Rhenish mining district
From lignite to the bioeconomyREVIER
BioökonomieREVIER is an initiative for the sustainable transformation of the Rhenish mining district from a fossil-based economy to a model region for the bioeconomy. Its main task is to strengthen the region's capacity for innovation. The coordination centre connects science, industry, agriculture and civil society in order to develop innovative value chains, for example for bio-based chemicals and fibres, or to develop bioeconomy profile locations. The aim is to utilise regional potential, create jobs and shape a fair transition to a climate- and resource-friendly economy.
Products & topics
- Plant-based foods
- Green chemicals and materials
- Purification and valorisation of wastewater
- Renewable energy
- Innovative land use systems
- Machines and software
Industries
- Agriculture
- Food
- Paper
- Chemicals
- Cosmetics
- Construction
- Textiles
Feedstock
- Nutzpflanzen
- Reste der Agrar- und Lebensmittelindustrie
- Abwässer
- CO2
Projects
Stakeholders
In order to maximise the regional benefits from the findings of bioeconomy research for the transformation, the structural change initiative BioökonomieREVIER was founded at Forschungszentrum Jülich in 2018 with the aim of anchoring the bioeconomy model region as a central narrative of regional transformation in dialogue and close exchange with local people. The state government positioned this initiative in the Act on the Structural Strengthening of Coal Regions, thus creating the legal basis for the ongoing development of the bioeconomy model region. The Coordination Office made significant contributions to the economic and structural programme of the Rhenish mining district through stakeholder interactions, networking events and specialist contributions in close cooperation with the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier. With the help of numerous activities such as potential studies, municipal profiles, bioeconomy exhibitions, citizen and stakeholder participation processes and policy advice, it was possible to position the vision of the bioeconomy model region as a structurally significant project in the region. On the basis of the excellent research landscape and the region's strengths in agriculture and industry, the coordination centre has since networked the unconnected individual activities systemically and in the sense of a model region in order to activate actors beyond science and strengthen their innovative capacity.