What is the main focus of 4CF’s business?
4CF The Futures Literacy Company stands as a beacon of excellence in the realm of strategic foresight and long-term strategies, leading the charge in pioneering cutting-edge foresight tools. With an unwavering dedication spanning nearly two decades, 4CF has been steadfastly committed to empowering its clients to navigate the uncertainties of tomorrow with confidence and foresight. Over the years, the company has successfully executed a multitude of projects, catering to a diverse clientele ranging from private enterprises to public institutions and international entities, including UNFCCC, UNESCO, UNDP, and WHO.
Through the lens of foresight, 4CF has mastered the approach to decision-making, opening up new vistas of possibilities for its clients, equipping them with the strategic acumen needed to implement disruptive solutions that pave the way for optimal future outcomes for all stakeholders involved. 4CF proudly aligns itself with prestigious organisations such as the Association of Professional Futurists, the Foresight Educational and Research Network, and serves as the founder of The Millennium Project’s Polish node. As trailblazers in the field of futures literacy, 4CF continues to redefine the landscape of strategic foresight, driving innovation and shaping the future of tomorrow.
4CF stands also at the forefront of foresight methodologies, offering innovative solutions like decision-making games and digital gamebooks to enhance organizational innovation. In the Idealist project, 4CF applies its expertise in trend analysis and scenario development, utilizing tools like 4CF HalnyX and PnyX to boost the foresight capabilities of stakeholders. Their role is pivotal in shaping the project’s approach to anticipating and navigating future industry 4.0 challenges.
What is horizon scanning, why is it important for businesses and how should they utilize its results?
Horizon Scanning involves a structured approach to identifying early indications of potentially significant developments. These may manifest as faint signals, emerging trends, unexpected events (wild cards), or persistent issues and risks, including factors that challenge established assumptions. Horizon Scanning can either be broad and exploratory, or focused and targeted based on the specific goals of projects or tasks. Its objective is to discern what remains stable, what might evolve, and what is in a state of continual flux within the timeframe being examined. Various criteria are applied during the process of searching and filtering information. The timeframe for analysis can range from short- to long-term perspectives.
Horizon scanning provides businesses with a forward-looking perspective that is essential for informed decision-making, strategic planning, and long-term success in an increasingly dynamic and uncertain business environment. It helps them identify emerging trends, technologies, and market shifts. By staying ahead of the curve, businesses can position themselves to take advantage of new opportunities or mitigate potential threats. It allows them to incorporate long-term thinking into their strategic planning processes. By understanding what lies on the horizon, businesses can better allocate resources, set goals, and develop strategies that align with future developments.
Horizon scanning enables them to identify and assess potential risks and uncertainties that may impact their operations in the future. By proactively identifying these risks, businesses can develop contingency plans and risk mitigation strategies to minimize their impact. Keeping an eye on the horizon helps businesses stay innovative and competitive. By identifying emerging technologies and market trends, businesses can innovate their products, services, and business models to meet evolving customer needs and stay ahead of competitors. Horizon scanning allows to stay informed about upcoming regulatory changes and anticipate how these changes may impact their operations. This enables businesses to adapt their practices and ensure compliance with new regulations, minimizing the risk of penalties or legal issues. By scanning the horizon for emerging opportunities, businesses can identify new markets, partnerships, and business ventures that align with their strategic objectives. This can help businesses diversify their revenue streams and expand their market presence.
What specific skills can participants gain from the Train the Trainer Workshop for horizontal scanning?
The Train the Trainer Workshop will equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to conduct effective horizon scanning activities and support organizational decision-making in an increasingly complex and uncertain environment. They will learn how to effectively gather, analyze, and synthesize information from various sources such as industry reports, market data, scientific journals, news sources, and expert opinions, and get trained in various techniques for environmental scanning, including systematic scanning of trends, weak signals, and emerging issues across different domains relevant to their organization or industry.
Participants develop critical thinking skills to evaluate the significance and potential impact of emerging trends and issues, discerning between noise and actionable insights, as well as how to develop and analyze scenarios based on different future possibilities derived from horizon scanning results. This involves extrapolating current trends and uncertainties to envision alternative future scenarios and their implications for the organization. Participants will also learn how to translate the insights gained from horizon scanning into actionable recommendations to support strategic decision-making within their organization. After completing the Train the Trainers program, participants will receive a special certificate acknowledging their participation with a list of the skills they have acquired as a result.
We cordially invite you to take part in the Train the trainer workshop. Learn how to use Horizon Scanning to anticipate disruptive developments and recognise trends at an early stage. This will enable you to prepare your company and processes accordingly.
Bartosz Frąckowiak is a foresight consultant at 4CF and a board member of the Biennale Warszawa Foundation. Responsible for the design and implementation of foresight analyses for 4CF’s major clients.
He researches the design processes of sustainable and ethical technologies, the relationship between technologies and space, and the potential of ethnographic methods in exploring the future. He has run Strategic Dreamers, a training and research company that has been involved in the strategic design of futures, creating visions, prototypes and scenarios of possible futures, and delivering trainings, including for clients such as the British Council, Save the Children, Centrum Kreatywności Targowa, House of Skills and TROP Group.
He is also Co-founder of Warsaw Biennial, a transdisciplinary institution operating at the intersection of art, research activity and social activism. From 2017 to 2022, he worked there as deputy director responsible for international cooperation, communication and the research and discourse program, as well as a curator specializing in art addressing global issues and emerging at the intersection with new technologies.
As a soft skills trainer, he has worked for clients from all sectors, leading workshops on change management, talent and strengths development, and innovation design, among others. At SWPS, he teaches classes on the socio-cultural aspects of technology and the production of art and cultural projects.
Online workshop to strengthen the resilience of SMEs through strategic foresight
The IDEALIST project, supported by Horizon Europe, has launched an innovative online workshop aimed at strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the energy-intensive industries, aerospace, mobility, transport and automotive sectors.
This workshop, which will take place over three dates in May, will provide one-day training in horizon scanning methodologies designed to help SMEs better respond to global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts and other disruptive influences.
Participants of the workshop will be enabled to proactively identify and assess future trends and challenges in order to increase their competitiveness and secure their future viability. The workshop will include activities such as mapping disruptions and drivers, horizon scanning and analysing trends to enable companies to turn uncertainty into strategic advantage.
The workshop is part of a wider initiative that includes regular and structured horizon scanning activities from June to November 2024 and requires active participation and engagement from SMEs. The aim is to develop an in-depth understanding of the operational environment and external drivers that influence day-to-day activities and risk management practices within industrial clusters.
Interested SMEs and cluster organisations can register for the workshop via the official project website www.idealist-project.eu or contact the project partners directly for more information and to get involved. This is a unique opportunity to not only react to challenges, but to actively shape the future.
Online workshop on strategic foresight: One-day online training in the methods of horizon scanning
Aims of the workshop: Enable SMEs to proactively identify and respond to global disruptions and trends to increase their competitiveness and future viability.
Activities and methods: Including disruption and driver mapping, horizon scanning and trend analysis to be translated into strategic advantage.
Certificate of attendance: After successful participation you will receive a certificate confirming the methods learnt.
Language of instruction: The training is held in English and is supervised by our 4CF project partners: https://4cf.eu/
Continuing Horizon Scanning activities: Planned from June to November 2024, require active participation and engagement of interested SMEs to develop in-depth understanding of operational dynamics and external influencing factors.
Participation and registration: SMEs and cluster organisations can register directly by e-mail if they have questions or are interested:
➡️ liu@chemiecluster-bayern.de
Further information can be found in the flyer.
Please note that the duration of the workshop has been reduced to one day!
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Dear Tobias, what technological innovation lies behind NutriSen? How did it develop and what is so special about it?
We have developed an electrochemical biosensor test strip for nitrate. We were inspired by blood glucose meters that are used by millions of diabetics every day.
With our electrochemical biosensor test strip, we have developed a tool for agriculture where a single drop of plant sap is sufficient to precisely determine the concentration of the most important plant nutrient nitrate. With minimal effort, farmers can determine the nutrient requirements of a field directly on site, in laboratory quality. For fertiliser recommendations, however, we go one step further: we combine the field measurements with remote sensing data from the EU Copernicus programme to provide farmers with a requirements map that they can use for optimal fertilisation.
What potential fertiliser savings does your technology offer and what impact does it have on increasing yields?
We are convinced that we can reduce the use of nitrogen fertiliser by up to 20%, depending on the conditions in the field. Our assumption is based on large-scale studies from France and our own pilot trials that we have carried out in Germany. We are not yet able to provide any reliable information on the increase in yield. However, we are currently in the process of validating this with the EU research project LiveSen-MAP, which is being conducted at the Technical University of Munich.
Your start-up is a spin-off of the TU Munich at the Straubing campus.
Who is on your team and what is your summary of founding a start-up and why in Straubing?
That’s correct, NutriSen GmbH was founded as a spin-off of the TUM Campus Straubing in April 2023. The aim is to bring our technology, which has been developed through various EU projects in recent years, to the field. We are currently demonstrating the use of the technology in the field together with farmers as part of the LiveSen-MAP project.
The founding team consists of scientists from TUM: Dr Débora Moretti, Dr Alaa Oughli, Prof Dr Nicolas Plumeré and myself.
Founding a start-up is an exciting step with its very own challenges that you don’t normally come into contact with in your everyday life as a scientist. You have to be very flexible and be able to react quickly to changing situations without losing focus.
Due to our association with the TUM campus, founding a company in Straubing was of course an obvious choice; the proximity to the campus and the exchange with the research activities there is very valuable. However, we also chose Straubing because the topic of sustainability is not only a focus at TUM, but also in Straubing and receives a lot of attention from the city with the start-up centre and the other institutions located there, such as the TFZ, the Fraunhofer Institute and, last but not least, the TUM Venture Lab Sustainability. The support in Straubing from all our partners is very valuable.
Are you still looking for collaborations and if so, which ones? How can interested parties test your product, for example?
For 2024, we are currently planning pilot projects with partners from various areas of agriculture to test our technology in everyday use. Our focus is on use in the field by e.g. seed producers, manufacturers of biostimulants and soil conditioners as well as in greenhouses.
We are looking forward to farmers who want to participate in the field trials of LiveSen-Map for fertiliser recommendations based on the measurements with the test strips. Participation in the field trials together with the TUM is currently still possible, the planning for the next winter wheat season is still ongoing.
Tobias Vöpel studied biochemistry at the Ruhr University Bochum, where he also completed his doctorate in biophysical chemistry. He has several years of experience as a scientist in fundamental research in Germany and the United States. Since 2017, he has gained experience as a scientific project manager with a focus on the commercial exploitation of applied research. Since 2023 he is project manager of the EIC Transition project LiveSen-MAP and CO-CEO of NutriSen GmbH a spin-off of TUM Campus Straubing, which will commercialise the research results of the project.
As part of our Interreg Alpine Space project Cradle-ALP, Dr Jan Christoph von der Lancken, Head of Industry at EPEA, gave us an in-depth interview on what Cradle to Cradle means not only in theory but also in practice. In our Hot Seat excerpt you will get an insight into the challenges and opportunities of Cradle to Cradle for the chemical industry. You can also read more about sustainable product design, circular business models and Cradle to Cradle certification in the long version.
Dear Mr. von der Lancken, what is Cradle to Cradle in your own words?
Cradle to Cradle is, first and foremost, a design framework – the Cradle to Cradle design framework. It is rooted in a particular mindset, three fundamental principles, and a toolkit.
Whereas the conventional sustainability discourse typically aims at minimizing the environmental impact of our actions, Cradle to Cradle, on the other hand, aspires to go beyond merely being less harmful and instead focuses on being actively positive.
For instance, consider the issue of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a significant problem due to its role in climate change and related concerns. Instead of viewing it solely as a problem to minimize, we propose considering carbon dioxide as a resource for products. By capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and using it to create useful products, like polymers, we can sell items that have a positive impact by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. If these products follow circular principles, we can even establish technical carbon sinks within the production process. This is the direction we are heading, although it’s not confined to this nutrient-based approach. It means leaving a positive footprint with our products.
This is supported by three principles:
In your view, is there a difference between Cradle to Cradle and what is known as a circular economy?
There is indeed a significant distinction, and this is a common misconception about Cradle to Cradle. It’s often mistaken as simply a synonym for the Circular Economy. However, as I mentioned earlier, Cradle to Cradle encompasses much more. It revolves around a mindset that focuses on leaving a positive footprint. We always operate with what’s known as the triple bottom line, which encompasses people, planet, and profit. What is typically done is setting a minimum threshold, which represents the minimum levels to achieve in each of these pillars: people, planet, and profit. But it doesn’t necessarily go beyond that threshold.
Cradle to Cradle takes a different approach; it follows a maximization agenda. It asks how we can be positive in the first place and then seeks ways to maximize this positive impact on all the pillars, people, the planet, and profits. We are not against the Circular Economy; quite the opposite, we are working towards a Circular Economy that is powered by Cradle to Cradle principles.
Do Cradle to Cradle principles apply differently to various sectors? Can you summarize what Cradle to Cradle means in the context of the chemical and polymer industry?
In essence, Cradle to Cradle means the same for the chemical and polymer industry as it does for other sectors.
Our approach aims at obtaining full disclosure of product composition and ensuring that high-quality products circulate within effective systems. This can be highly challenging, as it requires delving into the supply chain to determine the composition of a product.
Let’s consider a washing machine as an example: We seek to understand the materials that make up the case, the display, the glass, and all the components within the washing machine. A company producing washing machines, however, may only have limited knowledge about the exact chemical composition, which is generally unimportant for their technical performance.
One advantage of working with the chemical industry is their deep knowledge of their products, an in-depth understanding of their molecules, including how they interact and their role within the product. They have the capability to modify their product recipes, such as polymer compounds, and understand which additives can enhance circularity, which may reduce it, and how different additives influence properties like flame retardancy.
We start by asking what the purpose of each material is within a product. What role is it intended to play for the customer and the environment? We evaluate their material qualities, ecological qualities but also social qualities. Engaging with chemical companies on these topics can be incredibly fascinating because an additive which is good for one aspect may be bad for another. It often involves balancing trade-offs between these interconnected properties. In essence, Cradle to Cradle is product optimization towards a positive goal.
What I appreciate as a chemist is that Cradle to Cradle offers a versatile approach that can be applied across many different industries. The specific challenges, however, vary between industries. Some may face supply chain issues, others energy supply challenges, and still others may grapple with circularity-related problems. So, while the challenges may differ, the fundamental approach remains similar.
It seems that the circumstances of the chemical industry are particularly favorable for implementing Cradle to Cradle compared to other industries.
Yes, I would say so. What we need to do is connect chemical companies with brands that are willing to use their products. This creates a push-pull effect. When chemical companies offer Cradle to Cradle products or polymers, we need to identify the appropriate applications, what we refer to as “fitness for purpose.”
Defining a clear purpose is essential. When considering a product, it’s vital to determine its intended destination. Do we want it to biodegrade? Should it be part of its own take-back system, or is it meant to be recycled by municipal systems? All these scenarios have implications for the product’s performance. We even refer to it as a “use cycle” because materials have a life cycle where they provide a service to us and after that, we still have the material value, which we need to utilize beyond this use cycle.
However, chemical companies, when selling intermediate products, have limited influence over the final scenario. A client could purchase a product not designed for biodegradation, yet it may ultimately end up in the biosphere as a final destination. Hence, it’s important for chemical companies to provide information about a product’s intended scenario. This aspect is particularly interesting when dealing with chemical properties, as they play a pivotal role further down the value chain.
Dr Jan von der Lancken joined EPEA GmbH – Part of Drees & Sommer in 2020 and has been Head of EPEA Industry since 2022, where he and his team support companies in implementing the Cradle to Cradle design principle in product design. Recently, EPEA Industry and toy manufacturer Schleich provided insights into their cooperation on how they apply the Cradle to Cradle design principle to the figures of the traditional company. The chemist received his Ph.D. in Sustainable Chemistry from Leuphana University Lüneburg, where Cradle to Cradle pioneer Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart also teaches.
The Interreg Alpine Space project Cradle-ALP is a cooperation of clusters, universities, business associations and institutions from six European countries in which Chemie-Cluster Bayern has been participating since November 2022. Our common vision is to raise awareness of cradle-to-cradle approaches, circular product design and circular economy and to transform industry towards a bio-based circular economy with the help of transfortamtion roadmaps. The focus here is particularly on the plastics, packaging, chemical, wood/furniture and textile industries.
Dr Patermann, your influential role in the development of the bioeconomy in Europe and Germany is undisputed, even long before the term was widely used. You have experienced the change from a side note to a new economic model at first hand. When you look back on the development of the bioeconomy, how would you assess its current status? What milestones do you think have been reached and where do you still see room for improvement?
I am very grateful that I have been able to actively observe the development of the bioeconomy from its early days in 2004 and 2005 to the present day, not only in Germany and Europe, but also worldwide.
A decisive milestone in this development was the year 2012, when the bioeconomy strategies were first adopted in Europe and shortly afterwards in the USA and Russia. This elevated the concept of the bioeconomy from a pure research and development initiative to a universally applicable economic model.
Another highlight occurred in 2015 in Berlin, when the first global bioeconomy summit with almost 1,000 participants from all over the world clearly demonstrated the global interest and attention for this seemingly new, yet tried and tested economic model.
I see a third milestone in the last 20 months, which have been characterised by an enormous and unprecedented momentum in bioeconomy development – despite the pandemic!
During this period, the USA, China, India and most recently Brazil – all giants in the biomass sector – have entered the global stage and have either presented their own strategies and plans for the development of their national bioeconomies for the first time or again, all of which are supported by substantial budgets.
President Modi, for example, wants to develop India into a bio-manufacturing hub, while President Lula da Silva is establishing a Brazilian State Secretariat for Bioeconomy and will organise COP 30 in Belém, the only Brazilian state with a bioeconomy strategy. In the USA, the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy will be accompanied by a bioeconomy summit at the White House. This is an unprecedented international dynamic.
Europe is sorely missed in your list.
At this point, we need to differentiate. Europe has made impressive progress in terms of implementing the bioeconomy. No other continent is planning, building or operating as many biorefineries as Europe. Europe is also home to major global initiatives such as the Bioeconomy Summit and the World Circular Economy Forum.
Many pioneering ideas have come from Europe, but we are not fully participating in the latest momentum. This is evident in areas such as the development of biopolymers, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the production of alternative proteins. Other regions of the world have taken on a leading role here.
It is therefore crucial that Europe remains vigilant and ensures that we do not fall behind in terms of the societal importance of the bioeconomy.
In this context, I see several challenges. Although the bioeconomy is the most value-orientated form of economic activity, it is also the most complex, as it is strongly based on scientific principles. This makes its dissemination, acceptance and implementation not always easy. In Europe, we also tend to focus more on the challenges and limitations and less on the potential of the bioeconomy. There is a need for improvement here to overcome this attitude.
I see a further deficit in the question of funding.
In the competition for innovations and new technologies, life sciences and biotechnology unfortunately do not enjoy the priority they deserve in Europe. We hear a lot about topics such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sometimes health and energy when we are doing badly. However, biotechnology is barely present in large parts of Europe. This is in contrast to other parts of the world, where the importance of biotechnology is increasingly being recognised.
Europe therefore has a lot of catching up to do in terms of public opinion, public debate and promoting innovation for the future.
You are part of the advisory board of the Interreg Alpine Space project INNOBIOVC, in which Chemie-Cluster Bayern has been involved since April 2023. The project aims to promote cross-border innovation by aligning existing funding programmes and identifying new value chains. Does this help to address the deficits mentioned above?
The InnoBioVC project is interesting for several reasons.
Firstly, it is a cross-border project with a clear regional focus. This is crucial, as the implementation of the bioeconomy must take place at regional level in order to be successful beyond.
Secondly, for me, the emphasis on innovation is at the centre of this project. This concerns not only the content, but also the accompanying aspects, such as the use of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and new algorithms.
In third place is the central importance of value chains. Value creation is inextricably linked to the bioeconomy and added value is the actual content of the bioeconomy.
An illustrative example of added value in the bioeconomy is the conversion of apple juice waste, which is normally incinerated, into high-quality amino acids for eye drops. Here, a high-priced product is created from waste. How algorithms can help us to identify such new value chains is very interesting for me.
What’s more, the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis in recent years have brought to light another critical aspect of value chains that we had previously given little thought to: Resilience!
Here too, the bioeconomy offers enormous potential to contribute to the resilience of value chains – both regionally and continentally. I see this as a paradigm shift that we hadn’t thought of a few years ago.
Dr Patermann, thank you very much for talking to us.
Is there anything you would like to pass on to us for the future?
I have noticed that the media often report on aspects of the bioeconomy, be it the use of microorganisms and enzymes or the development of new bio-based materials with improved properties and a longer lifespan.
However, politicians, society and, in some cases, industry seem hesitant to use the term “bioeconomy” explicitly. I would like to see more courage here so that what belongs to the bioeconomy is also labelled as such.
The INNOBIOVC project, in which Chemie-Cluster Bayern GmbH has been involved as a partner since April 2023, aims to promote sustainable developmentin the circular bioeconomy in the Alpine region. The bioeconomy, which supplies food, textiles and energy, is to be strengthened by establishing international circular value chains. The project will develop innovative solutions to identify funding opportunities and the best cooperation partners by using novel algorithms and AI. At the same time, it will measure the sustainability gains of circular products. The aim is to create a vibrant ecosystem in which companies can operate successfully and contribute to sustainability in the Alpine region. Partners from several European countries are involved in the project, including Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia.
Dr Christian Patermann is regarded as a key figure in the development of the bioeconomy in Europe. Dr Patermann, who holds a doctorate in law, joined the civil service in 1971 and worked in various functions in the field of research and development until 1996, including as press spokesman and head of the management staff of the Federal Minister of Research, Heinz Riesenhuber. From 1996 to 2007, Dr Patermann headed the European Commission’s Research Directorate and played a leading role in the conception of the “Knowledge-based Bioeconomy (KBBE)”, which was first formulated by the Commission in 2005. He then advised the North Rhine-Westphalian state government on the bioeconomy from 2007 to 2014 and was a member of the first German Bioeconomy Council from 2009 to 2012.
Dear Dr Patermann, your significant contribution to the advancement of the bioeconomy in Europe and Germany is well recognized, even predating the widespread use of the term. You have observed firsthand the evolution of the bioeconomy from a marginal concept to a new economic model. With regards to the progress made in the bioeconomy, what is your evaluation of the current situation? Which milestones have been achieved, and what areas are still in need of improvement?
I am very grateful that I have been able to actively observe the development of the bioeconomy from its early days in 2004 and 2005 to the present day, not only in Germany and Europe, but worldwide.
A decisive milestone in this development was the year 2012, when first in Europe and shortly afterwards in the USA and Russia their own strategies for the bioeconomy were adopted. This elevated the concept of the bioeconomy from a pure research and development initiative to a universally valid economic model.
Another high point occurred in Berlin in 2015, when the first global bioeconomy summit, with nearly 1,000 participants from all over the world, clearly demonstrated the global interest and attention for this seemingly new, but nevertheless well-tried economic model.
I see a third milestone in the last 20 months, which have been marked by an enormous and unprecedented momentum in bioeconomy development – despite the pandemic!
During this period, the USA, China, India and recently Brazil – all giants in the biomass sector – have stepped onto the global stage and either for the first time or updated their own strategies and plans for the development of their national bioeconomies, all supported by substantial budgets.
For example, President Modi wants to develop India into a Bio-Manufacturing Hub, while President Lula da Silva is establishing a Brazilian State Secretariat for Bioeconomy and is going to host the COP30 in Belém, the only brazilian state with its own bioeconomy strategy. In the US, the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy is accompanied by a White House Bioeconomy Summit. This is an unprecedented international dynamic.
Europe is sorely missed in your list.
At this point we must differentiate. Europe has made impressive progress in implementing the bioeconomy. No other continent plans, builds or operates as many biorefineries as Europe. Moreover, Europe is home to major global initiatives such as the Bioeconomy Summit and the World Circular Economy Forum.
Many groundbreaking ideas come from Europe, but we are not participating fully in the recent momentum. This is evident, for example, in areas such as the development of biopolymers, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or the production of alternative proteins. Here, other world regions have taken a leading role.
It is therefore crucial that Europe remains vigilant and ensures that we do not fall behind in terms of the societal value of the bioeconomy.
In this context, I see several challenges. Although the bioeconomy is the most value-oriented form of economic activity, it is also the most complex, as it is strongly based on scientific principles. This makes its dissemination, acceptance, and implementation not always easy. In Europe, we additionally tend to focus more on the challenges and limitations and less on the potentials of the bioeconomy. There is a need for improvement here to overcome this attitude.
I see another deficit with regards to funding opportunities.In the competition for innovations and new technologies, life sciences and biotechnology in Europe unfortunately do not enjoy the priority they deserve. We hear a lot about topics such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sometimes health and energy when we are in a bad way. However, biotechnology is barely present in large parts of Europe. This contrasts with other parts of the world where the importance of biotechnology is increasingly recognised.
In Europe, there is therefore a considerable need to catch up in terms of public opinion, public discussion and the promotion of innovations for the future.
You are part of the advisory board of the Interreg Alpine Space project INNOBIOVC, in which Chemie-Cluster Bayern has been involved since April 2023. The project aims to promote cross-border innovation by aligning existing funding programmes and identifying new value chains. Does it help to address the deficits mentioned above?
The project InnoBioVC is interesting for several reasons.
Firstly, it is a cross-border project with a clear regional focus. This is crucial, as the implementation of the bioeconomy has to be accomplished on a regional level in order to be successful beyond that.
Secondly, for me, the emphasis on innovation is at the heart of this project. This concerns not only the content, but also the accompanying aspects, such as the use of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and new algorithms.
In third place is the central importance of value chains. After all, value creation has always been a core aspect of the bioeconomy from the very beginning.
An illustrative example of added value in the bioeconomy is the conversion of apple juice waste, which is normally incinerated, into high-quality amino acids for eye drops. Here, a high-priced product is created from waste. How algorithms can help us identify such new value chains is highly interesting to me.
In addition, recent events such as the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have highlighted a crucial aspect of value chains that was previously overlooked: resilience.
The bioeconomy possesses vast potential to enhance the resilience of value chains, both within regions and across continents. This represents a paradigm shift that was not previously considered a few years ago.
Dear Dr. Patermann, thank you very much for the interview! Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I observe that the media often report on aspects of the bioeconomy, be it the use of microorganisms and enzymes or the development of new bio-based materials with improved properties and longer lifetimes.
However, politics, society and to some extent industry seem hesitant to use the term “bioeconomy” explicitly. Here I would like to see more courage so that what belongs to the bioeconomy is also referred to as such.
The project INNOBIOVC, of which Chemie-Cluster Bayern GmbH has been a partner since April 2023, is focused on promoting sustainable investments in the circular economy within the Alpine region. By constructing international circular value chains, the bioeconomy – which supplies food, textiles, and energy – will be reinforced. The project will create pioneering methods to showcase available financing prospects and to pinpoint top collaborative partners. The project aims to measure the sustainability benefits of circular products, as well as establish a thriving ecosystem that fosters effective and sustainable operations for companies across the Alpine region. Partners from various European nations, including Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia, will collaborate to achieve this shared objective.
Dr Christian Patermann is considered a key figure in the development of the bioeconomy in Europe. Dr. Patermann, who holds a doctorate in law, joined the civil service in 1971 and worked in various functions in the field of research and development until 1996, including as press spokesman and head of the management staff of the Federal Minister of Research, Heinz Riesenhuber. From 1996 to 2007, Dr Patermann headed the Research Directorate of the European Commission and was in charge of the conception of the “Knowledge-based Bioeconomy (KBBE)”, which was first formulated by the Commission in 2005. He then advised the North Rhine-Westphalian state government on the bioeconomy from 2007 to 2014 and was a member of the first German Bioeconomy Council from 2009 to 2012.
Last week our colleague Dr. Tobias Schwarzmüller participated at the first meeting of the #CradleALP consortium in Padova. The Chemie-Cluster Bayern GmbH is one of nine partners in this Interreg Alpine Space project, which officially started at the end of 2022.
The aim of #CradleALP is to raise awareness for #C2C approaches, circular design and #CircularEconomy in the Alpine Space among the public, relevant industries and political stakeholders.
♻️The Cradle ALP project focuses on finding new approaches with companies from the plastics, packaging, chemical, wood/furniture and textile sectors to replace fossil or unsustainable materials with circular, #sustainable and #bio-based materials.
♻️For this purpose, transformation roadmaps are developed in the course of the project and tested in pilot trials with industrial partners from the Alpine region. In this way, Cradle-ALP will contribute to the industrial transformation towards a more sustainable way of production.
🏭The first activities towards implementation were discussed at this project meeting. A company visit to the Cradle to Cradle certified company JVP (https://jvph.net/en/) allowed exciting insights into the sustainable production of floor tiles.
More information on the Cradle-Alp project is available here:
➡️https://lnkd.in/eFFPWhQw
or in our LinkedIn group Cradle-ALP:
➡️ https://lnkd.in/gPKvvpKv
Once again, a lot has been going on this year. We were on the road for you at trade shows and events and also organized various events ourselves. Thank you very much for your participation.
A highlight of our cluster work is definitely visiting you – our members. Thanks to your openness and your trust, we were able to gain an insight into your production and areas of activity, but also future plans. We are happy to support you in innovation topics or network you with a wide variety of companies, start-ups, research institutions or universities.
An exciting and successful year lies behind us – we would like to thank you for that. We look forward to further cooperation and exciting projects in 2023! We wish you and your loved ones a reflective Christmas season and a good start into the new year.
Hello Jan, nice to welcome you to our HotSeat today. Please explain to our readers: What does InnoSyn do and what do you stand for as a company?
Our company name InnoSyn stands for “innovative synthesis”. InnoSyn was previously an R&D department of DSM in the Netherlands for 25 years and was fully spun off in 2017. As a so-called CDMO, we are an independent service provider that works on the development of various chemical processes, starting with the initial idea through to industrial implementation and production. Our solutions are always tailored to the individual requirements of our customers. For example, we offer “Route Scouting Services” for the target molecules targeted by the customer in order to design the individually most cost-effective and most efficient reaction route from scratch. In addition, we work for many companies that are established in the market and, for example, optimize individual reaction steps of processes that have been in existence for decades through the use of new technologies.
That sounds exciting. Which innovative technologies are used at InnoSyn?
Next to classic organic chemistry, we use, for example, our biocatalysis platform, the complementary chemocatalysis platform, as well as photochemistry and flow chemistry (continuous manufacturing). In addition, we are increasingly working on bio-based, sustainable process management.
In which chemical markets are your customers typically active?
Due to our DSM history, we traditionally often work for pharmaceutical companies. However, the autonomy and independence of DSM has opened many doors for us since 2017. In general, our process solutions are attractive to all fine and specialty chemical manufacturers who are concerned with the efficient production of small molecules. Accordingly, our customer portfolio is now a colorful mix of diverse industries: Flavor & Fragrance, agrochemicals, food supplements, dyes, textiles, fuel additives, functional monomers, and much more.
So why did your customers choose you as a partner and what do you think makes InnoSyn stand out from other CDMOs on the market?
Due to the fact that dozens of processes have already been successfully established by our employees in the chemical industry in our 30-year history, we have a very high level of expertise in the company. Dutch companies are also often set up with flat hierarchies and around half of our scientists have a doctorate. Accordingly, we often exchange highly scientific information in groups about the current project challenges and maintain close contact with customers. Our chemists, biologists and engineers are involved in the project tasks right from the start, which means that we usually work on process solutions in a completely unbiased and technology-open manner. In addition, we always keep in mind that our developments are also scalable and not just work on a small scale. With our own pilot plant right next to our laboratory premises on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus (Geleen, NL) we offer a “One Stop Shop” for our customers, from the first feasibility study to commercial production.
Are there current developments and trends in the market that you find particularly interesting?
I see a huge need for sustainable, eco-friendly solutions across all chemical industries. I support this development and in my view there is ultimately no alternative. The use of flow chemistry, for example, which is characterized by extremely good material and heat exchange, is particularly noteworthy. When used as needed, continuous process control leads to more selective production, while often reducing the space requirements and energy costs of the production process. At InnoSyn, we design the flow reactors ourselves and adapt them individually to the respective process requirements using 3D metal printing. A lot has also happened in the field of biocatalysis in recent years. Nowadays, enzyme engineering can be used to optimize catalysts in a very reaction-specific manner, which promises a long-term, sustainable solution. However, as often as the word “green” may be used, in the end companies are always concerned with the potential for cost savings. The nice thing about the technologies mentioned is that they combine both: They are often more sustainable than the classic chemical processes and, thanks to their efficiency, they save on production costs at the same time. A win-win solution for business and the environment, so to speak.
That sounds very promising. Thanks for the interview and good luck in establishing these technologies in the chemical industry!
Link to the homepage: www.innosyn.com
Making the world a little better with polymer – SUMTEQ is dedicated to this mission.
Lightweight and efficient, the polymer foam developed by SUMTEQ called Sumfoam enables a major contribution to sustainability. With nanoporous and open-pore structure, Sumfoam forms a new class of materials with many applications. As a carrier material, microcapsule or in insulation: at this year’s K in Düsseldorf, SUMTEQ GmbH will showcase new solutions in industrial applications and present its current projects.
What is special about Sumfoam? Originally developed as a high-performance insulation material, the foam with the tiny pores quickly revealed many other capabilities. With a pore structure 1000 times smaller than that of conventional foams, Sumfoam is in demand as a carrier material, especially in the plastics industry.
The small pores provide a strong capillary effect through which liquids are absorbed and bound like a sponge. In the process, Sumfoam absorbs many times its own weight, making it the ideal carrier for plasticizers and other non-polar liquids.
What this can achieve is demonstrated in a current pilot project that SUMTEQ was able to realize together with the Viersen-based hose manufacturer APD. This makes it possible to recycle mixed rigid and flexible PVC directly at the production site. Plasticizers can be flexibly added as dry liquid in the extrusion process to achieve the desired degree of hardness of the new flexible PVC. Costly external preparation is no longer necessary.
At K, SUMTEQ will be presenting many other applications for Sumfoam in addition to this project. As granules, in the form of flakes or as panels, it ensures optimum insulation results. From building insulation to technical cooling and heating challenges, Sumfoam offers the optimal solution.
And Sumfoam can do even more: together with its Dutch partner AV-Chemistry, SUMTEQ has succeeded in binding fragrances in microcapsules and printing them onto garments. Fine particles in the printing ink ensure a long-lasting fragrance that can be individually recharged again and again.
Innovation, energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint – that’s what SUMTEQ stands for. And rightly so. Even before the start of industrial production in the fall of 2022, the company was able to achieve a major success: SUMTEQ was awarded the Rhineland Business Prize in the “Technology” category.
SUMTEQ will be represented at K in Düsseldorf from October 19-26, 2022 in hall 6, booth number 6D76.
