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BioEconomyCouncil delivers its first policy recommendations
The Bio-economy Research and Technology Council (BioÖkonomieRat) has delivered its first recommendations to the Federal Ministries of Education and Research (BMBF), and Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV). At the heart of these are an improvement in the cross-linking and cooperation between ministries, and a strengthening of international ties.
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left: Under-secretary Gert Lindemann (BMELV), centre: Under-secretary Corneila Quennet-Thielen (BMBF), right: Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Reinhard F. Hüttl (Chairman of the BioEconomyCouncil) |
10/7/2009, Berlin. At its second sitting, the BioEconomyCouncil, whose headquarters are at acatech, outlined some initial proposals for improving research in the field of the bio-economy. In view of current global challenges, the aim must be to use the bio-economy to help make more significant contributions to climate protection, an improvement in the global food situation, and energy provision, said the Chairman of the Council, Prof. Dr Reinhard F. Hüttl, President of acatech.
Together with the other members of the Council, he presented these recommendations to the under-secretaries of state Cornelia Quennet-Thielen (BMBF) and Gert Lindemann (BMELV). They expressed their agreement with the proposals and acknowledged the concrete ideas the Council had already provided for politicians and the public at large in only a few months of its existence. Mrs Quennet-Thielen said that the recommendations highlighted the fact that the decision to create the Council in the first place had been a good one.
In view of the importance of the bio-economy for food production and energy provision, the experts are calling on politicians to expand bio-economy as a research area. They point out that the bio-economy, which includes agriculture, forestry, fishing, as well as sections of the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, paper and textile industries, is already a prominent economic sector in Germany and the European Union. At present it produces around 1.7 trillion Euro annual turnover and employs 22 million people. Given the global situation, this is an important reason why science, business and society should get to grips with the issue of bio-economy right now, according to Deputy Chairman of the Council Andreas J. Büchting, chairman of the supervisory board KWS SAAT AG.
The members of the Council are therefore recommending greater cross-linking between departments as well as between existing research structures. In the past these have followed traditional discipline boundaries too strictly instead of acting systemically, the recommendations say. For this reason interdisciplinary and pan-institutional research agendas must be developed. Fragmented research structures should also be reorganised around national centres.
In addition to the formation of strategic partnerships with other countries and an improvement in student education, the Council believes that another focus should be the creation of solid legal frameworks, such as in the area of green genetic technology. This is the key to maximising Germany’s chances in international competition, said Deputy Chairman Bernd Müller-Röber, a molecular biologist from Potsdam University.
The Council is therefore in favour of creating legal security from research to certification and marketing, including transparent consumer information, to allow the responsible development of new technologies.
>> Download recommendations as a PDF (1.1 MB)
Together with the other members of the Council, he presented these recommendations to the under-secretaries of state Cornelia Quennet-Thielen (BMBF) and Gert Lindemann (BMELV). They expressed their agreement with the proposals and acknowledged the concrete ideas the Council had already provided for politicians and the public at large in only a few months of its existence. Mrs Quennet-Thielen said that the recommendations highlighted the fact that the decision to create the Council in the first place had been a good one.
In view of the importance of the bio-economy for food production and energy provision, the experts are calling on politicians to expand bio-economy as a research area. They point out that the bio-economy, which includes agriculture, forestry, fishing, as well as sections of the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, paper and textile industries, is already a prominent economic sector in Germany and the European Union. At present it produces around 1.7 trillion Euro annual turnover and employs 22 million people. Given the global situation, this is an important reason why science, business and society should get to grips with the issue of bio-economy right now, according to Deputy Chairman of the Council Andreas J. Büchting, chairman of the supervisory board KWS SAAT AG.
The members of the Council are therefore recommending greater cross-linking between departments as well as between existing research structures. In the past these have followed traditional discipline boundaries too strictly instead of acting systemically, the recommendations say. For this reason interdisciplinary and pan-institutional research agendas must be developed. Fragmented research structures should also be reorganised around national centres.
In addition to the formation of strategic partnerships with other countries and an improvement in student education, the Council believes that another focus should be the creation of solid legal frameworks, such as in the area of green genetic technology. This is the key to maximising Germany’s chances in international competition, said Deputy Chairman Bernd Müller-Röber, a molecular biologist from Potsdam University.
The Council is therefore in favour of creating legal security from research to certification and marketing, including transparent consumer information, to allow the responsible development of new technologies.
>> Download recommendations as a PDF (1.1 MB)