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Saxony-Anhalt will become a model region for a sustainable bioeconomy!
Saxony-Anhalt is becoming a model region for bioeconomy. MLU Halle coordinates innovative projects on digital agriculture until 2032.
Saxony-Anhalt will become a model region for a sustainable bioeconomy!
The south of Saxony-Anhalt will develop into a model region for a sustainable bioeconomy in the coming years. This is the goal of the joint project “Digitization of Plant Value Chains” (DiP), which is funded with up to 105 million euros by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Minister of Science Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann and BMBF State Secretary Dr. Karl-Eugen Huthmacher recently presented the current status of the 19 projects in the first funding phase, with the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) acting as the coordinating institution. Over 40 partners from science and business are involved in the project, which is aimed to last until 2032.
The projects deal with central questions about the future of agriculture and the agricultural economy. The focus here is on researching crops, unused potential in the bioeconomy and innovative digital technologies. An essential part of the DiP approach is the decades-long research activities on crops and plant biochemistry in Saxony-Anhalt.
Structure and focus of the projects
The research within the project is divided into three lighthouses. The first lighthouse focuses on value chains for agricultural crops, including through the development of climate-resistant plants and the creation of new utilization options for plant residues. The second lighthouse focuses on sustainable and climate-resilient plant cultivation systems that incorporate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and drones to increase efficiency in the agricultural sector.
The third lighthouse is dedicated to the development of new value chains for specialty crops such as herbs, medicinal plants and fruit, as well as the possible uses for residual materials. This comprehensive project is funded as part of the National Bioeconomy Strategy and the Structural Strengthening Act for Coal Regions, with Saxony-Anhalt seeing the bioeconomy and digitalization as the central drivers of its structural development programs.
Conferences and platforms on the bioeconomy
The German Biomass Research Center gGmbH (DBFZ) and BioEconomy e. V. contributed to the transfer of knowledge through their introductory presentations. The conference addressed the need for the comprehensive application of digital technologies to support the transformation process of agriculture towards a more sustainable form, as the Future Laboratory for Agriculture outlined in a policy paper. This document offers recommendations for action for the expansion of digital infrastructures and for improving processes and political framework conditions in agriculture.
The policy paper, which was presented on September 18, 2024, describes the challenges facing agriculture: loss of land, climate change and conflicting goals between economic and ecological aspects. It emphasizes that a change in thinking and the widespread use of digital technologies are essential to meet the needs of sustainable agriculture.
The collaboration in Saxony-Anhalt, the support from the BMBF and the research and development efforts of everyone involved show that the path to a sustainable bioeconomy can be paved. Future development will depend crucially on how the knowledge gained is implemented.