TransBIB promotes the practical relevance of the bioeconomy
The "TransBIB" transfer network aims to establish bio-based business models in industry and promote their practical application. The cross-industry networking of players is intended to facilitate the exchange and support the transfer of innovative processes. The SKZ Plastics Centre is actively involved in several of the network's work packages.
In an interview, Sophia Botsch, expert for sustainability and circular economy at SKZ, and Lukas Metzger-Lindner, Project Manager Bioeconomy at PIC GmbH, explain the challenges associated with the implementation of bioeconomic processes and how TransBIB can provide support.
Interview with Sophia Botsch and Lukas Metzger-Lindner
Mrs Botsch, what contribution can the bioeconomy make to sustainability?
Sophia Botsch: The bioeconomy deals with the utilisation of green carbon, i.e. the use of raw materials from renewable sources such as residual biomass. This makes it essential for sustainable production, for example of plastics. However, other sustainability aspects, such as the greenhouse gas balance or the protection of the ecosystems required for production, must also be taken into account. For the bioeconomy to be sustainable, it requires an end-to-end sustainable production chain from the raw material to the end product.
What challenges arise when establishing bioeconomic processes in practice?
Botsch: There are already various solutions and products, but there is no "one-fits-all" solution, which makes the further development and broad utilisation of the processes difficult. In addition, many small-scale solutions are often not yet economically competitive. This is usually due to a lack of capital for scaling, as the visibility for investors is often not given due to the poor networking of the individual players. However, TransBIB is a good step towards bringing together the many solutions and ideas and developing them further.
What exactly is TransBIB about?
Lukas Metzger-Lindner: TransBIB aims to ensure that the industrial transformation towards a sustainable economy with renewable carbons becomes practicable and becomes part of everyday industrial life. It is essential to network the players and regions across sectors and to bring together and share the often fragmented knowledge available. Together with its partners, TransBIB is organised into six application-oriented fields of action, all of which ensure an acceleration of the bioeconomy. For example, the "One-Stop-Shop" is developing an overview of material flows and technology infrastructures - this knowledge is to be disseminated via industry training courses and access to sustainability certificates is to be facilitated via a broad-based stakeholder dialogue. The "Networking" team aims to link competence and example regions of the industrial bioeconomy and is also active at EU level. TransBIB sees itself as an open network for pooling, transferring and scaling knowledge.
What is the role of the SKZ in TransBIB?
Botsch: Because we are very broadly positioned at the SKZ, we can also support the project in several areas. On the one hand, the SKZ provides knowledge in the area of the bio-based value chain via its educational formats in order to equip specialists for the future application of the bioeconomy. The motto here is "Specialists who create the future."
We are also actively working to untangle the confusion of certificates in the bioeconomy and create a kind of guide through the many labels and certificates. As a first step, we are drawing a kind of map through the current jungle of certifications so that SMEs in particular can prove the ecological benefits of their bio-based products and thus utilise them economically. The aim is to standardise the certificates in the future. For this to succeed, all stakeholders must come together at one table and find a solution together.
Certification sounds like a lot of bureaucracy - is it really necessary?
Metzger-Lindner: Yes, because there is an EU directive that bans general environmental claims and private labels from 2026. This may sound bureaucratic, but it ultimately serves consumer safety, as manufacturers will not be able to simply create their own labels that could be used for greenwashing products. This means that products will either have nothing on them at all or a truly credible label. This makes the certified labels more valuable and should enable consumers to make an informed decision in favour of or against products without being misled by vague marketing claims.
The challenge here, however, is that there is a wide range of different labels in different sectors that consumers cannot compare with each other. The sectors are often already intertwined as they access the same material flows. However, the labels are not yet intertwined to the same extent.
How can small companies also be integrated into complex bioeconomic cycles? Resources are often very limited here.
Botsch: Certification is necessary here too. With an appropriate certificate, smaller companies are also able to prove that their product meets bioeconomic standards. Certification therefore makes SMEs more competitive. But for SMEs in particular, the effort involved in the certification process is almost impossible to manage. TransBIB wants to help take companies by the hand and reduce the effort even further in the future through a standardised system.
The kick-off workshop "Certification of biobased products", which was organised jointly by the SKZ and PIC GmbH, took place recently. How well was this first workshop received?
Metzger-Lindner: Very well. Over 40 representatives from all sectors of the bioeconomy discussed with various stakeholders in the certification process. The keynote speeches with different perspectives, including from manufacturing SMEs, certification systems and certifiers, shared their views on the respective handling of labels and best-practice examples, while of course also addressing current challenges. In addition, completely different branches of industry were represented, such as the wood, plastics, agricultural and chemical industries. It became clear that, on the one hand, the companies want a simplified system and, on the other hand, the certification systems are already beginning to recognise each other and work together. We see this development and the diverse interest as a very good sign for future cooperation in TransBIB.
What will the next workshop be about and can you still take part?
Botsch: You are very welcome to take part. The higher and more diverse the participation, the better the result. In the next workshop, we want to focus on the raw materials. It's about exchanging ideas about and the requirements for the certification of bio-based raw materials. Next year, further workshops will follow with a focus on processing, end products and recycling.
The workshop focusing on the certification of raw materials will take place on Thursday, 24 October 2024, at the DBFZ Leipzig.
You can find a link to the original SKZ article here.