International Conference on Bioeconomic Circular Economy in Lusatia

In the week from Monday, August 28, to Friday, September 1, 2023, the international Circular Bioeconomy Cluster Meeting will take place at various locations in Lusatia. The multi-day conference is organized by T+I Technologie- und Innovations Consult GmbH (T+I Consult) Berlin in cooperation with the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), the Research Institute for Post-mining Landscapes e.V. (FIB) Finsterwalde and the University of Queensland (Australia).

In addition to the seminar days, subject-related excursions are offered, which provide all participants with space for a cross-national as well as cross-network exchange of experience and knowledge transfer. More than 70 international participants from companies, science and politics are expected.
The meeting, which will last several days, offers the opportunity for cross-national interdisciplinary networking through the LuTraCo program (Lusitza Trans Connect) and to discuss common interests in the areas of product development, innovation management and international market development on site.

The cluster meeting takes place within the framework of LuTraCo, which serves to support the transformation process of Lusatia as a former lignite region into a new perspective. The specific promotion of development, application, market introduction of innovative and sustainable product and process solutions for the strengthening of circular processes in land, water and food economy is used here.
www.lutraco.de

Circular Bioeconomy Cluster Meeting
Program overview(detailed program as pdf in the attachment)

Monday, 28.08.2023 | Opening
Topic: Water (including water management, pollution, conservation)
Location: Schönborner Armaturen GmbH | Doberlug-Kirchhain
www.schoenborner.com

Tuesday, 29.08.2023 | Seminar day
Topic Environment & Food
Research Institute for Post-mining Landscapes e. V. - FIB Finsterwalde, Finsterwalde
www.fib-ev.de

Wednesday, 30.08.2023 | Seminar Day
Topic Digitalization, Automation and Energy
Start-up Center Startblock B2 at BTU main campus, Cottbus
www.b-tu.de

Thursday, 31.08.2023 | Excursion day
Mining and recultivation - excursion to an open-cast mine in Lusatia

Friday, 01.09. Individual meetings
Individual company visits and business contacts including:

• DIL German Institute of Food Technology e.V. | Quakenbrück
• IGV Institute for Grain Processing GmbH | Potsdam
• T+I Technologie- und Innovations Consult GmbH | Berlin

Statements on the cluster meeting

Prof. Michael Groß, T+I Consult GmbH:
The cluster meeting is a building block of the joint efforts to implement structural change in the best possible way. This requiresinnovation. But innovation is not an end in itself; an economic exploitation perspective should always be apparent. The primary goal of the is to present examples of existing collaborations for the development of new products and technologies and their marketing. We also want to explore new potentials. Product offerings and technologies should be able to be placed in the respective target markets without detours. The aim is to open up further economic prospects for companies.
In other words, nothing is imposed from the outside, but rather integrated as appropriate. In particular, we are discussing fields of application in agriculture and food production, which are less frequently discussed in the current structural change issues. However, we are convinced that they are of immense importance.

Prof. Michael Hübner, Vice President for Research and Transfer at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg: "Innovative and sustainable product and process solutions for optimizing circular processes are an important research topic in numerous projects at BTU. Major research initiatives deal with new manufacturing technologies, new materials and solutions for saving energy. Examples include the project 'SpreeTec neXt - New manufacturing technologies for components and systems in decentralized energy technology' and the 'Center for Hybrid Electric Systems Cottbus (chesco)'. The dialog with scientists and representatives from industry should lead to further cooperation and research topics. We are looking forward to the interdisciplinary exchange with renowned guests from business, science, politics and media."

Dr. Klaus Freytag, Lusatia Representative of the Minister President of Brandenburg:
"The meeting takes place under the umbrella of the LuTraCo project, which is intended to support the transformation in Lusatia. In addition to the content-related work, the essential task is 'networking', which is excellently implemented at the cluster meeting with international participation.
I expect that the new partnerships, whether regional with local scientific institutes such as the FIB or Lusatian companies, but also international to the neighbor Poland or to the other side of the world to Australia will be deepened and strengthened. I expect further concrete proposals from the various players as to how we can not only improve structural change, but also how Lusatia can provide answers to the global challenge of climate change.
The team around Prof. Groß already brings an active network into the structural change process. Other actors first have to build this up via conferences, etc. Thus, the cluster meeting can already agree on more concrete measures or projects."

Prof. Ben Hankamer, Institute for Molecular and Bioscience at the University of Queensland, Australia:
"Germany, Australia, the entire international community, are facing similar challenges in terms of, for example, supplying food, fuel, water and reducing CO2 emissions. Economic, social, environmental, climate and political security rests on this. This meeting will strengthen the links between Germany and Australia and expand the common competence base. This is the basis for tackling the tasks ahead. This is also about sustainable regional jobs and new export opportunities.

To effectively address the above challenges, collaboration between industry, government and research would be best. This meeting aims to establish these links and help develop solutions for a circular bioeconomy and net CO2 emissions. Industry support is critical in this effort. After all, it will ultimately be industry that delivers CO2-neutral and circular processes."
www.imb.uq.edu.au/solar

Background

T+I Consult GmbH organizes and coordinates the LuTraCo program on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection and networks Lusatian actors* from the agricultural, forestry and food industries. The goal is to sustainably strengthen Lusatia through the development and application of innovative products and processes.
To this end, the following key topics are addressed: Environment & Energy, Agriculture & Horticulture, Digitalization & Automation, Circular Economy, Representation of Lusatia.
www.ti-consult.de

The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) is a young university that meets current scientific challenges. The university offers a portfolio of more than 60 study programmes that is unique in Germany, including dual and international study programmes. Of the approximately 6,800 students, about 40 percent come from more than 120 countries. In its research, the BTU focuses on four profile lines:

• Energy Transition and Decarbonization,
• Global Change and Transformation Processes,
• Health and Life Sciences, and
• Artificial Intelligence and Sensor Technology.
  www.b-tu.de

Press contacts

Clustermeeting
Jörg Tudyka, Tudyka.PR
T 0355 86688164
mail(at)tudyka-pr.de

Brandenburg University ofTechnologyCottbus-Senftenberg
Ilka Seer, Press Officer
T +49 (0)355 69 3612
ilka.seer(at)b-tu.de
www.b-tu.de