Expert list Bioeconomy

New food and fodder, energy from harvest waste, chemicals and plastics from plants: Bioeconomy opens new paths to new products, new production processes, and to a modern, sustainable economy. Its raw materials are bio-based. That means they come from plants, animals, or microorganisms. In production processes, it also uses biological processes for a more sustainable production that conserves energy and resources.

1. Sustainable use of resources

1.1 Use of renewable resources

Plant material for industrial purposes

Sustainable resources can be used materially and for energy. Particularly interesting in the current research field of Bioeconomy is the material use of various plants. This can be done in a variety of ways, for example by obtaining dyes from petals, extracting substances from leaves for medications or for manufacturing biological insecticides, using various plant sugars as  the basis for platform chemicals or  producing food suitable for diabetics,  obtaining oils, proteins, and mucilage in the seeds of so-called superfood plants to create bioactive food, or using stems  to obtain fibers.

Prof. Dr. Simone Graeff-Hönninger looks into which sorts and species are particularly suited to obtaining a certain substance and what influence the cultivation system has on the production of the substance. The goal is to identify sustainable resources as bioactive substances for the basis of plastics, oils, food products, nutraceuticals, etc. for the chemical and food industries and as a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry.

Contact: Dr. Simone Graeff-Hönninger, Department of Agronomy, +49 (0)711 459 22376, email

Bio-plastics from renewable raw materials

Image: University of Hohenheim / Wolfram Scheible (Miscanthus) and Jan Winkler (Bottle), Montage: Elsner

Conversion technology is one way of producing biobased plastics. Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse is researching how biomass can be converted into coal, hydrogen, high-energy oil, or an intermediate product for the production of bio-plastics etc. using physical-chemical processes. She is also testing manure or fermentation residues instead of energy crops as biomass. The aim of her work is to prepare for industrial application.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse, Dept. of Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, +49 711 459 24700, email

High-performance carbons for electric mobility

Batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors - without them, electromobility and the power grid with alternative energies will not work. In these electrochemical conversions, biogenic carbon materials not only conserve the rare resources graphite and lithium, but these materials even have better properties than those commonly used today. The aim is to develop manufacturing processes for such materials so that they can be used in the future.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse, Dept. of Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, +49 711 459 24700, email

Organic detergents from renewable raw materials

Up to now, surfactants for cleaning agents have mostly been based on petroleum or palm oil. This is of great importance as global consumption is enormous: They are among the best-selling chemicals in the world. With the help of bioprocess technology, however, it is already possible to produce very good alternative products on the basis of renewable raw materials. Prof. Dr. Rudolf Hausmann uses woody biomass as starting material and employs microorganisms for the biochemical processes. He is working to further optimize this process. Since biosurfactants have very good surfactant properties, the problem of foaming, among other things, also arises.

Contact: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rudolf Hausmann, Dept. of Bioprocess Engineering, +49 711 459 24720, email

Phosphate fertilizer as a byproduct of the material use of biomass

Image: University of Hohenheim | Dr. Olena Kalinina

Besides efficiency, the overall ecological perspective of bio-refineries is interesting. One topic in this is “nutrient recycling”: Worldwide there is a lack of phosphate, which is essential as a fertilizer in agriculture. Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse looks into how nutrients in biomass can be channeled back into the field, that is, how phosphate and nitrate fertilizer can be won as a byproduct.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse, Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, +49 711 459 24700, email

Is biomass the key to the bioeconomy?

What are the potentials of a sustainable use of biomass in the bioeconomy? How can the availability of biomass for the bioeconomy be improved? Which conflicts of objectives arise when agricultural byproducts are used economically, e.g. in livestock farming, and at the same time a considerable part of the byproducts must remain on the field in order to maintain the humus balance? What are the social consequences?

Economist Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann explains how these are all linked.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann, Department of Bioeconomy, +49 (0)711 459 24500, email

1.2 Biomass as a source of energy

What has to be taken into consideration for the production of biocoal?

Biocoal for soil improvement is very popular these days. But just buying a small wood gas generator and getting down to business is risky: The wood charcoal meant for introducing into the soil could be contaminated with PAH. This problem can arise if carburetor, condenser, and carbonizer are not optimized. Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse knows everything there is to know about these processes. If you have any questions about the decentralized production of biogentic energy sources or carbon sources through thermochemical conversion, she will be able to help you.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse, Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, +49 711 459 24700, email

How can entire value chains of the bioeconomy be evaluated?

In order to predict the environmental effects of biomass production and biogenic products, the entire value chain including all its production stages has to be taken into account. Life cycle assessments can be a suitable tool for this. Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski can tell you more about the process.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski, Department of Biobased Products in the Bioeconomy, +49 (0)711 459 22221, email

Making decisions concerning biomass degradation with the help of computer simulation

What is the role of land markets and land prices in regard to the type and the scope of biomass production? What is the production potential of bioenergy sources? How do they compete with food and animal feed? Prof. Dr. Enno Bahrs creates a computer simulation of an agricultural business, for example, and compares alternative cultivation options. This way he can determine how economical and environmentally friendly various options for biogas and lignocellulose production are in Baden-Württemberg.

He investigates question such as:

  • What would be the economic impact of technological innovations in regard to biogas plants, etc.?
  • Which acreage shifts are to be expected in case of rising wheat prices for example, and how does this affect the biogas production in Baden-Württemberg?
  • Which energy crops are most competitive for Baden-Württemberg?

Contact: Prof. Dr. Enno Bahrs, Department of Farm Management, +49 (0)711 459 22566, email

1.3 Circular economy

Salad from sewage: Cultivation system uses water and nutrients efficiently

Crisp lettuce, irrigated and fertilized with treated wastewater - making efficient use of resources such as water, nutrients, and land: This creates a so-called hydroponic system. The plants are grown in long pipes with planting holes in which the waste water circulates. Dr. Jörn Germer, agricultural ecologist at the University of Hohenheim, explains how the system works.

Contact: Dr. Jörn Germer, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics
+49 711 459 23505, email

2. Sustainable agricultural production

2.1 Sustainable cultivation

How new varieties defy climate change

How can the food supply for the world's population be ensured now and in the future - even under increasingly difficult conditions such as the effects of climate change? Plant breeding has a key role to play here. Prof. Dr. Tobias Würschum explains how modern breeding methods can contribute to this.
 
Contact: Prof. Dr. Tobias Würschum, Department of Plant Breeding, +49 (0)711 459 23544, email 

Artificial intelligence for resilient production systems

As climate change progresses, the framework conditions for agriculture are constantly changing. What can artificial intelligence do to help address this? Is digital agriculture fit for the future? Does it make production systems more sustainable and resilient? How can intelligent agricultural engineering systems progressively adapt to changing environmental and general conditions through continuous learning? Jun.-Prof. Dr. Anthony Stein answers your questions on the topic.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Anthony Stein, Department of Artificial Intelligence in Agricultural Engineering, +49 711 459 22532, email 

Insect mortality - what role do pesticides play?

The decline in insect biodiversity has many causes. What role do insecticides play in this? How do they affect non-target organisms? Insect protection and research into the causes of insect mortality is one of Prof. Dr. Georg Petschenka's research topics. The entomologist will be happy to answer your questions on the subject.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Georg Petschenka, Department of Applied Entomology, +49 (0)711 459 22400, email

Sustainable land use - which adaptation strategies make sense?

What are the responses of plants to environmental changes such as climate change? How does it change ecosystems? And how can we predict these changes? Plant ecologist Jun.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Schweiger studies these questions. He draws conclusions on which adaptation strategies can be targeted for more sustainable land use and food security in the future.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Schweiger, Department of Plant Ecology, +49 711 459-22189, email

2.2 Soils as a sustainable resource

Harvest on two levels: Agriphotovoltaics

Solar panels on top, agricultural crops below - that is the impressively simple idea behind agriphotovoltaics. This is because land resources are not available in unlimited quantities: The double use of an area allows the production of energy and food at the same time. Whether and how this works and what needs to be considered when putting it into practice is explained by apl. Prof. Dr. Petra Högy from the Department of Plant Ecology.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Andreas Schweiger, Department of Plant Ecology, +49 (0)711 459 22189, email

2.3 Crop production

How can biomass be produced sustainably?

The competition between food and fuel created by biomass production is a much disputed topic. How can this competition be avoided or at least reduced? Are there approaches regarding the sustainable intensification of land use? Is it possible to use land for the production of food as well as solar power stations and bioenergy systems (e.g. agrophotovoltaics)? Which soils are most suitable for sustainable biomass production? What do the land use concepts look like? Can residual materials of the agricultural production be used as biomass? If you have questions about this topic, you can ask Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski, Department of Biobased Products in the Bioeconomy, +49 (0)711 459 22221, email

Miscanthus: cultivation procedures for new energy and industrial crops

Image: University of Hohenheim | Dr. Olena Kalinina

What is the best way to grow new, especially perennial energy and industrial crops? What is to be taken into account in regard to mixed cultivation and intercropping? Which locations and genotypes are preferred? Does miscanthus also grow on poor soil? Is it suited as a biogas substrate? Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski can give you more information on this subject and on the topic of lesser known cultivation alternatives for biogas and biomass production such as the cup-plant and wild plant mixes.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski, Department of Biobased Products in the Bioeconomy, +49 (0)711 459 22221, email

How can the quality of biomass be optimized for different uses?

The quality of the produced biomass is of the utmost importance. But how can the combustion quality or the biogas outcome be improved? Which lignocellulosic biomass is suitable for the production of bioethanol? Which factors affect the ethanol outcome of ethanol grains? Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski can inform you on the options.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Iris Lewandowski, Department of Biobased Products in the Bioeconomy, +49 (0)711 459 22221, email

2.4 Agrartechnik

Environmentally friendly agricultural engineering - sustainable and economical

Image: University of Hohenheim | Marijan Murat

Modern agriculture cannot do without technology - it can even contribute to using biological resources sustainably and economically.  How that is done can be explained by Prof. Dr. Stefan Böttinger. He researches the driving dynamics and comfort of agricultural machines. These can also be operated with biofuels - a farmer who cultivates rapeseed, for example, can use his own rapeseed oil. He is also interested in combines: What settings does the cleaning plant need to have in order to minimize losses? How is the harvest best cleaned? What is the optimal motor design for combines?

Contact: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Böttinger,  Department of Fundamentals of Agricultural Engineering, +49 (0)711 459 23200, email

Smart farming: digital and sustainable

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing agricultural technology: It enables autonomous robots and intelligent machines to detect weeds and control them with the utmost precision - and only if this is necessary from an agronomic point of view. Or plant diseases can be detected at early stages of infection using AI-based analysis of spectral images (machine vision). AI also enables crop yield prediction based on satellite imagery combined with weather and crop development data, as well as historical yields. Jun.-Prof. Dr. Anthony Stein explains the possible applications, the technology behind it, and the opportunities that are associated with it with a view to sustainability.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Anthony Stein, Department of Artificial Intelligence in Agricultural Engineering, +49 711 459 22532, email

Digitalization makes sustainable agricultural production transparent

If you are a farmer promoting biodiversity or sustainability, consumers hardly ever hear about it. Digital capture could change that - and at comparatively low cost. Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hess explains how, for example, CO2 balances or CO2 footprints can be calculated automatically using cameras or measuring sensors. The goal: a transparent company with human data sovereignty.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hess, Department of Agricultural Markets, email

2.5 Focus on animal husbandry

Healthy animals - better food

What physiological “saving measures” can the body use if needed to increase efficiency? Which organs work toward this goal in which ways? How does the adaptation of the energy and building block metabolism work in the context of producing food from animals? The veterinarian Prof. Dr. Korinna Huber is available for your questions regarding the functional anatomy of livestock.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Korinna Huber, Institute of Animal Science, Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Livestock, +49 711 +459 22410, email

2.6 Organic Farming

3. Global food security

Milk alternatives and vegetable protein sources

If resources are to be conserved, more plant proteins instead of animal proteins need to be on the menu. And not only pure vegans are increasingly turning to these alternative products: Oat, soy, or almond milk are currently experiencing a boom. What other raw materials are suitable for the production of vegetable drinks? How do you manage to produce them in such a way that they come as close as possible to cow's milk in terms of taste and consistency? And what is the nutritional value of these products? Milk technologist Prof. Dr. Jörg Hinrichs offers to answer your questions by phone or email.

Contact: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Hinrichs, Department of Dairy Science and Dairy Technology, +49 711 459 23792, email

Quinoa as a new source of protein in Europe

The superfood plant quinoa is considered very stress tolerant. It can even thrive in salty soils. But although there are many varieties, it is still rarely cultivated in Germany. Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sandra Schmöckel is testing which quinoa varieties would be able to cope with the drought stress in Germany caused by climate change - and could thus provide a new mainstay for farmers and another source of protein from regional cultivation in the future.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sandra Schmöckel, Department of Physiology of Yield Stability, +49 (0)711 459 23806, email

Less meat = more bioeconomy?

Vegan nutrition is in vogue. What will be the impact of switching our very meat-intensive diets to plant-based protein sources? What are the conflicting goals? If prices for animal products rise to reduce their consumption, this will hit lower-income households the hardest, as they spend a larger share of their income on food. What are the options to solve these problems? Economist Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann answers your questions.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann, Department of Bioeconomy, +49 711 459 24500, email

Producing food more sustainably - thanks to digitalization?

Food processing and the food supply chain can be made more sustainable and efficient. At the same time, the traceability of food can be improved. To achieve this, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christian Krupitzer is relying on digitalization. He applies methods and technologies from the fields of artificial intelligence, predictive data analytics, Industry 4.0, adaptive software systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) in food processing and the food supply chain.
 
Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christian Krupitzer, Department of Food Informatics, +49 711 459 23664, email

4. Economic change - Bioeconomy as an economic factor

Economy, environment and society - what are the conflicting goals?

How do we make a transition to a sustainable, bio-based economy that will slow down and be resilient to climate change while minimizing negative economic and social impacts? A successful transformation is only possible if you get the support of as many people as possible. Therefore, when it comes to protecting the environment and the climate, one cannot ignore business and society. The economist Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann analyzes possible conflicting goals and explains how to deal with them.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann, Department of Bioeconomy, +49 711 459 24500, email

How do policies affect global land use and trade?

What is the situation in developing countries? How do land and labor dynamics - that is, land consolidation on the one hand and labor migration to cities on the other - impact agricultural productivity, structural change, and economic transformation pathways? What influence does politics have? Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann is interested in how farmers adapt to the changed conditions and whether sustainable development paths can be achieved through this.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann, Department of Bioeconomy, +49 711 459 24500, email

What is the global impact of German and European biofuel and energy policies?

What is the impact of German and European Climate and energy policies on international agricultural markets, food prices, and land use? How can the availability of biomass for the bioeconomy be improved? Economist Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann explains how markets work and how policy measures work through macroeconomic linkages. For example, she shows how EU policies such as the promotion of bioenergy can have an impact on all regions of the world.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Franziska Schünemann, Department of Bioeconomy, +49 711 459 24500, email

Innovative foods - how can they successfully enter the market?

How can new, innovative products gain a foothold in the food sector? Alternative protein sources or meat substitutes, for example, that are designed to reduce climate-damaging meat production? Prof. Dr. Stefan Hirsch from the Department of Management in Agribusiness explains the drivers of demand for products and what is important for them to succeed in the market.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Stefan Hirsch, Department of Management in Agribusiness, +49 (0)711 459 24740, email 

How does a biobased economy change economics in general?

The transition to a biobased economy affects nearly all areas of economics. New products and services on the basis of sustainable resources replace CO2 intensive products. Are they made by the same producers? At which point in the changed value chain are high profits to be made? In which regions will new industry branches be successfully established? And what about international competitiveness? How do job markets have to adapt? Talk about these possibilities with Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka, Department of Economics: Innovation Economics, +49 (0)711 459 24481, email

Who and what can promote the transition to this new type of economy?

The transition to a biobased economy should be done as soon as possible. Can subsidies and taxes influence the transition? What can policy makers do? How do the new technologies influence our daily life and can consumers influence the process? Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka of the Department of Innovation Economics will be able to help you with these questions.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Andreas Pyka, Department of Economics: Innovation Economics, +49 (0)711 459 24481, email

How can network operators be regulated on a financial basis?

Especially in the context of renewable energy, electricity networks are often in the media. The network operators in Germany are regulated by the Federal Network Agency. But how can network operators be motivated to build a network? What are the ecological conditions? How can regulation be set up? And what investment incentives do the networks offer? Prof. Dr. Dirk Hachmeister looks into the financial mechanisms in regulating network operators.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Dirk Hachmeister, Department of Business Administration: Accounting and Finance, +49 (0)711 459 22912, email

Money for new ideas

Good ideas and new technologies need money to be implemented. Especially at the beginning, finding funds is not easy. How can these kinds of projects be sensibly promoted with subsidies? Where does initial funding make sense? When is regulation necessary? Discuss these questions with the finance scientist Prof. Dr. Nadja Dwenger.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Nadja Dwenger, Department of Economics: Public Economics, +49 (0)711 459 22989, email

5. Consumer behavior in Bioeconomy - perception and acceptance

How can digitalization contribute to promoting more sustainable action?

One possibility would be apps that calculate the ecological footprint of consumers. But food chains can also be made more efficient with digital technology. New forms of organization such as food sharing are controlled via digital media. The sociologist Prof. Dr. Caroline Ruiner is investigating all these possibilities and their effects on people.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Caroline Ruiner, Department of Sociology, +49 711 459 23437, email

Field of tension Bioeconomy: citizen protests

There is often serious social tension on the topic of citizen participation, for example on projects dealing with alternative energy such as wind turbines. The communication scientist Prof. Dr. Frank Brettschneider has researched several projects and the protests against them. Where do protests occur? Which procedures are available to reach a socially acceptable consensus? And how are topics related to the bioeconomy presented in the media?

Contact: Prof. Dr. Frank Brettschneider, Department of Communication Science: Communication Theory, +49 (0)711 459 24030, email

Difficult path to more sustainability

Image: University of Hohenheim | Boris Lehner

How can agriculture that mitigates climate change be promoted? How can we create more food that is healthy and ecologically sustainable? How does land use need to be adapted to climate change? What do people think about it? How is the population’s acceptance of these measures?

Prof. Dr. Claudia Bieling, director of the Department of Societal Transition and Agriculture, looks at these questions from a social science point of view. For example using corn to create energy: What changes does more cultivation bring for the local population? How can the creation of bioenergy and other land usage goals be integrated? And not last, she looks at the classic ethical question: Food or fuel?

Contact: Prof. Dr. Claudia Bieling, Department of Societal Transition and Agriculture, +49 (0)711 459 24029, email

6. Ecosystems, environmental, and nature protection in tension

How can wild plants be used sustainably?

Image: University of Hohenheim | Prof. Dr. Frank Schurr

How does the use of natural resources need to change in order to be sustainable in the long term? The landscape ecologist Prof. Dr. Frank Schurr looks into this question not only with energy crops, but especially with wild plants that are used economically. South African bushes (Proteaceae) harvested as wild plants for cut flowers serve as an example. How much can this be done without endangering the population? What role does climate change play? Discuss these topics with Prof. Dr. Schurr.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Frank Schurr, Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, Department of Landscape Ecology and Vegetation Science, +49 711 459 22865, Email

What influences ecosystem resilience?

How do ecosystems respond to environmental change? In particular, how do they affect plants as key players in our ecosystems? What makes ecosystems resilient - and how can we strengthen them? Plant Ecologist Jun. Prof. Dr. Andreas Schweiger is researching these influences - and how to better assess and predict ecosystem performance.

Contact: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Schweiger, Department of Plant Ecology, +49 711 459-22189, email

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