Plants

The serious global challenges already apparent today are being exacerbated by the rise in the world population. The increasing demand for plant biomass – not only for food, but also to produce fuel and energy – requires huge innovations in the field of plant development. To ensure the optimisation of yields and the adaptation of plants to changing climactic conditions, for example, it is necessary to continue developing intensively all available technological processes.

The plant research agenda includes the following issues:

• How is plant research in Germany organised, how do the various actors link in to each other and what strategies are they pursuing?
• What is the status of German plant research within Europe and in an international context?
• What are the necessary parameters to transform inventions into innovations?
• How should study programmes be refined to guarantee the provision of specialists to undertake plant research?
• What requirements must students demonstrate beyond competence in the subject, and how can these be introduced into programmes of study?

The work group consists of BioEconomyCouncil members and outside experts from science and business.

Spokesman of the plants work group

• Prof. Dr Bernd Müller-Röber
  Professor of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, and Potsdam University

Members of the BioEconomyCouncil

• Dr Dr h.c. mult. Andreas J. Büchting
  Chairman of the Supervisory Board KWS SAAT AG
• Prof. Dr Hannelore Daniel
  Chair of Nutrition Physiology, Technical University Munich
• Prof. Dr Wiltrud Treffenfeldt
  Director of Bioprocess Development, Dow AgroSciences LLC, Indianapolis, USA

Outside experts

• Carl-Albrecht Bartmer
  German Agricultural Society (DLG e.V.)
• Dr Hans Kast
  BASF SE
• PD Dr. Michael Metzlaff, Bayer Cropscience AG
• Prof. Dr Dirk Prüfer
  Münster University and Frauenhofer Institute of Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology
• Prof. Dr Chris-Carolin Schön
  Chair of Plant Breeeding, Technical University Munich
• Prof. Dr Ulrich Schurr
  Institute of Chemistry and Dynamics of the Geosphere, Phytosphere, Jülich Research Centre

Contact at the BioEconomyCouncil office

Dipl. Biol. Elke Witt, academic staff member