From Lignite to the Bioeconomy
Interview with plant researcher Ulrich Schurr on the role of the bioeconomy in structural change
Fossil resources were the fuel that brought the major industrialized nations progress and prosperity. However, the ecological consequences of utilizing these resources are becoming increasingly ominous. The situation is so grave that Germany is preparing to phase out coal mining by 2030. What does this mean for a region whose identity has traditionally been strongly linked to lignite, yet simultaneously is one of Europe’s highest-potential regions for sustainable and productive agriculture thanks to its excellent soil and temperate climate? The Rhineland mining area is home to a very strong food industry, and surrounded by markets with demand for both food products and sustainable resources for the chemical industry.
Since 2010, Forschungszentrum Jülich has been pursuing the BioeconomyREVIER initiative to explore how a region that has been heavily dependent on fossil fuels can transform itself into a model region for sustainable economic activity – all on the basis of a modern bioeconomy. Their approach is founded on the transition from a fossil-based to a bio-based sustainable economy, in which critical material life cycles ideally start and finish regionally, and added value is created. Thus the future bioeconomy won’t have much in common with the form of economy in place before fossil fuels turned our planet and our society upside down – which is really quite reassuring when you consider that the world’s population has increased almost tenfold since then.
In the following interview, Prof. Schurr, director at Forschungszentrum Jülich’s Institute of Plant Sciences and initiator of BioökonomieREVIER, outlines the opportunities and challenges associated with a model bioeconomy district. Forschungszentrum Jülich has proven itself to be a particularly suitable starting point for this vision, as its location between beet fields and open-cast mines anticipates the tension that a bio-based model region must bridge.
What exactly can we expect from a bioeconomy district?
Prof. Schurr: First of all, the field of bioeconomy is very broad. Topics range from food production to the manufacture of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and numerous materials. At a regional level today, this is reflected in the many sectors that are individually strong but often isolated. From a scientific perspective, we are primarily interested in working out how these sectors can be integrated. How can we bring all of the different areas together in a meaningful way? This can only be achieved if the production, implementation, and utilization of raw materials are considered together with their socio-economic context. Over the past few years, we have developed numerous relevant concepts and ideas in the Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC) and have thus created a scientific basis. However, no one had tried this out in an entire region. There is great potential here, which is now being developed jointly with BioökonomieREVIER in the region. To do this, we need to enter a real-world laboratory and see how things actually work with real players and how we can involve society. I see this as the major task and opportunity that such a model region for the bioeconomy has to offer.
In concrete terms, how can the bioeconomy contribute to overcoming the social and energy policy challenges associated with structural change?
Prof. Schurr: The discussion on structural change is very much from the perspective of the energy sector. I believe that this is too narrow a view. The region has the chance to consider how it wants to develop in future, and this needn’t be limited to the question of energy. We see a wide range of opportunities for developing the region, as it has many strengths. The energy sector is one of these, as is digitization and – naturally – the bioeconomy. This fits in well with Forschungszentrum Jülich’s portfolio, but also with the portfolios of other research and educational institutions in the region with whom we have partnerships. What we must all recognize is that structural change can only be achieved if we work together. We need to seize the opportunity to develop the bioeconomy in collaboration with other sectors that are relevant for both Forschungszentrum Jülich and the wider region. There are points of interaction with energy but also with digitization. In digital agriculture, for instance, we are trying to link yield data with satellite information on water availability and plant stress levels. This area is currently progressing rapidly and offers substantial potential for growth. We are also participating in two agricultural clusters of excellence, PhenoRob and CEPLAS2. In the energy sector, for example, we are attempting to use surplus electricity for biotechnological processes, and also to utilize products from biorefineries to make energy storage systems more sustainable. In addition, agri-photovoltaics allows the production of energy and plants to be combined on the same area with added value for both. Projects like these, which combine the different sectors, have the potential to drive the entire region forward.
Who are your most important partners in the region?
Prof. Schurr: On the research side of things, we have several established partners. These include BioSC, which has been up and running for more then ten years now, and through which we work closely with the universities in Bonn, Düsseldorf, and Aachen. Elsewhere, the University of Cologne, the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, and Fraunhofer IAIS all play an important role in the CEPLAS2 and PhenoRob clusters of excellence. We work with other Fraunhofer institutes too – notably IME in Aachen and UMSICHT in Oberhausen. There are also long-established cooperation projects in place with our large industrial partners. In the region along the Rhine, and in neighbouring Belgium and the Netherlands, we have the chemical industry. We also have good contacts in the regional agriculture sector. We have developed partnerships with farmers’ organization Rheinische Landwirtschafts-Verband and the regional Chamber of Agriculture, and work with them on a daily basis. In matters concerning structural change, we more or less act in a group capacity.
That is why, as part of the BioeconomyREVIER transformation cluster project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, we are specifically targeting companies that are active in the field of bioeconomy here. Our goal is to promote stronger networking between the various players, the idea being to generate added value and thus create employment. In other words, our focus is on the entire value chain, from knowledge creation to transfer and application. Of these, knowledge transfer is an area in which Germany is known to perform relatively poorly. In terms of research and economy we are relatively strong, but when it comes to translating our scientific findings into profitable applications, Germany has only had limited success thus far. In my view, our best chance to change this is at the regional level, because knowledge is mainly transferred through personal contacts, trusted relationships, and informal meetings. Geographical proximity is an important advantage in this regard.
The term “bioeconomy” is itself interdisciplinary. What is the biggest challenge to be overcome when different disciplines come together?
Prof. Schurr: BioeconomyScienceCenter is a good example of this. When we started, there were four different institutions with four different disciplines, so the first step was for everyone to get to know each other and realize that we all had a common interest. The next step was to recognize that by working together we could accomplish a lot more. Needless to say, implementing this approach across the whole region adds an entirely new dimension.
What role do the social sciences play in all this?
Prof. Schurr: The social sciences undoubtedly have a crucial role to play, particularly in terms of development within a region. After all, structural change is tied up with the idea of identity. What identity does the region currently have? At the moment, the prevailing self-image in the Rhineland is as a lignite-mining region – which is really quite surprising, given that only a small number of people actually engage with the subject of lignite on a daily basis. And yet lignite forms part of the regional identity. As structural change becomes a reality, however, this self-image will rapidly disappear, begging the question: what will replace it? Other meaningful narratives are slowly emerging. For example, when my daughter is asked where she comes from, she now says “Hambacher Forest” [site of an ongoing occupation by environmental campaigners to prevent clearing of the forest for mining]. The power that these narratives can take on is seen in the example of Wackersdorf in Bavaria. The town is still associated with the protests held there against plans to build a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, despite the fact that those events took place a long time ago. I believe it is very important to reflect on how such identities are or can be formed.
A BioökonomieREVIER is particularly interesting from this perspective, as from our position on the ground, we are hoping to generate positive momentum for the whole region in a way that is tangible to the people living here. This gives us a direct link back to society. If, for example, instead of wheat and sugar beet, increasing numbers of different plants were to be cultivated in the fields, people would notice straight away. On the other hand, if a new machine were to be installed in a factory or an industrial plant built in a particular area, the impact would be more local. The bioeconomy therefore offers the chance to implement measures in a very visible way in the heart of the region.
That is why we at BioSC have also geared the Transform2Bio competence platform for socioeconomics towards structural change. There, we found out exactly what happens when an entire region sets out to move from fossil energy carriers to a sustainable, bio-based economy. A great deal depends on both the starting point and the specific conditions. In other words, a bioeconomy district in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania would look a lot different to one implemented here in the Rhineland.
The path you describe from scientific findings to practical application and value creation – isn’t this new territory for Forschungszentrum Jülich?
Prof. Schurr: .Fundamentally, structural change itself could be described as “new territory” – there are at least two aspects that are completely new for us. For one thing, until now Forschungszentrum Jülich has only thought about application in terms of achieving a prototype at best. In BioökomieREVIER, this perspective will need to change a little. At the same time, however, I believe it would be wrong to shift the focus from knowledge creation to innovation alone. Instead, we must find a way to incorporate innovation and transfer as additional elements in the process. After all, the same people do not necessarily create knowledge and transfer it.
Regional focus is also new territory for us. Up to now, Forschungszentrum Jülich has concentrated more on the remote than the local, its mission rooted in a European or a global context; its own location has sometimes been seen as a handicap rather than an opportunity. However, the only way for us to effectively play our part in structural change is if we recognize the importance of the region as a whole. Learning to regard our regional ties as an asset is another new dimension that offers a wealth of positive benefits and new opportunities – including for basic research at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Simultaneously, Jülich is in a position to help craft a new identity for the region. Public opinion perceives the Rhineland predominantly as a lignite-mining region. However, considering the number of people employed here and the potential for value creation, the region is already shaped to a greater extent by innovation than lignite..
Regional focus is also new territory for us. Up to now, Forschungszentrum Jülich has concentrated more on the remote than the local, its mission rooted in a European or a global context; its own location has sometimes been seen as a handicap rather than an opportunity. However, the only way for us to effectively play our part in structural change is if we recognize the importance of the region as a whole. Learning to regard our regional ties as an asset is another new dimension that offers a wealth of positive benefits and new opportunities – including for basic research at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Simultaneously, Jülich is in a position to help craft a new identity for the region. Public opinion perceives the Rhineland predominantly as a lignite-mining region. However, considering the number of people employed here and the potential for value creation, the region is already shaped to a greater extent by innovation than lignite..
Turning a vision into a reality requires practical examples that demonstrate ideas in concrete terms. Are there any existing bioeconomy projects that would enable this?
Prof. Schurr: We have various project ideas, some of which are already underway – particularly at the interfaces with energy and digitization, as there is a lot happening in these areas at the moment. One example is 5G test sites for agriculture. 5G is important in precision agriculture for increasing resource use efficiency, and it also plays a role in robotics. In future we can bank on seeing robots in the fields, or flocks of drones communicating with each other. Researchers in the region are working on this at the Agri-Food-Energy Park in Merzenich-Bürgewald on land that has been spared from open-cast mining.
In the energy sector, the task at hand is to move from a centralized to a local energy supply. One of the questions we need to ask ourselves here is how to design a biorefinery whose various functions are distributed geographically. In this case, our biorefinery wouldn’t be a central factory, but rather an entire region.
As for the digital aspect of the bioeconomy, much more is already happening than people are aware of. Long-time Jülich residents still remember the endless traffic jams caused by farm vehicles during the sugar beet harvest. Today, there is a sophisticated logistics system in place to prevent congestion. This connection between agricultural production, delivery, and utilization is a good example of how different sectors can be interlinked. It was all initiated by resourceful farmers – without a lot of fuss or requests for funding.
In addition, today’s sugar factories not only produce sugar, but a variety of other substances as well. In other words, they already possess some of the features of a biorefinery. The same goes for the entire food industry in the region, which processes large amounts of biomass. Again, this produces residual material which – from a bioeconomic perspective – is not seen as waste, but rather a starting point for new products. The region therefore offers numerous advantages for implementing a bioeconomy. We are a priority region for agricultural production, we have some of the best soil in Europe, we are in a position to produce in a sustainable manner, we are in a position to diversify, we have local processing capabilities, and we are also close to markets with demand for such products. Moreover, the entire endeavour is underpinned by scientific work. As a result, we boast a superb starting point..
How long will it take before the first results are visible in the region?
Prof. Schurr: There is no single time frame. When it comes to structural change, we are definitely talking about at least the next 15 to 20 years. However, since the phase-out of coal has been decided politically for 2030, the question of new jobs is already arising in the short term. So we have a short-term scenario with regard to new jobs, a medium-term scenario with regard to the overall direction this region is taking, and a long-term scenario spanning several decades in terms of implementation. These are different target times, and work on all three levels has already begun.
What appeals to you personally about this project?
Prof. Schurr: Looking back on my scientific career, I started out deep in basic research, was then introduced to a strategic research perspective at Forschungszentrum Jülich, and am now expanding my horizons to include practical application without turning my back on basic research. We have the opportunity to take the scientific ideas and concepts we have developed here and to test and implement them in the region. The possibility of achieving something important for the region at the end of it all is a huge motivator for me.
Further information
Institute of Bio- and Geosciences - Plant Sciences (IBG-2)
BioökonomieREVIER (only in german)
CEPLAS - Exzellenzcluster für Pflanzenwissenschaften
The interview was conducted by Philippe Patra, updated in May 2025.