Sustainable Bioeconomy Council

“Baden-Württemberg is a leading bioeconomy region of the EU, because it recognized the potential of the bioeconomy early on and subsequently put relevant research and educational programs into place.”

Professor Iris Lewandowski heads the department “Renewable Raw Materials in the Bioeconomy” at the University of Hohenheim. The focus of her research is sustainable production as a part of the bioeconomy. Beyond that, she has made a name for herself in the development of interdisciplinary educational concepts, and has established Germany’s first bioeconomy master’s program (MSc Bioeconomy). As chief bioeconomy officer (CBO), she coordinates the diverse range of activities and collaborations of the University of Hohenheim, such as activities within the context of the European Bioeconomy University (EBU), for example. In January of 2020, she and Professor Dr. Daniela Thrän became chairs of the Federal Bioeconomy Council (Bioökonomierat der Bundesregierung) for an initial period of 3 years.

“Innovation and sustainability combined are the basis of human well-being and a healthy environment.”

Head of Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB), Co-chair of the Sustainable Bioeconomy Council of Baden-Württemberg, Vice-Chairman of the Federal Bioeconomy Council. “With sustainable technologies for a healthy person in a healthy environment.” This motivation is what drove this chemist through his international career with innovative start-up companies, in medium-sized enterprises, and in leading positions in globally active large industries. Dr. Wolperdinger collected experience in development, sales, and management, and ultimately focused his scientific activities on the efficient implementation of the combination of biology and engineering.

“In the innovation-enthusiastic Baden-Württemberg, the bioeconomy is offered a significant chance at transforming the economy.”

Professor Regina Birner holds the chair for Social and Institutional Transformation of Agricultural Development at the Hans Ruthenberg Institute of the University of Hohenheim. She studied agricultural sciences at the Technical University of Munich School of Life Sciences, receiving her doctorate and habilitation at the University of Göttingen in the field of agricultural economy. Before her appointment to the University of Hohenheim in 2010, Professor Regina Birner led the governance research program of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC. Her research deals with the challenges of global food security and the sustainable development of the bioeconomy. Professor Regina Birner has over 25 years of research experience in countries of the global south. She has been a member of the Federal Bioeconomy Council since 2012.

"I'm excited to take part in the execution and further development of the Sustainable Bioeconomy Strategy and to highlight the contributions and concerns of the circular economy in the process."

Katja Deschner is chairwoman of AVR Kommunal AöR. The AVR Kommunal AöR is a municipal institution and public waste management authority in the Rhein-Neckar district and is thus responsible for all things concerning circular economy in the area of Rhein-Neckar. Deschner studied Geography at the University of Mannheim and went on to study business administration and political science. After various positions in Mannheim and Heilbronn, she began at AVR in 2002, becoming executive director in 2013 and chairwoman in 2020. Beyond that, she holds a chairwomanship at the VKU Verband kommunaler Unternehmen e.V. Sparte Abfallwirtschaft und Stadtsauberkeit VKS (EN: German Association of Local Public Utilities of Municipally Determined Infrastructure Undertakings and Economic Enterprises) and is a member of the Verbandsvorstands des VKU e.V.

"The bioeconomy is the key to the future of Baden-Württemberg - it connects sustainable development with economic growth and strengthens the position of regional industry here in the heart of Europe."
 
Michail Ginsburg is CEO of OutNature GmbH, a trademark of the enivornmental services provider PreZero. OutNature develops, produces, and distributes fiber-based materials made of cup plant for the paper and packaging industries. In this way, the company unlocks the potential of regional and renewable raw material sources while conserving natural resources. Ginsburg studied engineering economics and mechanical engineering at the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences and Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, as well as at the University of South Wales. After working at a car component supplier, he has been at Schwarz Group since 2013. The focus of his work is in the fields of Corporate and Business Development.

“The bioeconomy strategy of the state government is extremely interesting, innovative, and forward-looking, and I’m excited to be able to play a contributing role as a member of the council.”

Thomas Karle studied agricultural sciences at the Nürtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Science. He has operated a biogas plant since 2001 and currently provides a variety of national and international seminar and advisory services in the field of biogas. He’s been recognized several times for his activities, winning, among others, the Environmental Prize for Enterprises BW (Umweltpreis für Unternehmen) BW and the 2020 Bioeconomy Innovation Prize (Innovationspreis). In addition to that, he has been a council member of the State Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioenergy of the University of Hohenheim for 10 years and chair of Gütegemeinschaft Gärprodukte e.V. As managing director of Agro Energie Hohenlohe GmbH & Co. KG, he develops and optimizes various processes of electricity production and nutrient recycling.

“With the Sustainable Bioeconomy Strategy, the necessary signals are being sent to shape our lives and economy towards a circularly-oriented and thus future-proofed state.”

After on more than 30 years in the chemical industry, Dr. Manfred Kircher works as a freelance consultant for industrial bioeconomy. His professional positions were in the realm of research and development (Degussa AG, Germany), production (Fermas s.r.o., Slovakia), venture capital (Burrill & Company, USA), partnering (Evonik Industries AG, Germany) and the establishment of the Cluster Industrial Biotechnology’s bioeconomy cluster. He is, among other things, a chair of the CLIB council (since 2014), a chair of the bioeconomy association “BioBall” (“Bioeconomy in the Metropolitan Area,” (since 2019), was appointed to the Sustainable Bioeconomy Council (2020), and is co-chair of the Organics Valorization section of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB, 2020).

Professor Daniela Kleinschmit is the chair of the Forest and Environmental Policy faculty and Vice President for Internationalization and Sustainability at the University of Freiburg. Before accepting her position in Freiburg, she worked six years as an assistant professor and then later as an associate professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala. She received her doctorate in the field of forestry policy at the University of Göttingen. Her research topics include forestry-, environmental-, and agricultural policy as well as bioeconomy policy. Dr. Daniela Kleinschmit is also the vice president of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and is actively involved in an excellent international forestry science network.

“The development of the bioeconomy requires, in particular, utilizing synergies – including ones that exist between the implementation of the regional Sustainable Bioeconomy Strategy of Baden-Württemberg and the bioeconomy strategy of the European Commission as part of the ‘Green Deal.’”

Given his years of experience as a bioeconomy consultant at the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission (2016-2021), Dr. Joachim Kreysa provides an international viewpoint for the Sustainable Bioeconomy Council of Baden-Württemberg. After studying wood industry at the University of Hamburg (UHH), his doctoral thesis investigated the dynamic simulation of a forestry operation. Following his graduation, he held a variety of positions in the European Commission, including planning and implementing European research programs in the field of agro-industrial research, with a focus on forestry and the wood industry.

“The ecological transformation of the economy can only be achieved with bioeconomical innovations!”

Mr. Olveira-Lenz is a mechanical engineer (Dipl.-Ing.) with a focus on energy, environment, and process technology and has expertise in application-oriented process design and optimization concerning energy, environment, and resource efficiency aspects. He has gathered professional experience at EnBW Kraftwerke AG in the field of optimization of thermal power plants as well as at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) regarding the topics of green hydrogen generation and biomass gasification processes. After that, he moved on to the Südlicher Oberrhein Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK)) as a consultant for energy and resource efficiency.  Currently, he is an executive board member and the head of the Innovation and Environment division at the IHK. He is also the head of the Environment Division of the Baden-Württemberg Chambers of Industry and Commerce.

“The knowledge-based economy acts as an important building block for a future-oriented economic structure where human well-being, international competitiveness, employment, and sustainability are interlinked.”

Professor Andreas Pyka has been a professor at the University of Hohenheim’s department of innovation economics since the summer of 2009. Between 2012 and 2015, he also held a research professorship at the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH). From 2019-2020, he was appointed as a visiting professor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. Professor Pyka has been involved with policy consultation for the state government of Baden-Württemberg for several years. Notable examples are with the Europe Dialogue of the Ministry of the Interior, Digitalization, and Local Government, the Automotive Industry Strategy Dialogue, and in the Sustainable Bioeconomy Council. Professor Pyka’s bioeconomical research focus is in the area of sustainability transformation driven by innovation. In addition, Professor Pyka researches energy and innovation, innovation networks, innovation and employment, modern innovation theory, industry and complexity economics, neo-Schumpeterian economics and industrial dynamics, and R&D policy.

"The origin of the bioeconomy is agriculture. The sustainable use of existing resources is the key to a successful transformation."

Dr. Peter Risser has led Südzucker AG's pilot farm at Kirschgartshausen in Mannheim since 2018. Here, innovations for sustainable plant cultivation are researched on 300 hectare field. Topics of this research include, but aren't limited to plant protection, biodiversity, crop rotation, and the use of digital tools. Dr. Risser, who grew up on a sugar beet farm in Rheinland-Pfalz, studied agriculture at the University of Hohenheim with a focus on plant breeding and went on to habilitate in the field of resistance breeding at the state seed breeding institute. In 2010 he started at Südzucker AG as a consultant for agricultural research in Ochsenfurt and was entrusted with the consultation and coordination of an experiment involving 15000 sugar beet farmers in Germany. The aspects of sustainability in sugar beet farming was a major focus of his research.

“Baden-Württemberg creates conditions uniquely suited for a sustainable and AI-based bioeconomy.”

Once appointed the W3 professorship “Hybrid Microsensor Systems for Life Science and Process Engineering” at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Professor Andrea Robitzki is currently the head of Division I - biology, chemistry, and process engineering. After holding a department management position at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT), she was in charge of the Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BBZ) at the University of Leipzig, where she held a C4 professorship for “Molecular Biological-Biochemical Process Engineering.” There, her research concentration was in nano-, microsystem-, and sensor technology, biomedicine, biotechnology, as well as bioelectrocatalysis. As a member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), she is active in the realms of thematic networks of health technologies, biotechnology, and bioeconomy.

"Let's take full advantage of the opportunities of the bioeconomy and work towards a sustainable, innovative, and resource-conserving future together."

Dr.-Ing. Hannes Spieth studied civil engineering at the University of Stuttgart, in Calgary/Canada and Florida/USA. After his habilitation, which he did between 1995 and 2002 at the Institute of Construction Materials (IWB) at the University of Stuttgart with Prof. Eligehausen concerning the topic of reinforced concrete construction and fastening technology, he did a two year Post-Doc in seismological research in New Zealand (Christchurch). After that, he switched to fischerwerke GmbH in Waldachtal, where he worked in the Fastening Technology division as head of development and research from 2004 until 2011. Since October 2011, he's served as executive director of the Umwelttechnik BW GmbH, the state agency for environmental technology and resource efficiency in Baden-Württemberg.

“The feasibility of a biomass-based economic system is centrally dependent on sustainable development in the field of nutrition.”

Professor Pablo Steinberg received his doctorate in biochemistry at the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the University of Buenos Aires. He received a professorship for Toxicology at the University of Mainz. Between 1998 and 2008, he held a C4 professorship for Nutritional Toxicology at the Institute of Nutritional Science (IEW) at the University of Potsdam. From 2008-2017, he held a W3 professorship for Food Toxicology and Alternative/Supplementary Methods for Animal Trials and was director of the Institute for Food Toxicology and Chemical Analysis at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. He has been the president of the Max Rubner Institute – Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food (Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ernährung und Lebensmittel (MRI)) since May 2017.

“The results of good research should be implemented for a sustainable economy.”

Professor Ralf Takors has headed the Institute of Biochemical Engineering at the University of Stuttgart since July 2009. Before that, he was responsible for bioprocess development at Evonik Degussa GmbH since 2005. He habilitated (metabolic engineering) at RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule) in 2005 and in 1997 received his doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) in bioprocess engineering. His research took place at Jülich Research Center GmbH. Currently, he is working on new bioprocesses from renewable resources and residues, such as waste gas, developed with the assistance of enzymes, microorganisms, and mammalian cells. The production of commodity and fine chemicals, aromas, food additives, and pharmaceutical active ingredients is, through a combination of molecular biology and engineering research, implemented all the way up to the industrial scale.

"The implementation of the Sustainable Bioeconomy Strategy is an important building block for the transformation of the state to a biobased economic system. I gladly take part in bringing innovations for a successful regional economy into practice."

Dr. Wittneben has led the Future Fields department at the Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar GmbH since 2021. Before her position at Metropolitan Region, she worked for 16 years as an innovations manager at MVV Energie Mannheim. Beyond that, Dr. Wittneben currently leads multiple projects on the federal and EU level. The career focuses of this certified business economist and habilitated chemist lie in the fields of hydrogen, energy efficiency, and intelligent heating storage systems.

"Products made of renewable raw materials can only reach their true potential for our society and a climate-neutral future once they are seen and accepted by the people. I eagerly support finding pathways towards this acceptance for the transformation process to occur as quickly as possible, using whatever means are available."

Dr. Wolfinger has been the scientific director of Technikum Laubholz GmbH since 2020 and found his calling in transferring technologies out of the lab and into the market. His roots are in the forestry, cellulose, and paper industries. After his vocational training as a papermaker at StoraEnso in Maxau, he went on to study process technologies for paper and packaging production at the München University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jyväskylä. He received his PhD at TU Dresden's Institute for Plant and Wood Chemistry, where he developed stress-strain models as well as analysis algorithms for the 3D structural analysis of fibrous microstructures using computed tomography. He gained career experience during his 12 years employed as a production manager and in the high-voltage insulation materials research and development department at the family-owned Swiss company WEIDMANN. In 2016, he founded WEIDMANN Fiber Technology, which successfully brought nano- and microfibrillated cellulose to the market.