Resource Summit 2018 highlights the potential of non-fossil resources – Chemistry sees alternatives to oil

- The use of plants and CO2 is gaining importance
- International start-ups awarded as "Resource Innovators 2018"

Sustainable raw materials from plants and CO2 are increasingly being considered as alternatives to oil for the production of chemical products. Companies and investors as well as science and politics see promising prospects here. This is the conclusion of the Raw Material Summit 2018, which took place on June 25 at the Technical University of Berlin under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Participants called for further development and deployment of non-fossil resources to make chemistry more sustainable and climate-friendly. In particular, young companies could contribute significantly to this. Five start-ups from three continents were awarded at the summit as "Resource Innovators 2018".

The event was once again organized jointly by the Technical University of Berlin, the Dechema Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and the materials manufacturer Covestro. It highlighted Germany's leading role as an innovation hub for alternative raw materials in the chemical and plastics industry. Numerous new products based on plant biomass and CO2 have been brought to market recently, such as components for high-quality foams. This allows for the saving of fossil resources like oil and improves the sustainability profiles of chemical producers and many downstream industries.

Targeted research funding by politics

"The energy and raw material transition is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Germany wants and must demonstrate that this change process can succeed while maintaining our prosperity," said Dr. Georg Schütte, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. "Innovative technologies already enable the production of sustainable chemicals and fuels of the future today. We support the replacement of fossil raw materials through targeted research funding in the bioeconomy and CO2 utilization. This also secures our international competitiveness."

Dr. Erika Bellmann, Policy Advisor at the environmental organization WWF Germany, also called for a shift away from fossil sources: "With a focus on coal, gas, and oil, we have caused serious damage over the past decades. We have triggered the climate crisis with them and continue to exacerbate it. Therefore, we must move away from fossil raw materials and towards new ones. But new is not automatically better. Sustainability must be a key criterion in the development of new raw materials."

The event also emphasized Berlin's role as a research location for green chemistry. For example, the new Chemical Invention Factory, which is being established on the campus of the Technical University, offers new opportunities for start-ups in the university environment and for the direct transfer of science into industry.

New ideas in competition

An indication of increased entrepreneurial spirit was also given by the summit through an international idea competition: five start-ups from Australia, Germany, the UK, Lithuania, and the USA presented projects that use plants and CO2 as carbon sources instead of oil. The Australian company Mineral Carbonation International took first place, producing building materials and other industrial goods from CO2 and minerals.

Professor Kurt Wagemann, Managing Director of Dechema, emphasized the importance of such young companies at the summit: "We must see it as a task for the chemical industry to bring together multiple technologies to find more sustainable solutions for the urgent questions of our time. Start-ups play a crucial role in this."

Create a suitable innovation climate

Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of Covestro, emphasized that good ideas must quickly result in concrete sustainable products. "This is only possible through close cooperation within the industry and application-oriented collaboration with scientific partners. And we need a suitable innovation climate with more courage to take risks."

Prof. Dr. Dieter Jahn, Advisory Board Member of the High-Tech Gründerfonds, lamented that there are still relatively few start-ups in chemistry. "But this must change because chemistry is the basis for many other industries, and innovations are needed in ever shorter timeframes. For this, entrepreneurs need the appropriate infrastructure from business and politics."

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schomäcker from the Institute of Chemistry at the Technical University of Berlin advocated establishing contemporary structures and processes in academia to enable close exchange between science and industry.

Further information gladly provided by:

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schomäcker
TU Berlin
Tel.: 030 314-24973
Email: schomaecker@tu-berlin.de