Parliamentary Breakfast in Berlin

On 27 November 2012, BIO Deutschland hosted a breakfast for politicians at the German Parliamentary Association in Berlin. The purpose of the event was to present information on the bioeconomy, a sector that is becoming increasingly important to Germany. The guests included members of the Bundestag, representatives from the field of industrial (white) biotechnology and some individuals from other areas.

The patron of the event, Professor Heinz Riesenhuber, a member of the Bundestag and a former Federal Minister of Research and Technology, gave the opening talk on promoting and funding of technology.

His talk was followed by presentations by experts on the situation in white biotechnology and on the progress that has been made in the sector. The speakers gave examples of products that have already become part of our everyday lives and play an important role in protecting the environment.

After the presentations, Nadine Schön (pictured), a member of the Bundestag, gave a short talk before opening the floor for discussion. She underlined the importance of making Germany an attractive location for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises. The discussion included the Renewable Energy Sources Act, as well as possible measures to inform the public about (white) biotechnology. Some of the topics raised in the presentations, such as CO₂ fixation by algae and microorganisms and the use of waste products and streams to produce energy, were discussed in detail at this stage. The feedback from the politicians who attended the event was very positive and the event was thus a great success on the path to a bio-based future.

BIO Deutschland also presented the brochure produced by its Working Group on the Bioeconomy. A copy can be downloaded at www.biodeutschland.org/files/tlf_content/dokumente/Weitere%20Dokumente/2012/Flyer_Weisse%20Biotech.pdf. (Please note that this brochure is only available in German.)