This autumn, project partners from our WIR! alliance biogeniV are once again inviting participants to exciting conferences on the topic of ‘innovative biomass utilisation’. The German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) in Leipzig is hosting an event featuring a high-calibre programme and providing information on key technologies for bio-based products and fuels. Stralsund University of Applied Sciences is devoting the third day of its symposium on renewable energies and hydrogen technologies (REGWA) primarily to the utilisation of biomass. The focus here is on the conversion of waste materials into biofuels.

29.09.2026  7th Day of biorefinery at DBFZ in Leipzig

03.-05.11.2026  33th REGWA-Symposium at Hochschule Stralsund

The biogeniV alliance was represented at the 32nd Symposium on ‘Renewable Energies and Hydrogen Technologies (REGWA)’ held at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences (HOST) from 5 to 7 November, with a presentation entitled ‘biogeniV project: “Decentralised methanol synthesis – plasma-based CO₂ dissociation and catalytic green methanol synthesis”’.
As part of the symposium, a bus trip was organised for participants to visit the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP). Among other things, the laboratories of the bV-A1 project ‘Decentralised Biomethanol Production’ and the bV-C2 project ‘Biomethane Membrane’ were presented there.

As part of the biogeniV innovation alliance, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg is collaborating with partners to research a new process for converting regionally available waste materials – such as digestate from biogas plants – into methanol-based green chemicals. Two new research projects have been launched following the approval of funding by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space as part of the ‘WIR! – Innovation and Structural Change’ programme: the ‘Residue Drying’ project and the ‘Residue Gasification’ project. The biogeniV innovation alliance is coordinated by the Hanseatic City of Anklam.

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Following the approval of funding by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), two forward-looking research projects on the sustainable use of biogenic residues have been launched as part of the ‘WIR! – Innovation and Structural Change’ programme. The ‘Residue Drying’ project, coordinated by the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) and receiving funding of just under €514,000, was awarded its grant on 1 August 2025. The closely linked ‘Residue Gasification’ project, led by the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, received its grant of just under €1,300,000 on 1 September 2025.

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The town of Anklam has announced a significant achievement: as part of the federal programme “WIR! – Change through Innovation in the Region”, the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is providing a total of 15 million euros to the biogeniV innovation alliance – coordinated by Anklam – up to 2028. A further 8 million euros of this sum is earmarked for the second funding phase, which has now been approved.

The biogeniV alliance was launched back in 2022 and successfully initiated its first collaborative projects during the initial phase. The continuation of the programme had long been uncertain due to the federal government’s tight budgetary situation. This makes the recent approval – which is based on an expanded strategic concept developed by the alliance partners – all the more welcome. This concept outlines how the region can benefit from innovative technologies in the future. The focus remains on close cooperation between local authorities, industry, academia and the agricultural sector. The aim is to develop and implement sustainable solutions for the region’s energy and fuel supply.

Mayor Michael Galander is delighted: “This funding commitment sends a strong signal about our region’s innovative strength. It confirms the successful path we have taken with biogeniV and opens up new prospects for the sustainable development of Anklam and the surrounding area.” Even in the first phase, promising approaches were developed for the decentralised production of green methanol and for the purification of biogas using special biomethane membranes. To enable these technologies to be utilised regionally in the future, a research group is currently working on the design of the Anklam Energy Region (AnkER). As part of this, public events are also planned to give local residents an insight into the projects.

The town of Anklam would like to thank all partners and contributors for their commitment and looks forward to the next phase of implementation.

As part of the 12th International Freiberg Conference (IFC), organised by the TU-Bergakademie Freiberg and the East Chinese University of Science and Technology (ECUST) from 23 –26 September 2024 in Shanghai, biogeniV’s innovation management team once again successfully presented the project’s current research priorities and interim results to an international panel comprising representatives from business, academia and industry. In line with this year’s conference theme, ‘Transformation towards Resource Efficiency and Climate Neutrality’, the current state of research on decentralised biomethane production using plasma technology was presented and met with keen interest.

Overall, the conference confirmed the continued relevance of biogeniV’s strategic focus on biomass and CO₂ transformation – utilising renewable energies and innovative technologies to produce green fuels and valuable materials, with a particular emphasis on biomethanol and biomethane.

As part of the planning for the new green industrial estate on the outskirts of Anklam, the biogeniV network partners Cosun Beet Company (CBC), Enertrag and Anklamer Grundstücks- und Wohnungswirtschaft (GWA) have signed the first option agreements with the Hanseatic City of Anklam to secure the land. The alliance partners will work closely together in the new green industrial estate as part of a joint project for the regional production and utilisation of green hydrogen for the manufacture of the basic chemical methanol. The project is scheduled for completion by 2030; further details can be found in the newspaper article in the Nordkurier dated 19 September 2024.

On the initiative of biogeniV & Plant³, a nationwide exchange took place on 19 June 2024 between the WIR! alliances ArtIFARM, biogeniV, bioZ, INGRAIN, Land-Innovation-Lausitz, Land. Vision, Physics for Food, Plant³ and Waste2Value, with further support from the project sponsor Jülich (Berlin) and the WIR! accompanying research team (RWTH Aachen), on the topic of ‘regional synergies in the bioeconomy’ at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) in Greifswald.

In addition to regional value chains, discussions focused in particular on various strategic approaches to waste cycles, energy and material recovery, training opportunities and sustainability, which serve as a starting point for long-term synergies.

On 23 May 2024, this year’s 4th biogeniV Alliance Meeting took place at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences. In addition to the current biogeniV projects in the first implementation phase, future biogeniV follow-up projects within the framework of the second implementation phase, due to start in 2025, were successfully evaluated jointly.

On 24 May 2024, as part of the 5th biogeniV Advisory Board meeting, also held at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, existing project ideas for the second implementation phase were discussed with the biogeniV Advisory Board, amongst other matters.

We would like to thank all participants for the productive exchange of views!

As part of the biogeniV project ‘Basic Concept for Biorefineries’, partners from the Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility e.V. (IKEM) have published a legal study on the basic chemical methanol, with a focus on green methanol. The study provides a comprehensive life-cycle overview of this basic chemical, from its production and chemical properties through the various traditional production methods to the advanced production of green methanol. The study also provides information on, amongst other things, regulatory issues relating to green methanol production plants, the eligibility of greenhouse gas reduction credits, and potential applications, using the heavy-duty vehicle sector as an example. The study can be downloaded free of charge via the link below.

www.ikem.de/publikation/methanol

At this year’s Renewable Energy Day in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on 27 April 2024, biogeniV, together with the Hanseatic City of Anklam and other companies from the partner network, presented current alliance projects centred on the production of green energy and valuable materials from previously unused biogenic residues, utilising renewable energy, in the market square in Anklam. In this context, the alliance partners Enertrag and Cosun Beet Company (Anklam Sugar Factory) also announced plans to build a combined-cycle power station in Anklam, with a focus, amongst other things, on the production of green methanol. Further details can be found in the newspaper article in the Nordkurier dated 28 April 2024.

As part of the two-day final round of the Cosun Beet Company (CBC) Hackathon innovation competition (16–17 April 2024) on the utilisation of by-products from sugar production – organised jointly with the Nord° Ost° Science and Technology Park (WITENO) – biogeniV provided mentoring on the various topics raised, facilitating knowledge transfer to the bioeconomy, whilst also facilitating connections between different partners and their ideas within the biogeniV alliance. From a total of 26 project proposals, the jury selected three winning consortia, with whom the Cosun Beet Company is now jointly launching new innovative concepts for the production of microbial biofertiliser, plant-based proteins and carboxylic acids from various biogenic by-products of sugar production. Details can be found in the press release via the link below.

https://biooekonomie.uni-greifswald.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/240422_PM_CosunBeetHackathon2024_final_deutsch.pdf

As part of a two-day exchange of experiences in Leipzig on 13 and 14 March, biogeniV, together with the WIR! alliances from the second funding round, discussed further strategic directions and synergies during cross-cutting expert discussions on various key topics. The outcomes of these discussions will be proactively incorporated into new project evaluations for the second funding round.

On 22–23 January 2024, biogeniV joined more than 600 experts in discussing the topic ‘Fuels of the Future 2024’ at the 21st International Conference on Renewable Mobility, and was able to confirm the alliance’s strategic direction in this regard. A summary of the key outcomes of the congress is available via the link below.

https://www.kraftstoffe-der-zukunft.com/application/files/5417/0956/0958/2024.03.01_Kraftstoffkongress_2024_Rueckblick.pdf

On behalf of the biogeniV team, we would like to thank you for the excellent interdisciplinary collaboration in 2023. Together with you, we have successfully laid the groundwork for new projects in 2024. With this in mind, we wish you a happy festive season, a healthy start to 2024, and look forward to continuing our collaboration with you in 2024.

As part of the public biogeniV technology workshop, numerous representatives from business, academia and industry gathered at the INP in Greifswald on 6 December 2023 to discuss regional technologies and future concepts. In addition to inspiring guest presentations on the topics of regional transformation, agriculture, plant engineering and mobility, various ‘World Café’ sessions generated many new ideas and approaches, which will be taken into account in the further development of concepts for the second implementation phase of biogeniV. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their active participation and the excellent exchange of ideas!

Following the successful biogeniV alliance meeting held on 25 October 2023 in Anklam, the key points regarding regional green innovation were published in the latest issue (12/2023) of the Hanseatic City of Anklam’s local newspaper. We would like to thank everyone for their active participation and the media support.

As part of an agricultural workshop organised for the Ostvorpommern Farmers’ Association (Bauernverband Ostvorpommern e.V.), biogeniV presented the future regional potential of both centralised and decentralised biogas plants on 16 November 2023, with a particular focus on fuels and project options. In addition, the participants discussed the general potential for using agricultural residues. The workshop attracted a great deal of interest, and key issues regarding future cooperation were clarified.

On 8–9 November 2023, the initial findings of the biogeniV collaborative project ‘Basic Concept for Biorefineries’ were presented at this year’s 30th REGWA Symposium at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences. In this context, key biogeniV findings on existing waste materials, recoverable fuels, site-related issues, as well as the regulatory framework and public acceptance were presented.

On 27 October 2023, a presentation of the biogeniV Alliance’s current projects and activities took place as part of the 4th biogeniV Advisory Board meeting at the Museum im Steintor in Anklam. In this context, in addition to the latest project developments, particular attention was paid to the biogeniV Alliance’s accompanying projects.

With a view to the 6th Bioeconomy Conference on 26 October 2023 in Anklam, biogeniV directed its focus towards the strategic development of bioeconomic pathways and synergies arising from the biogeniV concept within the regional Anklam Energy Region and the supra-regional Green Model Region. As a kick-off event for the Bioeconomy Conference, biogeniV also addressed the central theme of ‘resource shift’ on 24 October 2023 as part of the Youth Conference. In addition to presentations by the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology e.V., with a particular focus on plasma technologies, both the Cosun Beet Company and the town of Anklam successfully discussed topics relating to resources, energy and food with a large number of young people.

On 25 October 2023, the 3rd biogeniV Alliance Meeting took place in the hall of the Anklamer Wohnungsgenossenschaft eG in Anklam. Over the past few months, the biogeniV network has succeeded in inspiring further partners to join the collective journey towards green energy and raw materials. In addition to interesting specialist presentations, key World Café sessions generated new ideas, in particular for the second implementation phase of biogeniV.

As part of the 11th International Freiberg Conference (IFC), organised by the TU-Bergakademie Freiberg and held in Rotterdam from 24 to 29 September 2023, biogeniV was presented to an international audience from the worlds of business, academia and industry for the first time. In this context, and in light of the conference’s main theme, ‘Towards a net-zero carbon economy’, it became clear that there is a need for an international drive to explore new pathways in the green value chain, for which biogeniV provides a regional example. The presentation of the collaborative project generated considerable interest across the board and opened up a wide range of new partnership opportunities.

The latest results from the biogeniV project were presented on 12 September 2023 as part of the 4th Biorefinery Day organised by the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) in Leipzig. Numerous suggestions were taken on board with a view to further developing the project.

On 31 August 2023, biogeniV took part in the German-Polish Energy Conference in Szczecin. The event focused in particular on the framework conditions and the European Green Deal, which are also being taken into account as part of the process of securing accompanying projects for biogeniV.

In light of current research into innovation capacity within the GITpRO project at the Chair of Economic and Social Geography at the University of Greifswald, biogeniV’s regional innovation concept was presented on 18 July 2023 at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) in Greifswald. In this context, key network links were identified which will be pursued in the mutual interest of both parties. Further information on the GITpRO project:

https://geo.uni-greifswald.de/lehrstuehle/geographie/wirtschafts-und-sozialgeographie/die-bedeutung-von-change-agency-fuer-innovation-und-transformation-in-relational-peripheren-regionen-1-1-1/

As part of a WIR! Alliance workshop organised by the WIR! Alliance ArtiFARM at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, a total of 10 WIR! Alliances came together on 22–23 June 2023 to discuss various topics. In this context, the biogeniV strategy management team presented the current status of the biogeniV projects. Furthermore, during the two-day workshop, various ways of increasing the overall visibility of the WIR! alliances were discussed together with the WIR! alliances ArtiFARM, Plant3, Physics for Food, Campfire, Landvorteil, Region 4.0, Land-Innovation-Lausitz, Elbe Valley and UAM-InnoRegion-SH. Furthermore, ways to strengthen cross-cutting networking and cooperation with regard to future projects were also outlined.

As part of the EU South Baltic Decarb Seed Money project, on 20 June 2023, the biogeniV innovation management team presented the current biogeniV development pathways and ideas for aligning regional developments at EU level in a guest lecture at Gdańsk University of Technology. The day’s programme also included a workshop with the participating countries – Poland, Lithuania and Latvia – to evaluate joint EU project ideas. The biogeniV concept was well received by all participating countries, and discussions are currently underway regarding new opportunities for EU cooperation in this context. The point of contact is the biogeniV Innovation Management team.

Between 19 June and 21 June 2023, representatives of the biogeniV strategy team visited the Heide Development Agency and the North German Real-World Laboratory. In the region surrounding the Heide Development Agency – which was founded in Schleswig-Holstein in 2012 by the town of Heide and 11 neighbouring municipalities – various projects are currently underway as part of the ‘town-countryside’ concept, including the Heide Refinery, which focuses on the green circular economy. The delegation visited Stadtwerke Heide and, amongst other things, the Bio-Westhof Power-to-Heat concept, which uses renewable electricity to process vegetables at a freezing plant – a concept that can also be applied to other regions. With a view to the forthcoming visit to the North German Real-World Laboratory (NRL) in Hamburg, valuable discussions were also held regarding the future hydrogen economy.

On 15–16 June 2023, biogeniV was represented at the 17th Rostock Bioenergy Forum and attracted a large audience to its presentation on the biogeniV concept for the effective utilisation of biogenic residues through the integration of energy and material flows. For the first time, the presentation included not only biogeniV’s various research approaches but also initial projections regarding the material balances of a biorefinery. The publication can be found in Proceedings Volume 114 of the 17th Rostock Bioenergy Forum.

As part of a workshop on multimodal logistics focusing on the use of hydrogen for transport and mobility by sea, road and rail, organised by the HyCore MV innovation cluster (project led by INP-Greifswald), biogeniV – represented by its Innovation Management team – was able to contribute to discussions on key strategic directions on 7 June 2023. This not only provided an overview of the legal framework but also enabled the establishment of several new industry contacts, which are currently being assessed with a view to potential new collaborations.

On 2 June 2023, representatives from the biogeniV strategy team and innovation management visited the Hohen Luckow Innovation and Education Centre (IBZ) and the neighbouring company BaltiCo GmbH. The IBZ Hohen Luckow was founded in 1992 and has since been specifically committed to promoting and networking innovations and information in the key areas of energy and the environment. During the joint meeting, various biogeniV approaches to regional green transformation were presented, whilst further regional green recycling cycles were discussed, drawing on the wealth of experience of the IBZ Hohen Luckow e.V. As part of the day’s programme, participants were also able to examine the innovative green solutions offered by BaltiCo GmbH, which specialises in lightweight structures based on carbon fibres, ranging from agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV) and carport PV to tiny house solutions, wind turbines and bridge structures. Overall, a range of innovative approaches were examined today, which will be further assessed by the biogeniV alliance with a view to specific project proposals.

As part of the Leibniz-Bundestag exchange on the topic of the circular economy and emissions reduction in rural areas, biogeniV’s spokespersons were able, on 23 May 2023, with a view to mutual knowledge transfer, biogeniV’s spokespersons were able to present key alliance ideas on new technologies for producing green fuels and valuable materials from previously unused agricultural waste products, as well as concepts for regional utilisation. The exchange was deemed a success by both sides and will be continued with a view to identifying further areas of collaboration.

On 2 May 2023, the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Research and Technology e.V. (INP) hosted the kick-off meeting for the collaborative project on decentralised biomethanole production, led by the INP, with the participating partners. As part of the overall biogeniV strategy, the project is assigned to the solution pathway for the utilisation of biogenic CO₂ and, in this context, focuses on new approaches to methanol synthesis through the application and/or combination of non-thermal plasma with membranes and catalysts.

At this year’s Renewable Energy Day in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the biogeniV alliance attracted large numbers of interested members of the public – both at the CBC sugar factory in Anklam and at the Old Market in Stralsund – who are passionate about climate protection in the region. The biogeniV Alliance’s regional contribution to this issue was met with praise and recognition. In addition, numerous new contacts were established with regional businesses.

As part of the State Technology Conference held on 24 April 2023 in the new Biotechnikumsgebäude/Z4 in Greifswald, representatives of the biogeniV alliance (INP Greifswald and the town of Anklam) presented the alliance’s latest developments to a wide audience of regional businesses. Visitors showed particular interest in the green potential of the biogeniV alliance. Presentations and breakout sessions also provided new insights into, amongst other things, the regional innovation strategy for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

On 19 April 2023, the WIR! alliances ArtiFARM and biogeniV held bilateral discussions with representatives of Cosun Beet Company Anklam at the sugar factory site to exchange views on digital data structures and related use cases. This gave rise to some initial ideas, which will be pursued in the near future.

As part of the joint exchange of experiences with the other WIR! alliances, representatives of the biogeniV core team were able to identify some exciting areas of common ground on 30 March 2023. The network exchange will continue in this vein through bilateral discussions.

The BMBF has invited participants to Potsdam for an exchange of experiences. All 44 WIR! alliances will meet there on 30 and 31 March to share their experiences.

During the third biogeniV Advisory Board meeting, held at the Cosun Beet Company site in Anklam on 24 March 2023, two project outlines were presented to the Advisory Board. Both were unanimously approved. Congratulations to the partners, and we hope you enjoy drafting the applications.

As part of the second biogeniV alliance meeting, 50 partners gathered at the Anklam Bioeconomy Centre on 23 March 2023. As well as engaging in an exciting and constructive exchange of views, there was also an opportunity to get to know the new partners personally through informal conversation.

The third meeting of the Expert Advisory Board will take place at Cosun Beet Company in Anklam. Two proposals for collaborative projects – one focusing on the utilisation of biogenic residues and the other on the networking of the Anklam Energy Region – will be presented to the Expert Advisory Board.

The biogeniV Alliance will meet at the Anklam Bioeconomy Centre on 23 March 2023 for a face-to-face exchange. The agenda includes an update on the Alliance’s progress, current and upcoming projects, as well as panel discussions and interesting presentations, including one by Mr Dirk Burmeister from the Heide Development Agency.

Two new project proposals were submitted to the advisory board for review. The decentralised methanol synthesis project began on 1st of March. biogeniV is gaining momentum.

On 7 and 8 December 2022, the spokespersons for the biogeniV alliance, accompanied by two members of the strategy team, travelled to Heide, the twin town of the Hanseatic city of Anklam. They were given a very warm welcome by the Heide Region Development Agency, met with representatives from the Westküste University of Applied Sciences, and toured Raffinerie Heide GmbH. This enabled them to gain a comprehensive insight into the transformation process currently underway there as part of the energy transition. The Heide Energy Region is playing a pioneering role in Germany in the planned production of green hydrogen on an industrial scale and its use for the decarbonisation of a refinery.

Representatives of the biogeniV alliance took part in the 29th REGWA Energy Symposium, held from 9 to 11 November 2022 and organised by the alliance partner, Stralsund University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Ronny Brandenburg from the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology e.V. gave a presentation on ‘The potential of plasma technologies for utilising biogenic carbon dioxide – approaches within the WIR! biogeniV alliance’, in which he provided an outlook on the production of green methanol as a derivative of renewable hydrogen.

On 9 September 2022, the second meeting of the Advisory Board for the biogeniV Alliance took place at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) in Greifswald. Three proposals for collaborative projects in the areas of the utilisation of biogenic residues, the utilisation of biogas and the networking of the Anklam Energy Region were discussed with the Advisory Board and were successfully approved.