Regional Valley Agenda Germany

The results of regional analysis and activities will be fixed in a local valley agenda to serve as a regional guideline. The local valley agenda´s will be presented at the International Eco4Life meetings and discussed with International Advisory Board in the frame of the BSR strategy. It will also contain recommendations for a future regional supporting measures. The agenda is supposed to be fixed as a formal agreement by a regional consortium that unites administration, politics, academic research, entrepreneurs and companies. With the regular exchange of experiences between the
partner hidden obstacles in one region could be solved by learning from best practise in the other regions.

 

REGIONAL VALLEY AGENDA LEAD PARTNER

1.    Introduction Life Science and Cleantech in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

In March 2012 the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Prime Minister appointed the Board of Trustees on Health Economy Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for its second term. The board comprises of representatives from politics, business, and research pursuing a common goal: shaping the profile of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as a health region, recognized nationally as well as internationally. Significant instrument for reaching this aim is the 'Master Plan Health Economy Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 2020' that has been published and recognized by the State Government and the State Parliament in 2011. In order to efficiently implement the strategies described in the master plan, five strategy groups were formed in respect to the master plan's main development areas: LifeScience, Health Services, Healthy Aging, Heath Tourism, and Food for Health. Thus, the LifeScience Sector in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is well developed, and part of the policy of the ministry of economics, construction and tourism.

BioCon Valley® as the central contact for life science, biotechnology and biosciences in North Eastern Germany networks the competencies of business, universities, academies, and research institutions within the scope of medicine, medical engineering and pharmacy. BioCon Valley® operates technology centers specific for life sciences (“BioIncubator”) as start-ups for young companies and initiates and supervises projects, contributing to the economic and scientific profile of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The company manages also the “Board of Trustees on Health Economy Mecklenburg-Vorpommern” on transforming the Masterplan Health Economy 2020.

The biological sciences are adding value to a host of products and services, producing what some have labelled the “bioeconomy”. From a broad economic perspective, the bioeconomy refers to the set of economic activities relating to the invention, development, production and use of biological products and processes. If it continues on course, the bioeconomy could make major socioeconomic contributions in OECD and non-OECD countries. These benefits are expected to improve health outcomes, boost the productivity of agriculture and industrial processes, and enhance environmental sustainability. The bioeconomy’s success is not, however, guaranteed: harnessing its potential will require coordinated policy action by governments to reap the benefits of the biotechnology revolution [OECD, 2013].

 

 

 

Source: www.vci.de/DIB/Themen/Biooekonomie/

 

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern´s economy is mainly dominated by agriculture and tourisms, with strong impetus of the LifeScience and Health Economy and renewable energy sector (Bioenergy and wind energy) and engeneering.
BioEconomy is on the growth with several successful ventures initiated both by regional companies and academia. With its cross-cutting nature, the bioeconomy offers a unique opportunity to address complex and inter-connected challenges.
Politics have recognized the perpectives of BioEconomy for the future economic development of the federal state, and supported largely undertakings of bioenergetic use of biomass. Additionally, On behalf of the ministry of economy, the “board of trustes of health economy” (Kuratorium Gesundheitswirtschaft) strategic group “LifeScience” defined BioEconomy as strategic key topic, to be developed within the Masterplan health Economy 2020.

 

 

 

 

2.     Unique Selling Positions in BioEconomy for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

 

 

Enzymes/WhiteBiotech


Tailor-made bio-enzymes provide a basis for economic and ecological production procedures and  facilitate the synthesis of valuable chemicals, making the white biotechnology the key pillar of bio-economy. The enzyme and protein engineering expertise is already creating ‘green jobs’, by helping a broad range of industries to deliver products that have a positive impact on the sustainability of households and industry around the globe.  Centers of Compentence in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: are the Univeristy of Rostock, the LIKAT, the University Greifswald, and companies as Enzymicals AG, und the ImaB.

 

Marine Biotechnology/Biomass

 

Marine microorganisms are a prolific resource of new technical enzymes and pharmacologically active agents or lead structures. Their special living conditions and functions in the ecosystem force them to produce a vast number of enzymes with unique activities and bioactive metabolites with new structures. Stakeholders from MecklenburgVorpommern together with their colleagues from  Schleswig Holstein filed in 2013 a “Masterplan North of Marine Biotechnology” to proceed with the successful application of Marine Biotechnologies in Northern Germany.

 

HealthCare and OneHealth Approach

BioEconomy can improve health outcomes of both animals and humans while protecting human and environmental health.The functional biodiversity of livestock is for example a basis for domestication and as a key component of both sustainable agriculture and the food supply. The strategic importance of its research mandate arises primarily from the irreversible process of animal domestication and the role played by people in actively shaping it in order to respond to varying demands be they of economic, ecologic or social nature. Farm animals harbour great potential when it comes to meeting the growing global demand for quality foods of animal origin.

The One Health concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment. The synergism achieved will advance health care for the 21st century and beyond by accelerating biomedical research discoveries, enhancing public health efficacy, expeditiously expanding the scientific knowledge base, and improving medical education and clinical care. When properly implemented, it will help protect and save untold millions of lives in our present and future generations.

Centers of Competence in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute for Virus Diseases of Animals Friedrich Loeffler, and the HICARE-Initiative: Health Region Baltic Sea Coast for Fighting Multi-Resistances.

 

 

 

3.    SWOT analysis

 

The conclusions of the market analysis and the workshop discussions and outputs led to the following SWOT analysis for the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Region in the field of BioEconomy for the Regional Valley Agenda:

 

 

Strength

  • High availability of connected landmass and a long coastline  
  • High availability of biomass and biological waste, availability of lignocellulosis in forestry industry
  • Efficent scientific network of universities and othe research institutions
  • Many european neighbourgs with relatively close geographic distance, enbedding into the Baltic Sea Area
  • Moderne seaports with regular routes to Scandinania, the Baltic States, Russia
  • Straightforward logistical conditions within the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

 

 

Weakness

  • No noteworthy domestic business market for biobased products and procedures due to low population density
  • Luck of basic primary industry like chemistry, energy and raw material processing
  • Fragmentated, mainly SME based industry

 

 

Risiks

  • Due to strong tourisms industry potential for conflicts of intensive biomass exploitation
  • Dicrease of soil quality due to single usage of agricultural crop land like energy corn

 

 

Chances

  • Settlement of companies (esp. Biotechnology and raffinieries)
  • Kepping of high-qualified working force in the country
  • Regional rural development by employment in agricultural companies and bioraffeneries in the rural areas
  • Export chances for technologies

 

 

4.    Evaluation of market study and workshop results

 

The Expert Panel BioEconomy  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, initiated at the Eco4Life Workshop in June 2013,  compromises stakeholders from Biomass productions and processing, representatives of bioeconomy animal task forces, bio refineries (plant use as raw material for plastics, food ingredients and cosmetic industry, especially manufacturers of active ingredients/extracts), waste treatment, and other stakeholders.

Additionally, the unique expert position of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the
- Enzymical/White Biotech
- Marine sector (aquaculture, marine biotechnology)
- Healthcare (to improve health outcomes of both animal and human
was  considerate with particular attention.


The Potential analysis/market study within the framework Eco4Life “BioEconomy in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern” project focused on the value aspects of BioEconomy for further local economy growth and draw this sector study from an exemplary value chain based approach.  It will outline the target sectors to be supported by joint bioeconomy initiatives as the energy and health sector.

Besides, a SWOT analysis of the existing bioeconomy sector, and a catalogue of determined criteria for the value chains was provided by the study with special consideration of the regional characteristics:

-        Potential of biomass from regional/specific origin as Aquaculture and marine Biotechnology (e.g. feed for aquaculture, aquaculture waste, by-product use) and outlooks for subsequent value chain

-        Potential of animal farming ressources, including animal feed, animal health, waste of animal origin (liquid manor) and possible value chain

-        Bioenergy from Products from Biomasse (Biorefineries) in MV

-        Economic benefit of prevention of plant and animal diseases and impact on human health (health criteria in Bioeconomy)

-        Encymes/White Biotech potential in the regional setting of MV

 

 

 

  1. 5.    Recommendations for regional development

 

Bioeconomy has a global perspective and requires vast investment in innovation portfolios. Thus, a transnational approach, open innovation processes and public private collaboration are key success factors for the setup of a knowledge based bioeconomy in the EU.  

The ScanBalt Initiative of 14 Countries of the Baltic Sea with its implementation tool Eco4Life (EU-South Baltic Program) started a cross-border cooperation network (South Baltic Bioeconomy Network).

But to exploit the whole potential of BioEconomy for the region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and to ensure a joint smart green growth, it requires more integrated measures and broader development outlines for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This includes for example, the definition of value chains and exploitation cascades of whole bundle of Biomass (eg. wood, aquatic biomasses) with their connected services.

Closer cooperation in the field of bioeconomy is pointed out with Poland (Western Pomeranian Region) and Sweden (Skane Region) to exploit comprehensively the potential of bioeconomy for the SME development and support in the region.

 

 

 

 

 

Eco4Life Contact Point Greifswald,
December 2013