Follow-up report: TransBIB Symposium, Leipzig 2026
Two days of industrial bioeconomy at the Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig: At the 3rd TransBIB Symposium on 20–21 May 2026, stakeholders from industry, research and networks came together to turn ideas into reality – with plenty of opportunity for discussion, matchmaking and practical examples.
Kick-off at the Kunstkraftwerk: inspiration, a one-stop shop and talk sessions
The first day began with check-in and a welcome coffee, before Dr Matthias Scholz (TransBIB Coordination, TU Munich) opened the symposium. This was followed by a useful overview of the services offered by the TransBIB One-Stop-Shop.
Dr Andreas Kohl (VERBIO AG) also provided a substantive contribution with his analysis of renewable carbon and the bioeconomy in the Central German region.
Symposiumfilm: Die Highlights des TransBIB-Symposiums Leipzig 2026 – Pitches, Networking und Exkursionen in zwei Minuten im Rückblick.
Pitches at the heart of it all: compact, varied and thought-provoking
A key element was the two pitch sessions:
1st pitch session (morning): 12 pitches including follow-up discussion sessions (moderated by Romann Glowacki, PIC – Pi Innovation Culture GmbH).
2nd pitch session (afternoon): 13 pitches including follow-up discussion sessions (also moderated by Romann Glowacki).
The topics ranged from bio-based materials and biotechnological scaling, through LCA approaches, to circular economy issues such as phosphorus recycling.
Between the pitch sessions, table talks over coffee and snacks and a networking lunch provided opportunities for in-depth discussions – followed in the late afternoon/evening by liquid networking, aka beer tasting, and a culinary finale.
Highlights from the morning pitches (slide show)
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Highlights from the afternoon pitches (slide show)
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Day 2: Field trips – the bioeconomy in action
On the second day, four field trip routes took participants “out into the field” – setting off in the morning and finishing at Leipzig railway station.
The routes covered key areas of focus: fine and speciality chemicals (Bitterfeld-Wolfen), agricultural-based green chemicals along the grain–bioethanol–platform chemicals chain (Zeitz), scaling up biotechnological processes to large-scale industrial levels (Leuna) and sector coupling/climate-neutral (process) energy (Leipzig).
Comments from participant feedback: atmosphere, discussion, pitches
The following points were highlighted particularly frequently in the participants’ feedback:
very high overall satisfaction,
the atmosphere and venue,
the networking opportunities (including table talks and matchmaking formats)
as well as the quality and variety of the pitches (described as ‘interesting’, ‘varied’ and ‘practical’).
It was also emphasised on several occasions that the format facilitated networking and that the discussions were pleasantly structured
Images often speak louder than words: in our photo gallery, you’ll find the best moments from the Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig – from pitch sessions and table talks to the excursions on the second day.
A collection of impressions from the symposium (slide show)
Photos/Video: The Merahki by Melly & Martin Photography