Straubing scaling hub

From the idea to market maturity

Straubing, originally a region characterised by agriculture and forestry, has, through the Centre of Excellence for Renewable Raw Materials (TUM Campus Straubing, TFZ, C.A.R.M.E.N. e.V.), has developed outstanding expertise in the fields of biotechnology and the bioeconomy. Close collaboration with industry and with local and administrative bodies such as the Bavarian Bioeconomy Advisory Council (SVB) strengthens the regional network. Initiatives such as the PlanB Biobasiert.Business.Bayern start-up competition, the TUM Venture Labs, the Technology and Start-up Centre at Straubing-Sand Harbour, and Fraunhofer – a leading organisation for applied research – promote the commercialisation of innovative ideas. The scale-up from laboratory to demonstration scale, which is necessary for market entry, will be possible from 2027 at the new multi-purpose demonstration facility ‘BioCampus Multipilot (BMP)’ at the BioCampus in the Straubing-Sand harbour. The additional establishment of a technical demonstration facility by TUM Campus Straubing at the port will complement this offering perfectly in future.

Products & topics

Scaling of biotechnological processes
Start-up and company support
Teaching/training in the field of biotechnology, renewable raw materials and sustainability
Research, promotion and consulting in the field of renewable raw materials
Analytics and quality control

Industries

Food and animal feed
Forestry and agriculture
Chemicals
Logistics
Building materials
Electrical industry
Energy supply
Mechanical engineering

Feedstock

Waste and residual streams from the chemical, food and animal feed industries
CO₂ from industry and commerce
Agricultural and forestry raw materials and residues
Municipal residues and wastewater

Processes

Process engineering:

BioCampus Multipilot (from 2027):
- Raw material processing (mechanical, chemical, thermal, enzymatic)
- Fermentation (aerobic/microaerobic 10 L – 25 m³)
- Enzymatic catalysis (cell-free, 10 L – 25 m³)
- Downstream processing (mechanical, chemical, thermal processes, membrane processes, cell lysis, formulation https://www.hafen-straubing.de/biocampus-multipilot/
Pilot-scale R&D facility for the development of production processes for synthetic fuels (CO₂ conversion, e-fuels, conversion of alcohols, etc.) at Fraunhofer IGB è https://www.igb.fraunhofer.de/en/research/catalysts.html
Pilot-scale plant for the production of oxymethylene ether as a diesel fuel alternative at the TUM Straubing Campus – ctv.cs.tum.de
Pilot plant operated by LXP Group GmbH for the production of LXP cellulose and LXP lignin from 2G biomass (Aholfing, Straubing-Bogen district) – https://lxp-group.com/
Pilot plant operated by MicroPyros BioEnerTec GmbH for the production of biomethane (power-to-gas), located in Straubing and linked to the Straubing sewage treatment works.
Test benches for biomass combustion systems and mobile agricultural machinery for testing new fuels and power sources (TFZ) è https://www.tfz.bayern.de/biogenefestbrennstoffe/index.php and https://www.tfz.bayern.de/biokraftstoffe/index.php
– ZAW anaerobic digestion plant in Aiterhofen, Straubing-Bogen district
https://www.zaw-sr.de/Kompostwerk_Verwertung
(Contract) plant breeding (ESKUSA GmbH) to increase the content of substances relevant for cosmetic, pharmaceutical or chemical raw material applications, e.g. rubber content in dandelions for rubber production –https://eskusa-pflanzen.de/

Projects

Stakeholders

The port of Straubing-Sand, with its 12-hectare BioCampus, is an attractive business location for further industrial bioeconomy companies. The location on the Danube also offers optimal logistical connections by road, rail and inland waterway. As a university location (home to the Technical University of Munich since 2017), Straubing focuses on the use of renewable raw materials, sustainability and industrial biotechnology - in 2016, resolutions were passed by the city council and district council to incorporate this profile into political, economic and administrative activities. The Bavarian bioeconomy strategy adopted in 2020 forms the strategic umbrella for the activities in Straubing.