Strengthening the Bioeconomy through International Cooperation

Using global knowledge - boosting the bioeconomy. With a more strongly international approach, the Federal Government wants to make Germany's bioeconomy more competitive while assuming greater responsibility for the global challenges of global food supply, climate change mitigation, and environmental protection.

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The rapidly growing world population, an increasing rate of climate change and the finitude of fossil fuels are the global challenges of the 21st century - challenges we can only meet through close international cooperation. Expanding international cooperation is an important task in the Federal Government's "National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030." European and global level cooperation with partner countries and institutions provides opportunities to tap innovation potential for new bio-based products, processes and services, to compensate for areas of lack, and to share existing know-how and cutting-edge technologies worldwide.

Within the European Research Area (ERA), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) actively contributes to shaping transnational funding initiatives within the context of ERA-Nets. In the area of bioeconomy, this applies to industrial biotechnology (ERA-Net Industrial Biotechnology), the research field of animal health and welfare (ERA-NET ANIHWA) and to SME funding (ERA-Net EuroTransBio).

In order to intensify scientific cooperation between German researchers and partners from outside of Europe, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research introduced the funding initiative "BioEconomy international" in 2012. Preference is given to cooperative projects with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Canada, Malaysia, Russia or Vietnam. However, groups which involve other non-European countries are also possible.

In addition, the BMBF supports specific cooperation programmes with individual countries. For instance, "PLANT-KBBE" partnerships with France, Spain and Portugal in the field of applied plant biotechnology have existed for nearly a decade.

There are also bilateral cooperation programmes with many other countries. These are more thematically diverse and are partially also opened to bioeconomy projects.

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  topic Research

  Bioeconomy International: Global Cooperation for a Bio-based Economy

  Many fields of research in the realm of a sustainable, bio-based economy have a strong international dimension; global cooperation is necessary in order to provide the world with enough sustainably produced food and renewable resources. The initiative "Bioökonomie International - Bioeconomy international" funds collaborative projects with foreign partners in areas identified by the National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/20197.php)
   
  
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  topic Hightech Strategy

  ERA-Net Industrial Biotechnology

  The BMBF is participating in the European ERA-Net Industrial Biotechnology (ERA-IB) in order to tap the potential of industrial biotechnology for new products and processes at European level.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/14999.php)
   
  
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  topic Research

  Animal Health and Welfare

  The welfare of farm animals can be severely affected by various factors (diseases, epidemics, methods of animal husbandry, etc.) and should therefore never be considered in isolation. For this reason, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is participating in a research campaign in the field of animal health and welfare in association with the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) and a further 28 European partners.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/13866.php)
   
  
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  topic Research

  ERA-Net EuroTransBio

  The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is supporting transnational research projects at small and medium-sized biotechnology companies in order to promote the internationalization of Germany's biotechnology industry. The ERA-Net EuroTransBio represents a joint funding initiative set up by funding agencies in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/14077.php)
   
  
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  topic Research

  International cooperation through PLANT - KBBE

  "PLANT-KBBE" is a joint funding initiative between Germany, France, Portugal and Spain. The goal is to establish transnational research projects in the field of application-oriented plant biotechnology within the context of implementing a bio-based economy.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/19748.php)
   
  
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  topic Research

  German-Israeli Cooperation BIO-DISC

  Germany and Israel have collaborated on biotechnology since 1976, and in 2004 both countries agreed to provide joint bilateral funding to small and medium-sized enterprises after the conclusion of the very successful DISNAT measure. Providing funding for strategic partnerships between biotechnology companies and foreign enterprises makes an important contribution to maintaining and expanding the international competitive edge of these companies, which are by and large young companies.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/14079.php)