Members
CLIB currently has more than 120 members from home and abroad. Click on a name to get more information.
Industry
Covestro Deutschland AG
Covestro is a world-leading supplier of high-tech polymer materials: innovative, sustainable, and diverse. We are serving key industries (such as automotive, construction, and electro/electronics) around the globe with technologically leading processes.
Our products and application solutions are used in many areas of modern life. In line with our vision “We will be fully circular” we are on the way to a circular economy. Alternative raw materials (such as biomass, CO2, plastic waste) and alternative production technologies (e.g. via biotechnology) are the basis for various new innovative products and production processes.
With approximately 17,500 employees, Covestro posted sales of 14.4 billion euros in 2023. It has some 30 major production sites worldwide that operate in a safe, efficient and eco-friendly way. The product range includes the high-performance polymer polycarbonate and precursors for polyurethanes that are used to produce foam.
Evonik Industries AG
Evonik is one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies.
We may not manufacture tires, mattresses, medications, or animal feeds, but Evonik is part of all of those products –and many more. While we often contribute only small amounts of material, those contributions are precisely what make the difference. That’s because Evonik products make tires fuel-efficient, mattresses more elastic, medications more effective, and animal feeds healthier. That’s what specialty chemicals are all about. And when it comes to specialty chemicals, we’re among the best in the world.
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €12.2 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.9 billion in 2020. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. More than 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life, today and tomorrow.
IFF International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
IFF, is an industry leader in food, beverage, health, biosciences and sensorial experiences and operates globally but with a significant research and manufacturing footprint in Europe. IFF’s deep histories of creativity, innovation excellence and a shared commitment to care for our communities IFF’s Vision is driven by its `Do More Good Plan’, which has for ambition to innovate for progress – for people and the planet. Across the four divisions of our business – Scent, Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Pharma Solutions – we are transforming the markets we serve by driving environmentally and socially conscious innovation, growing our robust research & development (R&D) pipeline, and developing an expanded suite of sustainable solutions to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units – Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care and Adhesives – in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. The DAX-30 company has its headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany. Henkel employs more than 53,000 people worldwide, over 80 percent of whom work outside of Germany. In 2020, Henkel reported sales of 19.3 billion euros and an operating profit of 2.6 billion euros (adjusted for one-time gains/charges and restructuring charges). As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings.
Uniper Kraftwerke GmbH
Uniper SE is an international leading energy utility with activities in more than 40 countries and about 12000 employees. Uniper Kraftwerke GmbH (“UKW”) as well Uniper Technologies GmbH (“UTG”) are subsidiaries of Uniper SE, which is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Core business of Uniper SE is reliable and secure provision of energy and corresponding support activities. Focus is the energy production in Europe and Russia and global energy trading. The innovation team within Uniper SE is looking for future business models in different areas. One of these areas is called “Carbon Recycling” as Uniper has identified its CO2 emission not as a waste steam, but as a good accessible point source for the development of future value generation from CO2.
Large and Mid-sized Enterprises
Corbion NV
Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, and a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins and algae ingredients.
We develop sustainable ingredient solutions to improve the quality of life for people today and for future generations. For over 100 years, we have been uncompromising in our commitment to safety, quality and performance. Drawing on our deep application and product knowledge, we work side-by-side with customers to make our cutting edge technologies work for them.
At Corbion, we live our brand promise “Keep creating”, through our science, clear understanding of the markets we serve, and of course through our creative people.
Corbion’s strategy and every aspect of our operations are built around advancing sustainability and applying high ethical standards, whether this relates to the management of our global supply chain, responsible procurement of our raw materials, or the safety and wellbeing of our people.
Neste Germany GmbH
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) uses science and innovative technology to transform waste and other resources into renewable fuels and circular raw materials. The company creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. Being the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel and a forerunner in developing renewable and circular feedstock solutions for polymers and chemicals, the company aims to help its customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030.
The company’s ambition is to make the Porvoo oil refinery in Finland the most sustainable refinery in Europe. Neste is committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, and will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040. Neste has also set high standards for biodiversity, human rights and the supply chain. The company has consistently been included in the CDP and the DJSI lists of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2023, Neste’s revenue stood at EUR 22.9 billion. Read more: neste.com
Pfeifer & Langen GmbH & Co. KG
Pfeifer & Langen operates five sugar factories in Germany. Sugar beets grown by farmers are processed to white sugar and the by-products sugar beet pulp and molasses. These products and intermediate products such as thick juice can be used as carbohydrate sources for biotechnological processes.
Pfeifer & Langen supplies sugar and sugar specialities for the food industry and the consumers. The production process of Pfeifer & Langen starts when the sugar beet seed is sold to the farmers and ends when the sugar is placed on the shelves of groceries. We are looking for opportunities to use our expertise in the process chain beginning with agriculture and ending in the food retail trade for new processes and products connected with biotechnology. Even though we offer deep knowledge in the development of enzymatic processes and enzyme production.
Pfeifer & Langen is with its affiliated company Savanna Ingredients GmbH active on the field of production and sales natural functional carbohydrates.
Stahl Holdings B.V.
Stahl is a world leader in speciality coatings and treatments for flexible materials. Our products add functionality, durability and comfort to many different materials used in everyday life. Through our continuous focus on innovation and improving the environmental footprint, our unique service model and premium solutions add value to various industries – true to our purpose touching lives, for a better world.
Stahl has a strong track record in co-creation and development, and innovation is deeply rooted in our company culture. Our research and development expertise spans the globe – with 13 R&D centres, 35 application labs and 9 centres of excellence continuously searching for the best solutions.
Together with our open innovation partners, we extend our knowledge and challenge our thinking to develop even more effective, sustainable and customer-centric products. This enables us to meet evolving customer needs and address the challenges of tomorrow by exploring new technologies and approaches.
Small Enterprises
Aachen Proteineers GmbH
Aachen Proteineers is a Start-Up focussing on coating solutions. We have developed a platform technology to adhere various biomolecules to a wide range of surfaces using special peptides. This technology intensifies processes, cuts cost, and achieves very high coating densities in water at room temperature. We tailor these peptides regarding application conditions, surface specificity, and binding strength through protein engineering strategies, such as directed evolution.
We are currently evaluating products for research, diagnostics and process technology markets, and are open to discussing new applications and to exploring them in partnerships.
ALTAR S.A.S.
The competitiveness of Industrial Biotechnology processes is often hindered by the low performance of the microorganisms. To unlock the potential of this promising field, we must shift the paradigm and no longer adapt processes to the metabolic limitation of Industrial Microbial Hosts, but instead adapt microorganisms to industrial requirements.
Altar develops enabling technologies for the adaptation of microbial strains to industrial requirements. Our automated fluidic platform harnesses natural selection for the adaptive evolution of microorganisms. It has successfully proven to leverage metabolic engineering and non-GMO development for a wide range of organisms (bacteria, yeasts, microalgae) in several industrial fields (food, feed, chemicals, biofuels, materials, health, cosmetics…).
Aminoverse B.V.
Aminoverse puts the right enzyme in your hands!
With 40+ years of cumulated experience in enzyme R&D, Aminoverse solves enzyme challenges with enzyme discovery and evolution for both start-ups and large corporates active in pharma, F&F, fine chemicals, agtech, nutrition, feed, diagnostics, laundry, biofuels and climatetech.
As fee-for-service CRO, projects are tailored to meet any budget and timeline.
Hightlights:
– Combined offering of 200 qm ML-1 wet lab and state-of-the-art in silico/bioinformatics services
– Enzymes for biocatalysis up to kg scale: unspecific peroxygenases and ketoglutarate-dep. oxygenases
– NextGen enzyme engineering service powered by proprietary, lab-proven machine learning algorithms helping clients to de-risk and accelerate enzyme development campaigns
Amphi-Star B.V.
AmphiStar offers a portfolio of locally produced microbial biosurfactants to companies seeking to develop sustainable, performant & affordable products with surfactants as important performance ingredients. AmphiStars’ surfactants are part of a platform technology and are not linked to fossil feedstocks, direct land use or deforestation and offer a sustainable alternative to companies in the home- and personal care sector, but also to other sectors applying surfactants such as the agro-, food- and feed sectors.
Axxence Aromatic GmbH
Axxence Aromatic was founded in 1986 and is a privately held company with head office in Emmerich, Germany. Over the years our focus has been of the dedication to be one of the most reliable and innovative sources within our prime field of expertise: NATURAL AROMA INGREDIENTS for the flavour & fragrance industry worldwide.
By strategic investments in R & D of both novel natural ingredients and new manufacturing processes, we constantly strive to expand the use of our products in existing and new applications as well as markets. Axxence has around 100 employees. Sales offices and warehousing are present in Germany, France, USA and Japan. Manufacturing and R & D facilities are located in the Slovak Republic.
BCB - Biotech Consult Breves
BCB – Biotech Consult Breves provides scientific and business related consulting in applied microbiology, biotechnology and bioeconomy for start-ups, established enterprises, institutions and academia. Based on more than 25 years of expertise in industry related to fast moving consumer goods as well as industrial adhesives and coatings, advice might be given e.g. about requirements and hurdles for market entry of (biobased) raw materials or requirements for new antimicrobial substances and disinfectant products.
b.fab GmbH
b.fab is specialized in the efficient conversion of CO2 and renewable energy into biotechnological value chains. CO2 and water are abundantly available and therefore, it is our starting point to build a sustainable circular bioeconomy. We use formate as our central mediator to bind and store CO2 and H2 (made from water) in liquid form. Our bioprocesses start with the feedstock formate and we use Synthetic Biology to design specific pathways and to convert formate into value-added chemicals. Our platform is build on anaerobic and aerobic microbial production hosts to provide flexibility in the process design and adaptation to specific product requirements.
b.fab offers formatothropic strains, bioprocesses and technology licences.
b.value AG
b.value is an early-stage venture capital provider focussing on biotechnology and advanced materials. It invests in deep tech start-ups at the seed stage combining exceptional entrepreneurs and groundbreaking technologies to provide solutions for a sustainable world of tomorrow.
b.value aims to build a forward-looking portfolio of fast-growing deep tech companies that define the production processes and markets of the future. In doing so, it is building the bridge from research and development to the global markets. Its in-depth technology expertise and many years of operational experience in building and managing biotech and high-tech companies enable b.value to identify the most promising deep tech start-ups and support them financially and strategically in order to realise their full potential.
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant BV
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is an open access multipurpose pilot and demonstration facility for process development, scale-up and custom manufacturing of bio-based products and processes from lab to multi ton scale.
We combine technologies such as: biomass pretreatment, biocatalysis, green chemistry, (gas) fermentation, biorefining and downstream purification by utilising a wide and flexible spectrum of modular unit operations.
Our team of highly trained, experienced engineers and bioprocess technicians facilitate the translation of your lab process into viable industrial process (TRL3 – TRL8). In the last 10 years Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant successfully conducted >470 bilateral (private) with > 160 different small, medium and large sized companies. Besides this, as of 2024 BBEPP is involved in more than 30 public project consortia on national and European level.
BioHalo Aps
At BioHalo we are at the forefront of revolutionizing the halogenated chemicals industry. With our cutting-edge biofluorination technology, we offer a greener and more sustainable alternative to conventional fluorochemistry practices. Our primary mission is to develop bio-based materials that serve as safe and eco-friendly replacements for harmful PFAS forever chemicals in various industrial formulations without compromising on performance.
At BioHalo, we are committed to driving positive change in the chemicals industry by promoting environmental consciousness and responsible manufacturing. We firmly believe that environmental responsibility goes hand in hand with innovation, and it is this core belief that drives us forward. Join us as we revolutionize industries and create a positive impact on the world, one bio-based breakthrough at a time. Together, we can build a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow.
Biomatter Designs, UAB
Biomatter is a synthetic biology company that creates new enzymes for health and sustainable manufacturing applications. The company has developed the Intelligent Architecture™ platform that addresses limitations of current engineering approaches to unlock completely new horizons for protein design and development. The Intelligent Architecture™ platform blends data-driven Artificial Intelligence and Physics into one seamless digital system to leverage their respective strengths. The combination of generative AI and physics enables the precise sequence and structure-based design to completely redesign existing proteins or create new ones from the bottom up. In turn, it enables us to make extremely large steps in function and property design.
biotechrabbit GmbH
biotechrabbit GmbH was founded in 2011 in Henningsdorf; already 4 years later, in 2015, a second research and production site was opened in Berlin / Adlershof. biotechrabbit is a team of top class scientists, experienced managers and business developers who are determined to offer highest quality products and services for diagnostic companies and life science research. We value the relationships with our partners and customers and are driven to exceed current limitations with flexibility, innovation and highly customized solutions to match specific requirements.
biotechrabbit’s offering includes enzymes for molecular diagnostics, antibody generation and production, high-capacity protein fermentation, lyophilization for diagnostic test kits and pharma, highly parallel, cell-free protein synthesis, mRNA for therapeutics, site-directed amino acid incorporation for labeling or cancer biotherapeutics and a full molecular biology products catalog.
Our way of doing business combines the passion and pure curiosity of excellent researchers with the agile spirit of true entrepreneurs.
BIOWEG
BIOWEG pioneers a paradigm shift, replacing petroleum-based chemicals with innovative bio-alternatives through synthetic biology, fermentation, material science, and green chemistry. By utilizing waste & side streams we create high-value, 100% biodegradable ingredients that outperform synthetic polymers. BIOWEG’s bacterial cellulose-based ingredients are 100% animaland GMO-free, globally scalable, and sustainably produced using only biotech and green chemicals. Offering environmentally friendly solutions that meet EU regulatory requirements, we are addressing the intentionally added microplastics in agriculture protection products, cosmetics, personal and home care, as well as in the food industry.
bitop AG
bitop AG is a biotechnology company focused on products based on extremolytes, a group of natural protective molecules responsible for the stress resistance of extremophilic microorganisms. bitop develops and employs fermentative and biocatalytic bioprocesses for extremolyte production.
The company offers innovative medical devices based on the extremolyte Ectoin® in the areas of allergy, dermatology, respiratory diseases and dry epithelia with scientifically confirmed efficacy and tolerability. Furthermore, bitop offers extremolyte products like Ectoin®, Glycoin®, and 28Extremoin® as cosmetic active ingredients as well as hydroxyectoin as biostabilizer for diagnostics and life sciences.
BlueSens gas sensor GmbH
BlueSens offers off-gas sensors and software for biotechnological applications. The product portfolio comprises single sensors and complete packages for different gases and measurement ranges, ranging from lab to production scales.
BRAIN Biotech AG
BRAIN Biotech AG is an integrated solutions provider supporting the biologization of industries. Since its foundation in 1993, the company has developed from a sought-after R&D specialist into the BRAIN Biotech Group, which covers the entire value chain from R&D to production of enzymes and proteins.
BRAIN Biotech Group focuses on the development and production of specialty enzymes and proteins as well as the optimization of microorganisms as starter cultures for fermentation. BRAIN Biotech’s engineers are experts in technology and process transfer to enable industrial scale production.
BRAIN Biotech’s R&D services focus on the identification and development of new enzymes and the optimization of enzymes and microbial production strains already in use.
Technology services include:
– Enzyme and protein engineering
– Microbial strain development
– Bioprocess development,
– Genome editing services.
Carbon Minds GmbH
Carbon Minds is a data analytics company focused on environmental sustainability in the chemical industry. From its roots at RWTH Aachen University, the company has grown to provide some of the world’s largest corporations with solutions for lowering their environmental impacts associated with production and use of chemicals.
Environmental life-cycle data is the root of the company. With its established model of the global chemical industry, Carbon Minds goes a layer deeper than national level data on environmental impacts. Its data represents individual chemical production facilities, so Carbon Minds can provide not only national average data, but also supplier-specific environmental impacts for more than 2000 chemical producers. The resulting database for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is as geographically specific as it is comprehensive, with data for 1000 chemicals and 200 regions. One of the primary roles of the company is to provide partners and customers with life-cycle data so they can make their current environmental impact assessments more representative.
In addition to providing data, Carbon Minds also performs analysis and provides consultancy on transition scenarios. In this role, the company combines data with proprietary novel optimization approaches to identify cost-efficient transition pathways. Because Carbon Minds’ plant-specific data represents the building blocks of the chemical industry and the company’s model is consistent across plants, nations and regions, Carbon Minds can show its partners and customers sustainability options that range in scope from individual integrated production sites to strategic choices for the entire industry. The company’s data avoids the inexactness associated with compiling national-level data from a variety of sources. Instead, Carbon Minds provides consistent and specific evidence to support understanding of how to reduce the future environmental impacts of the chemical industry.
With Carbon Minds’ data in hand, partners and customers in industry and governments can direct a confident transition to sustainability.
Carpus+Partner
Carpus+Partner AG is an internationally active consulting and planning firm with 300 employees at six locations in Germany. As a partner of the life sciences and high-tech industry, Carpus+Partner develops, plans and delivers highly complex laboratory, production and office buildings where people work together enthusiastically. Established in 1984 by Günter Carpus, Carpus+Partner AG has been managed by its four partners Tobias Ell, Dirk Beyer, Thomas Habscheid-Führer and Sönke Morgenstern since 2016.
“We develop buildings to increase knowledge – for a promising future.”
With this mission statement, interdisciplinary teams of experts provide solutions for all challenges from the initial idea to creating property value. Carpus+Partner AG clients include medium-size and globally active pharmaceutical and biotech companies, companies in the research industry, as well as universities and research institutes.
With Carbon Minds’ data in hand, partners and customers in industry and governments can direct a confident transition to sustainability.
Ceresana eK
Ceresana was founded in 2002 and has a strong focus on bioeconomy markets. The company offers over 250 market studies in the fields of chemicals, plastics, packaging, industry, and mobility, analyzing entire value chains, including upstream and downstream markets. These in-depth studies provide forecasts, trends, and manufacturer insights, giving companies a reliable basis for strategic decisions. With objective research and deep market knowledge, Ceresana supports its clients in navigating dynamic markets. Today, the company is one of the leading market research firms, serving over 10,000 customers in 60 countries.
ChiralVision B.V.
ChiralVision produces immobilized enzymes and develops chemo-enzymatic processes for various markets including the environmental, cosmetic, fine chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Immobilization techniques are developed and used to produce immobilized enzymes in order to facilitate their separation, recycling and allow for continuous processes. Immobilization of enzymes makes processes more economically viable. Additionally the use of more extreme process conditions are possible for immobilized enzymes thereby increasing the technical feasibility of enzymatic processes.
ChiralVision also has a portfolio of unique enzymatically produced chiral compounds like unnatural amino acids.
c-LEcta GmbH
c-LEcta is a leading industrial biotechnology company, using best-in-class biotechnologies to efficiently provide customized enzymes and microbial strains to industrial applications. Scientific excellence is combined with in-depth commercial and regulatory know-how to bring innovative and competitive bioprocessed products into scale. Besides our in- house project and product pipeline we have a strong focus on strategic cooperation with industrial partners.
Moreover, c-LEcta is an established enzyme supplier, manufacturing unique, quality- controlled enzyme products on large technical scale.
Colipi GmbH
We develop a Carbon Capturing & Transformation biotechnology platform that turns CO2 & industrial side streams circularly to valuable biomaterials such as oils (triglycerides & free fatty acids) & proteins. The platform consists of a CO2-O2-H2 bacterial gas fermentation & a classic yeast fermentation. Our enabler is a leading & patented gas fermenter & process design as well as 10 years of process know-how working with oleaginous yeasts. The greatest value proposition of our products is a zero CO2 footprint enabling corporations to reach their ambitious decarbonization targets.
Corvay Consult GmbH
Since 2002 Corvay provides consulting and project management services. We are proud to look at a successful track record, e. g. BioRegioN, Vakzine Projekt Management, Direvo Industrial Biotechnology. Corvay actively supports Sino-German collaboration in biotechnology.
Now Corvay has built a specialty chemicals business, marketing and selling specialties from Chinese and Indian suppliers. Long chain aliphatic diacids are sold under the brandname Himount Europe, long chain diols and diamines complete this portfolio, which also covers specialty enzymes and vitamin D.
Our success factors: high performance over many years, broad operational expertise in biotechnology, enzymes, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and internationality, international management experience plus an efficient business network.
Dr. Lars Börger Re+Spire Consulting
Climate change is the most important challenge of our time.
While the ‘decarbonisation’ of the energy industry is progressing, the solution for chemical products and materials is more complex. The transformation of the industry from fossil to sustainable, renewable carbon sources offers unique opportunities alongside the challenges.
Dr Lars Börger Re+Spire Consulting is the partner for companies and players in the value chain (‘stakeholders’) to recognise and practically exploit the opportunities of this historically unique transformation – from the broad strategic framework to new business models and concrete action plans. The opportunities for innovative market participants have never been greater – innovations have never been more necessary than now.
Econutri GmbH
Econutri is a biotechnology startup developing an innovative high-tech bioprocess that uses carbon dioxide as a source for producing high-quality proteins in various forms. We are starting with proteins for animal feed.
Our special microorganisms grow in a highly efficient gas fermentation process and finally form a biomass consisting of up to 80% high quality proteins. Applications are animal feed, human food or technical proteins.
ENZIDIA
Enzyme sind die grundlegendste Hardware für biotechnologische Herstellungsprozesse. Die Leistung von Enzymen ist daher einer der wichtigsten Faktoren für die Wirtschaftlichkeit biologischer Lösungen. ENZIDIA adressiert diesen Engpass durch eine Enzym-Engineering-Plattform mit über 1000-fach höherer Effizienz als alle bisherigen Technologien. Wir sind hier, um die Revolution der Bioökonomie mit den schnellsten Enzymen zu ermöglichen.
Enzymaster Deutschland GmbH
Enzymaster provides a one-stop solution for the development and commercialization of innovative and sustainable enzyme catalysis technologies. With our proprietary BioEngine® platform and long-term experience, we offer R&D services combined with establishment of complete technology transfer packages, and manufacturing collaborations to fine chemical, pharmaceutical, and other industries.
Our portfolio includes enzyme panel screening, smart enzyme engineering, process development, enzyme preparation by fermentation, and biocatalytic manufacturing. In addition to these services, we also offer general enzyme kits that represent various enzyme classes, as well as customized enzyme kits that fit to the individual biotransformation needs of our customers. Enzymaster Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of Enzymaster (Ningbo) Bio-Engineering Co. Ltd., represents your partner in the international market for enzyme applications and products manufactured by biocatalytic processes.
Green Magic Happens Here!
Enzymicals AG
We are an experienced partner for industrial biocatalysis from mg to ton-scale with more than a decade of experience. Enzymicals experts offer their recognized expertise in the use of enzymatic processes for complex chemical synthesis, from initial catalyst-lead finding to process optimization and pre-scale up. Combining many years of experience in biotechnology with state-of-the art facilities, our company has success stories with many partners from diverse industries speeding up their developments. Our core working principles are high quality R&D, professionalism and customer satisfaction. By this we add value with tailor made enzymes, customized chemicals and individual process solutions and contribute to a more sustainable industry with greener and safer processes.
evoxx technologies GmbH
evoxx technologies GmbH, a German industrial biotechnology company, is focussed on the development and production of industrial enzymes and biocatalytic processes. As European subsidiary of the global enzyme manufacturer Advanced Enzyme Technologies Ltd. a comprehensive product portfolio of enzymatic solutions for human nutrition, animal nutrition, bio- processing, and pharma industries is offered.
Product development is based on the proprietary technology platform covering the whole value chain from early enzyme and process development via scale-up and technology transfer to industrial scale production. evoxx´s industrial partners and customers not only benefit from the long-term experience of our interdisciplinary team but also from our unique metagenomics libraries, enzyme engineering and development skills, tech transfer experience and large scale enzyme production capabilities. Depending on the requirements, we can work in bacterial or fungal expression systems. Our comprehensive technology platform is also used to develop and produce tailored carbohydrates, mainly for food industry. evoxx is located on the Creative Campus in Monheim am Rhein, Germany.
EveryCarbon UG
EveryCarbon is an early-stage start-up founded in 2024 that provides the solution for producing high-performance polymer materials, such as a replacement for polystyrene, from mixed-material waste streams. EveryCarbon’s technology is based on a multi-stage biotechnological conversion process. Prior to its spin-out from Hamburg University of Technology, EveryCarbon successfully demonstrated the conversion of mixed-material food waste for more than 180 days continuously. This achievement, among others, secured EveryCarbon’s entry into the second stage of the prestigious “Circular Biomanufacturing Challenge” hosted by the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND). The unique combination of microbial and thermochemical process technology converts carbon into bulk chemicals, such as 2,3-butanediol.
Exazyme GmbH
Exazyme’s mission is to make designing chemistry and biology as easy as using an app – facilitating the ideas that shorten the wait to solve the world’s most pressing problems: from CO2 to cancer. Existing methods, like Directed Evolution and Rational Design, or open source tools, such as for structure prediction, have significant limitations. We leverage the power of AI to develop tools for the most efficient protein design and engineering.
Exazyme empowers biotech innovators to find optimal proteins and achieve superior results compared to standard methods, while significantly reducing the number of experiments – up to 100 times less. Exazyme is used by protein engineers in the pharmaceutical, industrial and green biotechnology industries.
Heinrich Frings GmbH & Co. KG
The company Heinrich Frings GmbH & Co. KG is a worldwide supplier of machines, equipment and components for process technology in the industry sectors food, biotechnology, and the chemical industry as well as environmental technology with special focus on fermenters and bioreactors.
FRINGS not only supplies customized systems for each application, but also offers assistance and consulting services. FRINGS has extensive know how and experience concerning process optimization and product development. For downstream processing FRINGS delivers membrane filtration systems (crossflow filtration) for many different industrial sectors.
Ginkgo Bioworks Netherlands B.V.
GinkgoBioworks is a biotech company headquartered in Boston in the United States, founded in 2009 by scientists from MIT. The company is building a platform with the ultimate aim to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company’s platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. On July 1, 2021, GinkgoBioworks acquired Dutch DNA Biotech, adding a fungal engineering platform to its portfolio.
INOFEA AG
INOFEA was created to meet a critical need of the industry: to make enzymes more stable, re-usable and suitable for continuous processes. We immobilize enzymes and protect them with a tailor-made shield, making them easy to use in biocatalysis, bioanalysis (diagnostics), and as active ingredients. INOFEA’s technology allows enzymes to be recycled by about 20 times and makes them significantly more stable (10-fold improvement). Our technology allows a reduction of raw materials needed for synthesis, a reduction of energy consumption during the production process and a reduction of waste and solvents in biocatalytic processes. We supply to customers who are among the top players in their industry, namely Pharma, Food, Crop Protection, Specialty & Fine Chemicals and Consumer Care.
Insempra GmbH
Insempra is a biotechnology-powered company enabling businesses to transform their ingredient lists with superior products made in collaboration with nature.
For too long, businesses have relied on petrochemical production and environmental exploitation, depleting our limited natural resources, and polluting our planet.
Environmental issues, consumer demand, and regulatory restrictions are changing the ingredients landscape dramatically. The beauty & personal care, food & nutrition and fashion industries are under immense pressure to shift to sustainable alternatives.
Insempra’s advanced technology platform enables the production of superior natural ingredients at industrial scale to help the world’s leading brands to transform their products.
Together it is our mission to grow a better future.
Jäckering Mühlen- und Nährmittelwerke GmbH
The Jäckering group of companies has developed over 100 years (foundation 1910) into a group of various activities reaching from wheat starch production to machinery business and by-product recycling in the PVC industry with its main production site in the harbour of Hamm in Germany.
Just recently an 85 Mio. € investment was executed by Jäckering in its mill and wheat-based biorefinery with an increase of its raw material input from 300,000 tons to 600,000 tons of wheat. The signs point to growth and expansion, with an important pillar in the biotechnological production of e.g. biobased plastics, organic acids as well as microbial astaxanthin and protein using the existing side-streams as substrates.
Research is already carried out together with leading universities and institutes. The research & development centre onsite is readily available and offers facilities for bioprocess development and up-scaling of up-stream-, down-stream- and fermentation processes from shaking flask over 10L and 300L up to 1500L.
Approval for usage of GMO (S1) for research is possible.
KFCircular GmbH
KFCircular is a consultancy company located in Berlin. KFCircular provides profound knowledge in circular economy especially renewable carbon and its utilization and integration into further processes. We have access to a patent portfolio covering the the COSLIF-type pre-treatment process called LX-Process in different regions also in Europe. Our team has scaled the LX-Process to a processing capacity of 500 t p.a..
Furthermore KFCircular has broad knowledge of digitization projects with workflow, LIMS and document management systems.
Kuhner Shaker GmbH
The Kuhner Shaker GmbH distributes shaking machines and application technologies for shaken bioreactor systems. Moreover, we produce and develop innovative feeding technologies for microtiter plates, shake flasks and spin tube bioreactors. The product portfolio covers bench top shakers, industrial shaking machines for GMP environments as well as the feeding technologies FeedPlate, FeedBead and FeedTube.
Kuhner Shaker is driven by a personal and trustful contact to our customers. Based on a long-term experience and our expert knowledge regarding shaken bioreactors we are capable to offer individual and custom-made solutions. As partner of the science, we actively contribute to academic research projects.
LanzaTech Inc.
Founded in 2005, LanzaTech has developed a fully integrated gas to liquid technology platform that produces fuels and chemicals from gas resources. The potential feedstock ranges from industrial waste gases (steel mills, refineries and phosphorous plants) to biomass syngas (MSW, organic industrial waste, and agricultural waste); as well as biogas.
LanzaTech employs a strong technical team based in the USA, China and Europe and has a rapidly growing patent portfolio. With agreements now in place across a variety of sectors internationally, including steel, aviation, refining and chemicals, LanzaTech’s technology is being scaled to commercial production.
Leiber GmbH
Leiber refines brewers’ yeast into innovative products for humans and animals. For our customers, we conduct research in our own laboratories and develop tailor-made solutions for healthy nutrition, biotechnology and agricultural applications. We reliably supply excellent products – and have been upcycling at world-market level since 1954.
Leiber Brewers’ Yeast extracts are perfect for the fermentation industry. They improve the fermentation rate of a wide range of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, algae and numerous other production organisms, because they are an important source of assimilable nitrogen, and they also contain B vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Level Nine Labs UG
At Level Nine, we leverage bio-nanotechnology and quantum chemistry to develop next-generation catalysts to enable the green chemicals of tomorrow.
Inspired by nature, our nanozymes bridge the gap between traditional catalysts and enzymes to unlock new possibilities in green chemicals production. Our first nanozymes unlock new ways to cost-effectively convert biomass into renewable chemicals, replacing fossil fuels as the world’s primary chemical feedstock.
LigniLabs GmbH
LigniLabs GmbH is a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany. LigniLabs aims to be a pioneer in the development of novel micro- and nano-encapsulation solutions based on biopolymers. With its platform technology for bio-based encapsulation of active ingredients in the biopolymer lignin, LigniLabs not only aims to bring a new generation of sustainable crop protection products to the market against previously incurable plant diseases, but also to transform all areas where currently non-degradable fossil-based encapsulations are used.
LignoPure GmbH
LignoPure is a pioneer in helping materials science and life science companies revolutionize their portfolio with tailor-made, sustainable product solutions. For this purpose, LignoPure uses the raw material lignin, which is as good as unknown, but actually the second most abundant biopolymer in the world!
We offer lignin-based solutions for your product ideas. LignoPure is a spinoff of the Hamburg University of Technology – A multidisciplinary team with expertise in process engineering, product development & business administration.
From its versatile biorefinery network, LignoPure can source suitable lignins and process them specifically for the customer’s application. In addition, LignoPure offers tailor-made development services to the processing customer.
Lignovations GmbH
Lignovations has developed a patented technology to manufacture functional ingredients for cosmetics, coatings, packaging and more from upcycled biomass. By transforming lignin, a component of biomass that protects the plant into so called ‚Colloidal Lignin Particles’, Lignovations’ high-performance bio-material can replace non-renewable ingredients, such as UV filters, antioxidants, and emulsifiers.
LXP Group GmbH
LXP is a tech company, active in the field of industrial biotechnology. The objective of the company is the development, marketing and licensing of technical solutions for the economic and ecological processing of plant residues on the basis of closed carbon and mineral cycles. Our mission is to maximize the ecological and economic efficiency of biotechnological processes.
The core technology is based on a patent protected pre-treatment process called LX- Process. This process provides alternative /2G-carbohydrates / -sugars and is easy to integrate into biotechnological processes. It allows the conversion of virtually all carbohydrates of lignocellulosic non-food materials to chemicals or biofuels. Additionally, sulphur free lignin is obtained.
MicroHarvest GmbH
As the world faces an unprecedented challenge to meet the rapidly growing demand for protein, MicroHarvest is challenging the boundaries to provide the sustainable protein ingredients of the future.
Through our cutting-edge technologies and motivated teams, we harness the power of nature’s best protein factories: microorganisms.
Our ambition is to produce nutritious, sustainable proteins to achieve the resilient food system of tomorrow – driving the impact of today.
MicroHarvest understands the needs of food, feed and pet food manufacturers and meets their requirements with a Smaller, Better, Faster solution.
Mycolever GmbH
At Mycolever, we discover, ferment and provide highly performant and sustainable biocompounds by unlocking the biodiversity of fungi.
Our mission is to accelerate the transition to an industrial bioeconomy for a greener future. Formulation by formulation, we enable our partners to reduce their environmental impact.
Our journey start with our biosurfactant platform, where we create alternatives to petrochemical and plant-based surfactants. By harnessing our fungal biocompound discovery platform we identify novel, eco-friendly biocompounds to expand our portfolio and build new compound platforms. Our focus lies on application in personal care, cosmetics, agriculture, food, and home care industries.
Mitsui & Co. Deutschland GmbH
We currently comprise 128 sites in 63 countries/regions and a network of more than 500 affiliates, employing approximately 45,000 talented people worldwide. In every arena, Mitsui & Co. provides high added value services and solutions that truly reflect our customers’ needs. Our job is to imagine new businesses and bring them to life. Creating new value for this era and innovating for the next.
mk2 Biotechnologies GmbH
mk2 Biotechnologies develops, produces and investigates peptides at highest purity and quality standards using a revolutionary scalable synthesis technology. We are able to synthesize any kind of authentic peptide, regardless of its physical or chemical properties.
NatStruct AG
NatStruct’s work is in scope for the activities of CLIB and they are actively planning on establishing a biorefinery in NRW. They have been visiting the CLIB Pitch Event in 2024 (as guest, not pitching company) and do want to join the cluster now, to be able to already benefit from the membership at the CIC. Due to the short timelines, we have not been able to have a one-to-one call with them prior to the application. The CLIB office thus has no additional information on the start-up on top of the information in the application.
NovelYeast
NovelYeast is a spin-off company from the research group of Prof. Johan Thevelein at VIB/KU Leuven. It is an R&D company that exploits its extensive knowledge and technical know-how with yeast research and the many industrial applications of yeast for the development and commercial implementation of superior industrial yeast strains. NovelYeast develops yeast strains for production of biofuels (1G and 2G ethanol and isobutanol with sugar and lignocellulose feedstocks), bio-based chemicals (lactic acid, 2,3-butanediol), healthy sugar (isomaltulose, allulose, etc.) and protein sweeteners, specific proteins, alcoholic beverages, nutraceuticals, probiotics, plastic recycling and other applications in which yeast cells or enzymes with yeast cell surface display can be applied beneficially.
Pectcof BV
Pectcof converts coffee pulp into valuable food ingredients.
Our technology unlocks the full potential of coffee pulp, providing an enormous positive environmental and societal impact. The coffee pulp, the side stream of the second most traded commodity in the world, is currently dumped or landfilled. Pectcof’s first product on the market, Dutch Gum, has been successfully tested as an emulsifier, stabilizer, texturizer amongst others in candies, sauces and soft drinks, offering superior functionality at best cost-in-use and allowing more flexibility in formulation development. Our technology is a true example of biomass upcycling to novel and functional food ingredients, driven by consumer’s demand for clean-label ingredients and their consciousness about social-environmental impact.
Phytowelt GreenTechnologies GmbH
Phytowelt GreenTechnologies GmbH is an experienced, innovative SME offering contract research and production in plant and industrial biotechnology worldwide. Our know-how in plant tissue culture, genetic and bio engineering assists our clients for the optimization of plants as well as the utilisation of secondary metabolites and enzymes for industrial use. Thus we enable the production of valuable molecules within plants via key technologies such as protoplast fusion or genome editing, or outside of plants in microbes, via bio-fermentation or bio-catalysis. Our approach to link plant and industrial biotechnology is maximizing synergies and so boosting sustainable development for example in aroma, pharmaceutical or agricultural industry.
Savanna Ingredients GmbH
We are a spin-off from Pfeifer & Langen GmbH & Co.KG. As a 100% subsidiary, we are also part of the Pfeifer & Langen IHKG group of companies. Within this group, we form the Nature’s Richness Group as the dynamic New Foods division of the Pfeifer & Langen Group, together with Rügenwalder Mühle, endori and nexnoa.
As SAVANNA we develop, produce and market functional carbohydrates. Functional carbohydrates are, among others, sugars with special properties. Our product portfolio currently includes the single sugar allulose and the double sugar cellobiose. We are based in Elsdorf, the traditional location of our Pfeifer & Langen parent company. Our corporate vision and mission motivate us in our daily activities.
SBI Europe by Aquila Biolabs GmbH
Scientific Bioprocessing, Inc. (sbi) is dedicated to offering cutting-edge solutions for the life science industry, pioneering digitally simplified bioprocessing. sbi’s DOTS Platform provides a broad portfolio of state-of-the-art bioprocessing sensors (for e.g., biomass, pH, or dissolved oxygen) and actuators, as well as the innovative DOTS Software for easy sensor control and data monitoring. The DOTS Platform empowers researchers to conduct bioreactor-like experiments on a shake flask level, leading to enhanced bioprocess control, improved insights, and cost-efficiency in bioprocess development. Our team comes with years of bioprocessing experience, allowing us to offer you detailed support.
SenseUp GmbH
SenseUp develops and optimizes microbial strains for industrial amino acid production. Using its revolutionary metabolite-sensor based screening technology, SenseUp offers strains with superior productivity, massive IP-generation and short development times. The SenseUp-Technology is currently adapted to non-GM compatible natural evolution, enabling unique optimization of probiotic microorganisms in near future.
As a spin-off from Forschungszentrum Jülich, SenseUp combines decades of experience
in microbial strain-development with novel disruptive technologies.
Senzyme GmbH
Senzyme GmbH is innovatively operating in biotechnology and develops and produces technical enzymes and other additives for applications in bioenergy, biorefinement, as well as in the food and feed industries.
The company has long and substantial experience in the cultivation of fungi using solid-state fermentation as the preferred method. Senzyme GmbH maintains a quality management system and guarantees the effectiveness and quality of all its processes and products. The company always welcomes cooperations with scientific institutions and other companies.
SeSaM-Biotech GmbH
As an ‘all-in-one’ protein engineering service provider, SeSaM-Biotech improves industrial enzymes for various industry sectors like the chemical, dish&fabric, feed and food sector.
Our expertise covers a range of enzymes including amylases, lipases, esterases, cellulases, glucose oxidases, laccases, monooxygenases, phytases, proteases, pectinases, polymerases and isomerases which we already have improved towards e.g. higher activity, thermal resistance or many other characteristics. With our cutting-edge technologies for mutagenesis (e.g. SeSaM-Technology, OmniChange), computational modelling of enzymes, and individually adapted screening assays we follow our vision:
To provide our clients with ‘Quality Enzyme Solutions’ to make their products eco- friendler, more cost effective and more valuable.
Sophie’s BioNutrients
Sophie’s BioNutrients is a food tech startup company using patent pending fermentation technology to grow alternative protein from microalgae.
We have a proprietary strain of microalgae which can grow in a fermentation tank, be fed on various food waste, and could be harvested in just 3 days. Our microalgae has 60% of protein which has high quality essential amino acids profile, exceeding WHO requirements for protein products.
This can be a sustainable food source due to,
- Not much land mass is needed, and you can do it indoor (No deforestation),
- 90%+ of the water can be recycled. Very little water is used.
- Production cycle is fast, only 3-10 days, versus 45-65 days for soy, 1.5 year for beef.
- The whole system can be setup near metropolitan area to cut down the needs for agriculture and transportation, addressing the “food security” and “supply chain disruption” issues facing the world today.
- Our microalgae are fed with industrial food waste like spent grains, okara, and molasses. This is for circular economy and reduced cost.
- More importantly, NO fertilizer, herbicide, antibiotic, or even growth hormone for the whole process. Truly healthy to the environment and human body.
SynergyCom SOOO
SynergyCom SOOO is focused on sustainable and cost-effective hydrolysis lignin valorization. SynergyCom SOOO produces lignin-based chemicals for various industries, including oil and gas, environmental, construction, agricultural, mining, and several others. Businesses across many industries are beginning to see benefits in utilizing intrinsic advantages of SynergyCom’s hydrolysis lignin in its purified form as well as in its chemically modified forms enriched with high concentration of functional groups. SynergyCom SOOO pays a lot of attention to research and innovation aimed at creating environmentally friendly technologies and new lignin-based products.
Tasseikan B.V.
Tasseikan aims to develop and commercialize a biotechnology route from 1G and 2G sugars to FDCA. FDCA is the main building block for recyclable biopolymers like PEF. It is based in the Netherlands and uses its extensive biotech network in the EU to perform its activities.
the better green TEC GmbH
Forward-looking full upgrading plants
An international team of highly qualified experts plans, builds and operates full upgrading plants for fermentation substrates, sewage sludge and other agricultural residues.
Up to now, these residual materials have been spread on agricultural land, where they can lead to overfertilization of agricultural land in large parts of Germany. With the consequence of high nitrate contamination in our drinking water. This problem also exists in many other countries around the world. In our company, this results in green recyclables.
We are thus making an active contribution to reducing nitrate pollution in groundwater.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
The Oater
The Oater is a compact IoT oat milk machine for retailers. It is embedded into a holistic eco-system consisting of a smart platform & frequent ingredient deliveries. The business model is “oat milk as a service”. Businesses only pay a flat litre price and benefit from:
– better oat milk (fresher, tastier, customizable) as this brings customers to their shop
– reduced purchasing costs
– shifting to a sustainable business model and gaining market share in one of the fastest growing food markets
Twogee Biotech GbR
Twogee Biotech specializes in enzyme discovery and customized enzyme mixtures for efficient biomass valorization. We process diverse feedstocks, including wheat, barley, miscanthus, rice straw, corn stover, bagasse, softwood, and hardwood. By leveraging our cutting-edge enzyme platform technology and rapid strain development, we deliver high-performance enzymes at high production titers tailored to customer-specific needs. Serving industries across the value chain—biomass producers, sugar manufacturers, biofuel companies, and biotechnological processors—we enable efficient and cost-effective processes for low-carbon products. Twogee Biotech supports the bio-economy by converting agricultural residues into valuable products, driving innovation and global sustainability efforts.
Ucaneo Biotech GmbH
At Ucaneo we develop the world’s first cell-free Direct Air Capture technology leveraging a biocatalytic membrane to remove CO2 from the air. Climate change is a global problem and needs to be tackled at scale. Therefore, we set the goal to capture 0.5 GT of CO2 from the air by 2035 – roughly the same weight as all humans on earth combined!
Wesselmann Energie & Filtration GmbH
The company Wesselmann Energie & Filtration GmbH is engaged in the development and production of energy-related systems and fi ltration. Our main focus is on heat recovery systems and fi ltration systems for the food industry and agricultural sector. After successful development, we off er a novel ultra- or nanofi ltration with an oscillating vibration drive for diffi cult-to-fi lter media.
The main topics we specialize in are biotechnology, food technology, and recycling. Our customers come from the food industry, agriculture, and general industry. We provide an economically and ecologically interesting technology to extract substrates from previously unused biomass or reduce waste streams.
Ulrich Windmöller GmbH & Co. KG
Investors and Founders
Capricorn Venture Partners n.v.
Capricorn Partners is an independent manager of venture & growth capital and quoted equity funds, with a focus on innovative companies who use technology as a competitive advantage. We invest mainly into the relevant range of innovative digital, clean and health technologies that have a positive impact on the world. Inspired by the Chinese economy in innovative sectors, we manage a growth capital fund with a two-way Europe-China focus.
ECBF - The European Circular Bioeconomy Fund
ECBF is the first venture fund exclusively dedicated to the bioeconomy. We invest in visionary European entrepreneurs who are driving the shift from a fossil-based to a bio-based economy.
ECBF aims to catalyze the transition towards a sustainable future by investing in biobased growth-stage companies with high potential for innovation, favorable returns, and sustainable impact. As a growth-stage venture capital fund, ECBF syndicates with private and public investors to bring circular technologies and bio-products to market, offering flexible financing tools from equity to mezzanine.
With a total of EUR 300mio under management, ECBF is focus to deploy capital on attractive companies based in the EU-27 or 16-HORIZON 2020 associated countries active in AgTech, FoodTech, Industrial Biotech, Biobased Packaging or Construction Materials.
Established in Luxembourg, ECBF is managed by Hauck & Aufhäuser Funds Services S.A.
(AIFM) and advised by the experienced investment team of ECBF Management GmbH.
NRW.BANK
NRW.BANK is the promotional bank of North Rhine-Westphalia. It essentially orients its equity products on the business life cycle. The program “NRW.SeedCap” doubles initial investments of business angels in innovative start-ups under the same conditions. The “NRW.BANK.Seed Fonds Initiative” and the “NRW.BANK.Venture Fonds” invigorate early-phase funding in NRW. Within the “win NRW.BANK Business Angels Initiative” private investors (business angels) support young entrepreneurs with capital and know-how. The “NRW.BANK.Venture Center” is a specialist advisory unit for business founders from universities and research institutions as well as innovative start-ups.
Sofinnova Partners SAS
Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm in life sciences, specializing in healthcare and sustainability. Based in Paris, London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of professionals from all over the world with strong scientific, medical and business expertise. Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on company builder across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. The firm actively partners with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to develop transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact our collective future.
Founded in 1972, Sofinnova Partners is a deeply established venture capital firm in Europe, with 50 years of experience backing over 500 companies and creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over €2.5 billion under management.
Infrastructure (Business Support & Networks)
BCNP Consultants GmbH
BCNP Consultants GmbH is specialized in the industries biotech, chemistry, nanotech and pharma (BCNP). The three divisions of BCNP Consultants are:
BCNP strategy
On basis of our business analyses (market and competitor analysis, technology comparisons) you are able to design and sharpen your business model, to write the business case and to identify new M&A targets.
BCNP connect
On the basis of our vivid business networks in the life sciences industry we bring you together with relevant people in order to support you in filling your customer pipeline.
European Chemistry Partnering
Since 2017 innovators – from chemistry to bio-economy, from engineering to digitization – have been meeting twice a year: In February at the European Chemistry Partnering and in September at the ECP Summer Summit.
BioBall e.V.
The aim of the BioBall Innovation Space is to generate new utilization paths for the Frankfurt/RhineMain metropolitan region based on biogenic residual and waste materials and thus to become a model region for a sustainable, bio-based economy.
BioBall identifies and brings together stakeholders – from waste management companies and technology developers all the way to consumers – and initiates and funds new research, development and innovation projects. The resulting synergies in this BioBall Innovation Alliance promote the rapid exploitation of new tailor-made biobased value chains for metropolitan regions.
All BioBall projects have a high scientific demand and are application-oriented as well. The technologies pave the way towards a sustainable, bio-based economy
BioIndustry e.V.
BioIndustry e.V. is a registered association whose main purpose is to activate, concentrate and develop biotechnological competencies in the Ruhr region. The key aspects of BioIndustry‘s activity are industrial biotechnology and bioprocessing technologies, microstructure technology, X-omics and bioinformatics. As a networking service cluster of 50 companies, research and training institutes, technology centres, biotechnological service providers and public business development organisations, the associations objective is to generate product- and process-innovations. This objective will be met by supporting the active transfer from ideas to market.
BioRiver - Life Science im Rheinland e.V.
BioRiver – Joining forces for Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Founded in 2004, BioRiver – Life Science im Rheinland e.V. is fully committed to representing the Life Sciences sector in the bioregion Rhineland as an independent industry organisation. The essential aims of BioRiver are to build a strong network within the biotech sector, to improve the political and economic conditions as well as to market the bioregion Rhineland and its members. Thanks to the strong profiles of the partners in the network, it has been possible to initiate various collaboration projects and gain direct access to experts in both business and academia.
BlackIP GmbH
BlackIP – Full-Service IP Provider
BlackIP consulting | BlackIP legal | BlackIP finance | BlackIP support
As of 2023 the BlackIP legal patent law firm as well as BlackIP finance became part of the BlackIP Group. Jointly we now form a full-service IP provider.
BlackIP consulting offers consulting, management and administrative support in all matters of IP protection, as well as IP search and analysis, process management and integration, and inventors’ remuneration services.
We additional offer software solutions and support for IP portfolio management and IP monitoring.
With the BlackIP legal patent law firm, BlackIP can provide all legal services in the matter of intellectual property rights, i.e. patents, trademarks, designs, legal opinions, due diligence, and license agreements.
With BlackIP finance, BlackIP can offer valuation of IP portfolios, consulting and support on IP exploitation, IP due diligence, and consult M&A transactions.
chemstars
Despite excellent research and various support structures, a comparatively low number of startups with ties to the chemical industry has emerged in Germany over the past
years. But this is about to change.
chemstars is an initiative of market-leading companies from the chemical industry, the German chemical industry association (VCI) NRW and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to foster entrepreneurship in the chemical space. We’re on a mission to help create more and better startups with touch points to the chemical industry.
Eder Schieschke & Partner mbB
The chemical department of the intellectual property law firm Eder Schieschke & Partner mbB has specialized in representing clients in the field of organic chemistry, biochemistry and biotechnology before the European Patent Office, the German Patent and Trademark Office, the German Patent Court and the European Intellectual Property Organization in all areas of intellectual property law.
Amongst obtaining patent rights, utility model rights and trademark rights Eder Schieschke & Partner mbB’s expertise is also directed to license agreements, preparation of invalidity, infringement and freedom-to-operate studies, as well as German employee law.
As a member of CLIB, Eder Schieschke & Partner mbB is supporting the Cluster with the realization of IP coaching seminars for start-ups and SMEs.
Flanders Investment & Trade
Innovative clusters are of key importance to Flanders as a knowledge region. „Sustainable Resources, Materials & Chemistry“ is as one of the five key value chains of Flanders Accelerates.
The strategic partnership between chemical sector federation essenscia and Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) aims at sustainably strengthening and expanding the international position of Flanders‘ chemical sector through promotion, growth support for start-ups and SMEs, knowledge exchange and more.
With its consistent focus on innovation, its top position in chemical activities, combined with the 1ˢᵗ incubator for sustainable chemistry, BlueChem, Flanders is the ideal location for start-ups and growth companies to innovate, sustainably grow and succeed in the heart of Europe.
IBioIC Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre
The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre’s (IBioIC) role, as a specialist in the Industrial Biotechnology (IB) sector, is to stimulate the growth of the IB sector in Scotland to £900 million by 2025. IBioIC connects industry, academia and government, and facilitates collaborations, provides scale-up capabilities, creates networks, and develops skills.
IBioIC supports transition into IB by helping companies to understand the benefits and opportunities, overcome any barriers and to make sure our members are in touch with the right people to guide them through the technology and its consequent translation and implementation in their business.
MHK-Consult
MHK-Consult offers consulting services in the sector of process development and process evaluation, covering all steps from lab to commercial production. Consulting mainly focuses on industrial bioprocesses seen in a holistic view. It includes the areas feedstock, process concepts, process design, process integration and process optimization and intensification. MHK-Consult’s services support process scale-up and help achieve industrial maturity.
MHK-Consult also consults in the area of technology development, where the term technology describes a balanced triangle consisting of materials and methods, manufacturing processes and assets and applications and market.
nova-Institut GmbH
nova-Institute is a private and independent research institute, founded in 1994; nova offers research and consultancy with a focus on the transition of the chemical and material industry to renewable carbon. What are future challenges, environmental benefits and successful strategies to substitute fossil carbon with biomass, direct CO2 utilisation and recycling? What are the most promising concepts and applications? We offer our unique understanding supporting the transition of your business into a climate neutral future. Our subjects include feedstock, technologies and markets, economy and policy, sustainability, communication and strategy development. The nova team consists of around 50 employees.
PROvendis GmbH
PROvendis acts as a professional service provider in the entire field of IP management for more than 30 universities and extra-university research institutions as well as for companies and start-ups.
We provide an exclusive access to licensable inventions of approx. 20,000 scientists from the areas of medicine, natural sciences and engineering.
Our Life Sciences Team consists of experienced innovation managers with professional expertise in the fields of biology, chemistry, medicine and pharma. They identify suitable partners, negotiate license agreements and promote long-term research collaborations.
Scalable IP
Networking, learning about current issues and challenges companies are facing, and building business relationships.
Schnee Research
Schnee Research sees itself as a mediator between financial markets (e.g. investors) and small to mid-sized companies in different areas (e.g. biotech, chemical industry). Having worked for some years as analyst in the financial industry (independent research house, and rating agency), I now keep strong ties to the chemical industry from by background as a trained chemist (Dipl.-Chem.) and to biotech from my thesis work. My business activities in the area of white biotechnology are focused on evaluation and scouting. I focus on the analysis and evaluation of privately owned as well as listed biotech companies or their development projects.
I was contracted as independent specialist by an investment bank to consult and assist a white biotechnology company in obtaining funding. Schnee Research offers two different services directly or via its cooperation partners faireseach (pure-play financial research) and Breslin. As a consequence, Schnee Research can span an investment bank’s value chain with its entire network. The services of Schnee Research are closer to the money market than to production.
Verband der Chemischen Industrie (VCI) NRW
The “Verband der Chemischen Industrie e. V. NRW” (the Chemical Industry Association in North Rhine-Westphalia) represents the politico-economic interests of more than 500 NRW chemical companies and NRW subsidiaries of foreign enterprises in contacts with
politicians, public authorities, other industries, the world of science, and the media.
VCI NRW represents about 30 % of the entire German chemical industry, an industry that realised sales of 50 billion euros in 2018 and employed some 110,000 staff. A main focus of the last years was the interlinking of industry and science especially in the area of biotechnology. The association’s policies are shaped by a presidential council which works in an honorary capacity and the VCI NRW executive management
Yncoris GmbH & Co. KG
YNCORIS places particular emphasis on the engineering of individual plants – from process development and conceptual design to basic and detailed engineering, regardless of whether we just carry out sub-services or take over the general planning for every stage. YNCORIS does not supply one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, we adopt a flexible approach and gear ourselves towards the specific requirements of the current project stage – step- by-step. Thanks to a broad range of diverse engineering fields and an extensive selection of methods, we can guarantee the highest degree of flexibility with regard to content.
The Chemiepark Knapsack near Cologne in Germany also offers companies a scale-up platform and access to know-how for bio-based production and integration into existing value chains. The innovative capacity of the Chemiepark Knapsack, solid infrastructure, plug&play services, as well as less bureaucracy and red tape all offer huge benefits for your company to commercialize your product.
Academia (Universities & Research Institutions)
Bielefeld University - CeBiTec
CeBiTec is one of the largest faculty-spanning central academic institutions at Bielefeld University. Its purpose is to bundle the biotechnological activities and research projects at the university, to foster cross-linking of research approaches and technologies from different research fields, and to develop innovative projects within its two main research areas ‘Large Scale Genomics and Big Data Bioinformatics’ and ‘Metabolic Engineering of Unicellular Systems and Bioproduction’.
The availability of comprehensive technological infrastructure as being provided by CeBiTec’s Technology Platforms is crucial for a successful scientific work. Furthermore, the CeBiTec considers itself as a central communication platform and a ‘think tank’ of the university with respect to initiatives and activities with a dedicated biotechnological perspective.
Eindhoven University of Technology
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is a research university, founded in 1956, specializing in engineering science & technology. The Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry aspires to be an academic institution for education and research in chemical science and engineering of the highest international standard. The aim is to generate and to develop technology and scientific knowledge relevant for the long-term needs of society.
Scientific curiosity and the use of newly generated knowledge are the main driving forces behind the continuing enhancement of our expertise in (electro-)chemical reactor engineering, multiscale & multiphase modelling, process intensification, membrane processes and heterogeneous catalysis.
Federal Research Center of Biotechnology RAS
Russian Academy of Sciences was organized through merging the A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry RAS (INBI RAS), the S.N. Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology RAS and the Centre «Bioengineering» RAS.
The Research Centre of Biotechnology RAS carries out basic and applied research in the fields of biochemistry and biotechnology, microbiology, genomics, bioengineering and genetic engineering, biocatalysis, system and structural biology, biogeotechnologies, bioremediation, agrobiotechnologies, food quality and safety.
The Centre is the key member of the Russian Technology Platform «Bioindustry and Bioresources–BioTech2030». The Russian National Contact Point on Biotechnology, three core facilities, an accredited testing laboratory, and an experimental greenhouse are functioning at the Centre.
FH Aachen
With more than 15,000 students, almost 2,000 graduates every year, 10 faculties, about 100 degree programmes, twelve in-house and five affiliated institutes as well as four competence platforms, FH Aachen, with its two campuses in Aachen and Jülich, is one of the largest and most important universities of applied sciences in Germany. The Faculty of Chemistry and Biotechnology at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences brings together the necessary skills for applied research in the fields of biotechnology, chemistry, physics and engineering.
Activities in the CLIB Cluster include Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology (Institute of Nano- and Biotechnologies, INB), Bioprocess Engineering and Downstream Processing, Sustainable Organic Chemistry (Institute of Applied Polymer Chemistry, IAP)
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
IBG-1: Biotechnology is a leading institute in the field of microbial biotechnology and biocatalysis. Multipurpose microbial production platforms (e.g. C. glutamicum, P. putida) are used for the production of industrially, nutritionally or pharmaceutically relevant products (bulk / fine chemicals, natural products, enzymes/proteins) from renewable carbon sources. Methods of synthetic biology are used for establishing novel concepts in strain development and engineering of metabolic pathways. Moreover, multi-step enzyme cascades for cell-free biosynthesis are developed. Process development is based on lab automation systems combined with extensive digitalization. IBG-1 runs an extensive “omics” platform (sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics and fluxomics) for strain characterization and a single-cell analysis lab. Microbial cultivation facilities range from microfluidic devices over parallelized mini bioreactor systems up to pilot plant scale. Lab investigations are tightly integrated with mathematical modelling, data analysis, experimental design and process optimization.
Fraunhofer IGB
The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB develops and optimizes processes and products in the fields of health, sustainable chemistry and environment. Main topics in the sustainable chemistry field are biobased chemicals and materials, the utilization of CO2 and chemical recycling as well as modular plant construction and demonstration.
In the area of Industrial Biotechnology we focus on establishing, optimising and scaling up processes that take place with the help of enzymes or microorganisms. In some cases, the desired conversion also becomes possible through combination with chemical transformation processes. In the development of the conversion processes under laboratory conditions and the optimisation of the biocatalysts, the focus is already on scaling up the processes and processing the products. At the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP, the Leuna branch of the institute, infrastructure and pilot plants are available to scale up processes to production-relevant dimensions.
Fraunhofer IME
The Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME conducts research in the field of applied life sciences from a molecular level to entire ecosystems. By strategic orientation along the value chain, the Fraunhofer IME follows the mission to take innovative products closer towards the market, to develop enabling technologies, and provide scientific services to partners from academic institutions and industry.
In the area of industrial biotechnology, the Fraunhofer IME offers research in the field of directed evolution, classical strain improvement, metabolic pathway engineering, and fermentation. Besides scientific expertise, we possess state-of-the-art facilities for high-throughput screening, enzyme production & purification, fermentation process development, and protein crystallization and modelling.
Fraunhofer UMSICHT
Fraunhofer UMSICHT supports industries and society in the transfer to a climate-neutral and circular economic system. Our research focuses on Circular Economy, Green Hydrogen, Carbon Management and Local Energy Systems.
We develop materials and processes for the circular use of resources and for the electrochemical pro-duction, use and storage of green hydrogen. We also offer solutions for the sustainable use of carbon and develop energy concepts for climate-neutral residential, commercial and industrial sites.
We combine expertise in process engineering, energy technology and materials development with a comprehensive view of the challenges facing large-scale industry, SMEs and society. We provide holistic utilization advice, point out options for action, weigh them up and develop the best solution in each case.
Fraunhofer WKI
The Fraunhofer Institut für Holzforschung, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut (WKI) works as closely and as application-oriented with the companies of the wood and furniture industries and the supplier industry as it does with the construction industry, the chemical industry and the automotive industry. Virtually all procedures and materials, which result from the research activities of the Institute, are used industrially.
WKI has extensive competence in the areas of intermediates preparation from biosourced raw materials and polymer synthesis. The focus was laid on the modification of vegetable oils, saccharides, utilising building blocks generated by industrial biotechnology, and the utilisation of lignin for various applications for generating coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers.
WKI stands for R & D along the value chain, starting with monomers to end-use applications.
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
The Institutes of Molecular Enzyme Technology (IMET) and Bioorganic Chemistry (IBOC) of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf are located on campus of the Forschungszentrum Jülich as part of the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences IBG-1: Biotechnology which holds a leading position nationally and internationally in the field of basic research and biotechnological applications of microorganisms. The position of the institute director of the IMET is currently vacant. The IBOC directed by Prof. Dr. Jörg Pietruszka currently employs about 30 people. Five scientific topics, ‘Secondary metabolite enzymology’, ‘Enzymes in Biocatalysis’, ‘Flow Chemistry’, ‘Bio-, Semi-, and Mutasynthesis’ as well as ‘Natural compound synthesis’, are covered together with the group leaders Dr. Thomas Classen and Dr. Andreas S. Klein.
Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt
Founded in 2009 Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences has developed rapidly, currently counting 4,700 students in 14 Bachelor and 10 Master degree programs. The focus is on the students, professional and individual development is supported by practice-oriented teaching which is oriented towards the needs of the changing society and the dynamic working environment. Mentoring between scientific and practical experts, research marketing and reporting, founding, inventions and industrial property rights, promotion of cooperations between science, companies, and institutions are the main tasks. With cooperative doctoral studies, the HSHL offers the opportunity for a further scientific qualification in research projects for qualified graduates of Master degree programs.
Invite GmbH
Our research center and headquarters are located at CHEMPARK Leverkusen in Germany, where we bring research and practice together under one roof in an open innovation platform.
Our mission: Accelarate utilization of innovative technologies through exploration + demonstration
Our vision: Your preferred partner for unbiased exploration of future technologies. In collaboration with partners, we build a bridge between academic breakthroughs and your industry application.
For this, we continuously expand our academic network. Collaboration with leading research groups forms the basis to identify innovative technologies early on.
Hochschule Niederrhein
The Hochschule Niederrhein is one of the largest and top-performing universities for applied sciences in Germany. We are a renowned educational and research institution. With ten faculties, 244 professors, about 13,000 students, we are an important contact for companies from the region for research and transfer. Activities in the CLIB Cluster include Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology, Sustainable Organic Chemistry (Faculty of Chemistry, Institute ILOC), Applied Mycology, Microbiology, Food Biotechnology (Faculty of Food, Nutrition and Hospitality Sciences, Competence Centers CCMB, KAMU), Sustainable Textiles (Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology, Institute FTB), Logistics and IT (Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Institute GEMIT).
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain)
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) provides innovative biotechnological solutions to help solve the global challenges and support the transformation from conventional industrial production to sustainable bio-based processes that can drive the green transition. The center is a world leader in developing new technologies for engineering microbes and turning them into cell factories, which are designed for efficient and sustainable production of a specific compound in a commercially competitive way. The Center is part of a cluster of research centers that aim at attracting the world’s best researchers, and thereby creating the basis for an internationally oriented and innovative research environment of the highest quality to strengthen the green transition.
Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology: Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), Chinese Academy of Sciences is one of China’s primary national research institutions for renewable energy and green materials, focusing mainly on research and development of the resources, technologies, products and processes for bio-based energy and materials. QIBEBT currently has a staff of 800, 470 of whom are full-time employees and 330 are graduate students. The institute offers PhD, Master and Postdoctoral programs in biology, chemical engineering and technology, and material science and engineering. The institute attaches high importance to promoting international cooperation and has more than 170 global partners including Boeing, Shell, P & G and Total.
Ruhr University Bochum
Located in the heart of Europe in the dynamic metropolitan region of the Ruhrgebiet, Ruhr University with its 21 faculties is home to about 40,000 students and driving force of social change. With the mission statement “Built to change”, RUB understands the ins and outs of change: It has spearheaded the transformation of the Ruhr region from a mining community to a science hub since 1965. Its reformist mindset defies academic tradition. Its mission is to provide education for all. As a research-intensive comprehensive university, RUB has enormous potential to make a significant contribution to meeting major societal challenges. Diversity, internationality, interdisciplinarity, sustainability, and transfer are just few of the main pillars RUB strengthens to meet these challenges.
RWTH Aachen – Lehrstuhl für Biotechnologie
We are experts in biocatalyst engineering with a focus on directed protein evolution. We are developing novel random mutagenesis methods (SeSaM: Sequence Saturation Method), high throughput screening systems and computational programs to manage the complexity of protein sequence space.
Based on our core competencies in directed protein evolution we founded a company (SeSaM-Biotech) and collaborate with leading companies in the field of industrial biotechnology. With our expertise we aim to understand structure-function relationships of biocatalysts and functional biomaterials in order to solve significant problems in industrial biocatalysis.
Startup Labor Schwedt, HNE Eberswalde
The startup Labor Schwedt brings innovative solutions to where they can scale. To do this, we turn an industrial location into a driver for industrial change. Together with startups, industrial partners and the region, we are working on an industrial future that is innovative, sustainable and resource-efficient. We are looking into carbon value chains from CO2, Biomass, and recycling with chemical and biotechnological processes aiming at fibler-applications, sustainable biofuels, and specialty chemicals. With our partner organization Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development, we have sound abilities in assessing the lifecycle of a product from the biomass origin in agriculture or forestry up to final product.
TH Köln - University of Applied Sciences
The TH Köln – University of Technology, Arts, Sciences offers students and scientists from Germany and abroad an inspirational study and research environment in the social, cultural, engineering, and natural sciences. Currently there are more than 24,000 students from about 120 countries enrolled in over 90 bachelor’s and master’s programs of 11 interdisciplinary faculties.
Climate change and scarce resources are some of the major challenges mankind will be facing in the coming decades. The faculty of Applied Natural Sciences at Campus Leverkusen engages itself in chemical and biotechnological research projects to address these ‘great challenges’ and actively contributes to the advancement of science and economy.
Technische Universiteit Delft (TU Delft)
Technische Universiteit Delft (TU Delft) contributes to solving global challenges by educating new generations of socially responsible engineers and expanding the frontiers of the engineering science.
In CLIB, TU Delft is represented by the Department of Biotechnology.
The Department of Biotechnology engages in internationally-leading education programmes and offers a stimulating research environment in the biosciences that combines fundamental science, engineering, and design, all directed towards biotechnological process innovations. The Department covers the areas of biocatalysis, industrial microbiology, environmental biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, and biotechnology and society. The Department harbours excellent laboratory facilities and infrastructure.
TU Dortmund University
The Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering (BCI) at TU Dortmund University is the largest and one of the most successful engineering departments in Germany. It is active in all areas of biochemical and chemical engineering. The strength of the department is its multidisciplinarity, linking various research areas, from fundamentals (e.g. thermodynamics, biochemistry) to (bio)process engineering, thus covering all stages of integrated (bio)process development. The department has a track record of bringing together academia and companies for the design and optimization of safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable processes and products for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and related industries. BCI is a partner in the graduate cluster AUFBRUCH.
Flemish Institute for Technological Research, VITO
VITO is at the forefront of Sustainable Chemistry, focusing on process intensification and the shift to sustainable resources. Our key innovations revolve around integrating conversion with separation processes to boost efficiency and sustainability. This includes in situ product recovery, integrated control of equilibrium reactions, and advanced membrane-based separation techniques.
We specialize in leveraging alternative resources like CO2 and lignin to produce polymers and platform chemicals. Our work in lignin conversion transforms this abundant biomass into valuable chemicals and materials, while our expertise in pressure fermentation and biocatalysis enhances the production of sustainable bioproducts.
Wageningen University and Research
To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.
Wageningen University and Research is a joint venture between the Wageningen University, which focuses on education and fundamental research, and Wageningen Research which conducts applied research directly for industry. In CLIB, the WUR is represented by five academic chair group – Bioprocess Engineering, Microbiology, Systems and Synthetic Biology, Environmental Technology and Biobased Commodity Chemistry – and by the applied research centre Food & Biobased Research (WFBR).
The groups study microbial processes intra-cellular, cellular, inter-cellular, reactor, and environmental scale with a strong link to the chemical industry. The generated knowledge at the University is translated into application, by WFBR, for production and biorefinery of pharmaceuticals, healthy food ingredients, bulk chemicals, and biofuels.
Wood K Plus
Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH (Wood K plus) is an international active, non-university research organisation in the area wood, renewables as well as bio-based waste streams in Austria. Our core competences are materials research and process technology along the complete value chain – from raw material to finished products accompanied by sustainable assessment. We develop methods and basics and perform applied research on the economy-science interface, in order to enable resource-efficient management in the circular bioeconomy.
Wood K plus has a comprehensive laboratory and technical-centre infrastructure and also acts as project manager from project definition, preparation of applications for projects, integration of partners over processing to clearing and communication with sponsors.
Honorary Members
Prof. Dr. Karl-Erich Jaeger
Hans-Jürgen Mittelstaedt
Dr. Manfred Kircher
Prof. Dr. Rolf Schmid
Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Maurer
Become a member
The aim of CLIB is to foster industrial biotechnology in academia and its use in the industrial economy.
Various companies and organisations can become full members of CLIB.
These include:
Universities as well as other research institutions and educational institutions that support the aim of the cluster through their thematic orientation.
Companies whose business model fosters the objectives of the association can become members as industrial companies or as SMEs if they:
use or intend to use industrial biotechnology for the development and manufacture of products or processes,
provide services and supplies for the economical utilisation of industrial biotechnology in the commercial sector, or
have a special interest in the use of biotechnologically manufactured products.
Companies and organisations whose activities are closely related to industrial biotechnology and whose membership is of special interest for the purpose of the association as well as investors can also become full members of CLIB.
If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact us!
