution to securing food for the human race. Secondly, it uses renewable resources for the production of energy and materi- als, while at the same time protecting the climate and the environment. The bioeconomy system The bioeconomy functions on the principles of continuity – pursued consistently from basic research, followed by applied research, up to the industrial implementation of new pro- cesses and products – and of regionality, i.e. seeking wherever possible to exploit local resources and strengths. At the same time, a particularly high priority must be accorded to provid- ing scientists with appropriately structured training, building on the holistic approach and system-oriented solutions to complex problems to which they will ideally have been intro- duced during their studies. The marriage of scientific expertise with a more resource-efficient, ethical and efficiency-oriented economic approach will serve as a basis for sustainable pros- perity. HIGHLIGHTS 2013 BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG’S BIOECONOMY RESEARCH STRATEGY Bioeconomy Strategy Group As a former member of Germany’s first Bioeconomy Council Prof. Thomas Hirth headed the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts’ bioeconomy strategy board “Bioökonomie im System” established in 2012. Under his expert direction, representatives of all universities involved in bioeconomy research and teaching drew up a comprehensive research plan with the aim of highlighting the topic bioecon- omy as a fixed reference point in the Baden-Württemberg scientific landscape and establishing it as a strategy for the fu- ture. In July 2013, the group adopted a strategy paper defin- ing concrete fields of action to promote bioeconomy research in Baden-Württemberg. These recommendations were well received by science minister Theresia Bauer, and the basis of this plan, the Council of Ministers adopted a new bioeconomy research program for Baden-Württemberg with a total fund- ing volume of 12 million euros over the period 2014 – 2019. Comprehensive research plan The research strategy focuses on exploring the bioeconomy in terms of value creation cycles and as an overall system. To this end, the strategy circle looked at all the numerous research institutions in Baden-Württemberg, identified those all that engaged in relevant topics, and within a short time brought them together with established experts for economics, ethics and the social sciences. Thus social, economic and political parameters were taken into equal account from the outset, along with the effects on the environment and society. The expert team identified some 180 individual areas of expertise

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