Germany

The National Bioeconomy Strategy (NBÖ Strategy) from 2020, which is aligned with the UN’s sustainability goals, aims to advance the bio- and knowledge-based economy in Germany. The strategy pools research funding and measures to improve the policy environment for the bioeconomy. This broad umbrella encompasses a whole host of different approaches, some of which involve clearly competing objectives or negative reciprocal effects. If such competing objectives are identified at the strategic level (e.g. primacy of food security), it remains unclear which specific objectives are to be achieved and how this is to be operationalised.

In addition to the NBÖ Strategy, the policies of the individual German federal states also play an important role in the country’s bioeconomy. The states have developed various policy strategies and funding activities that pursue different priorities. In addition to the states’ own research funding, there are also support measures that are jointly financed by individual states and the federal government.

The Industrial Bioeconomy Dialogue Platform, which was founded at the federal level in 2018, is comprised of representatives from industry, business associations, science, labour unions, and federal and state ministries. Its aim is to make Germany an attractive industrial location and sustainably strengthen its business environment for the long term. In addition, an online map of industrial bioeconomy model regions has been created, highlighting the regions in which industrial transformation is already being accomplished through the realisation of bio-based products and processes.

In the funding domain, the “GO-Bio next” support initiative focuses on the long development periods and high financing needs that are typical for biotech research projects. The funding is divided into two phases. In the first phase, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports research projects at universities and research institutions, while in the second phase it funds the continuation of these projects in the start-up company.

There is also a funding programme supporting the use and construction of industrial bioeconomy demonstration plants, which was launched by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in late 2020. The BMWK has also published a funding guideline that aims to enable bio-based products and processes tested on a laboratory scale to be scaled up to an industrial level.

Funding is still available through “SME-innovative: Bioeconomy”, a programme launched in May 2020 aimed at strengthening the innovation potential of bioeconomic research and sustainable enterprise for the long term. It is geared towards small and medium-sized enterprises that are engaged in innovative R&D activities. Funding is provided for high-tech, high-risk projects that combine the efficient use of biological knowledge with innovative solutions and that fall under the broad category of the bioeconomy. There are also other funding lines that support individual regions, collaborative projects or specific technological areas.