Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport, Urban and Regional Development

www.hessen-biotech.de

Hessen Biotech

Hessen – there’s no way around us.

13

H

11

106 7

3

9

12

1

8

1415

17 18 19

Gießen

Hanau

Frankfurt

LudwigshafenKaiserslautern

Saarbrücken

Darmstadt

Marburg

G

n

Industrial Biotechnology in HessenA Guided Tour through the User Sectors

Industrial Biotechnology in Hessen

A Guided Tour through the User Sectors

Volume 11 of the Publication Seriesof the Aktionslinie Hessen-Biotech

Imprint

Industrial Biotechnology in HessenA Guided Tour through the User Sectors

PublisherHA Hessen Agentur GmbHDr. Thomas NiemannAbraham-Lincoln-Strasse 38-4265189 Wiesbaden, GermanyPhone +49 611 774-8646Fax +49 611 774-8620www.hessen-biotech.de

The publisher does not take any responsibilityfor the correctness, preciseness and complete-ness of the information given, or for obser-vance of the private rights of third parties.Opinions and views expressed in this publica-tion do not necessarily reflect those of thepublisher.

Responsible EditorDr. Thomas NiemannHA Hessen Agentur GmbH,Cluster Integrierte Bioindustrie (CIB) FrankfurtAbraham-Lincoln-Strasse 38-4265189 Wiesbaden, Germanywww.hessen-biotech.de

With the collaboration ofDr. Holger Bengs – Biotech ConsultingVarrentrappstrasse 40-4260486 Frankfurt am Main, Germanywww.holgerbengs.de

© Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport,Urban and Regional DevelopmentJens KrügerKaiser-Friedrich-Ring 7565185 Wiesbaden, Germanywww.wirtschaft.hessen.de

Layout: WerbeAtelier Theißen, Lohfelden

Print: Druckerei ausDRUCK, Kassel

January 2011

1

Content

Preamble ............................................................................................... 2

Industrial Biotechnology is the link

Interdisciplinary Research for Practical Application ........ 3

CIB Frankfurt – the Competence Network forIndustrial Biotechnology in Hessen ......................................... 4

Hessen – Innovation Centre forIndustrial Biotechnology ............................................................... 5

Industrial Biotechnology is beauty care

More effective cosmetics .............................................................. 6

Industrial Biotechnology is energy

Regenerative fuels ............................................................................ 9

Industrial Biotechnology is clothing

Enzymes in the textile and leather industries .................. 12

Industrial Biotechnology puts the flavour in

Food production with Industrial Biotechnology ............. 14

Industrial Biotechnology protects the environment

Microorganisms and enzymes remove pollution ........... 17

Industrial Biotechnology has a future

A world without chimneys ......................................................... 19

Publication Series of the Aktionslinie Hessen-Biotech ....................................... 21

13

11

106 7

9

12

1

8

1415

17 18 19

Gießen

H

Hanau

Frankfurt

L h fDarmstadt

Marburg

Göttingen

2

Industrial Biotechnology – or White Biotechnology,as it is also called – has an important potential con-tribution to make to the further development of ourindustrial society. It will help to put sustainability ona sure footing in industry and safeguard the compe -titiveness of the German and European economy.Industrial Biotechnology has already successfullycaptured key market positions in a number of seg-ments. In the food, cosmetics and textile industries,in drug production and in fine chemicals, biotech-nological processes by now ac-count for about 5 percent of the total turnover of the chemical industry. However, in view of the increasing scarcityof resources and rising energy prices, experts believe that this share will grow yet further in theyears to come. Hessen, with its long tradition inchemistry and its effective research, is well qualifiedto play a pioneer role not only now but also wellinto the future.

Greater sustainability in industrial production

“Agenda 21” gave the starting signal for inter -national initiatives in favour of a sustainable way oflife. Since then, a great number of countries havecommitted themselves to achieving a balance between economy, ecology and social aspects ofeconomic activity. This goal is becoming of evergreater public and political importance. With theaid of biotechnological processes it will be possi-ble ultimately to reduce costs and environmentalpollution, while at the same time creating morejobs.

One of the pioneers of Industrial Biotechnology came from Hessen

Ten years or so ago, Industrial Biotechnology wasput back into the centre of attention with a studyby the Organization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD) – after all, the principle is initself not new. As early as 1907, the pharmacistOtto Röhm in Darmstadt extracted enzymes fromthe pancreas of animals with a view to makingleather tanning more environmentally friendly. Hessen can thus count itself as a pioneer of aglobal development.

This guided tour through Industrial Biotechnologyin Hessen’s universities, research institutes andcompanies will give you an idea of the situation asit is at present – though without neglecting currentlaboratory developments and visions for tomorrow.We in Hessen, situated at the very centre of Europe,see ourselves in an excellent position to make asustainable contribution for our future, in coopera-tion with others at both national and internationallevel. The achievements of Industrial Biotechno -logy will help to shape our everyday lives – eco -logically, economically and in a socially acceptableway – to ensure sustainability now and over thegenerations to come.

Sincerely,

Dieter Posch

Hessian Minister of

Economy, Transport, Urban

and Regional Development

Dear Readers,

Dieter Posch

Hessian Minister of Economy, Transport,

Urban and Regional Development

Everything comes together in Hessen

Hessen is one of Europe’s key locations for IndustrialBiotechnology. The pace here is set mainly by smalland medium-sized companies. With companies suchas BRAIN, BioSpring, nadicom, N-Zyme BioTec andAB Enzymes, a solid core of enzyme and biocatalysisspecialist has come into being. Only Hessen canshow such a concentration of small and medium-sized companies with a powerful R&D base. With itslong tradition as a location for chemistry, Hessen alsohas many production sites belonging to large con-cerns – Sandoz (Frankfurt), Evonik (Hanau), Merck andEvonik Röhm (Darmstadt), to name just a few. In ad-dition to these key companies in the sector, Hessenalso has a number of excellent research facilities inthis field. The highcompetence in this region was oneof the decisive reasons why Hessen’s cluster concept“Integrated Bioindustry” was chosen as winner of thecountrywide Industrial Biotechnology cluster contest.

The research facilities and companies in Hessen coverthe entire value chain in Industrial Biotechnology:

a Development of cost-efficient substrates

a Provision of suitable enzymes and expression systems

a Optimization of metabolic pathways (metabolic design)

a Development of novel and more effective recovery and purification methods (downstream processing)

3

Industrial – or White – Biotechnology is a genuineinterdisciplinary technology: located at the inter-faces of chemistry, biology and the engineering sciences, it takes advantage of nature’s own tools. Ituses microorganisms and enzymes to create newsubstances and processes for the purpose of pro-ducing innovations for many very different user sectors. For example, amino acids, vitamins

and aromas for the food and feed industries, newactive ingredients for the cosmetics industry, specialtechnical enzymes for the textile and paper indus-tries, and a wide range of innovative processes forgenerating energy and protecting the environment.Innovations of this kind call for many different com-petences along the value chain in Industrial Biotech-nology.

Industrial Biotechnology is the linkInterdisciplinary Research for Practical Application

Company Town

Agricu

lture

Aromas

Biomed

ine

Soil re

med

iatio

n

Chem

istry

Ene

rgy

Animal fe

eds

Hea

lth

Cosm

etics

Plastic

s

Food

Leather

Textile

s

Env

. protection

Major concerns

Evonik Degussa GmbH Hanau X X X X

Merck KGaA Darmstadt X X

Sandoz Industrial Products GmbH Frankfurt a. M. X X

Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH Frankfurt a. M. X

Small and medium-sized companies

AB Enzymes GmbH Darmstadt X X X X

B.R.A.I.N AG Zwingenberg X X X X X

BioSpring GmbH Frankfurt a. M. X X

nadicom GmbH Marburg X X X

N-Zyme BioTec GmbH Darmstadt X X X X X X X

Research facilities Special feature

Universities of Applied Sciences inDarmstadt, Giessen, Frankurt am Main

Main focus biotechnology and process engineering

Technical University DarmstadtGoethe University Frankfurt

Joint Master’s course Molecular Biotechnology

Justus Liebig University Giessen Hessen’s only food chemistry course

Justus Liebig University Giessen LOEWE Focal Point* Fraunhofer Bioresources Project Group

Philipps University Marburg MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology

Joint LOEWE Project* “Synthetic Microbiology”

Karl Winnacker Institute ofDECHEMA in Frankfurt

Bioprocess engineering, interface between research and industry

* LOEWE: State Offensive for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence

Hessen’s Competences in Industrial Biotechnology

4

The Cluster Initiative Integrated Biotechnology (CIB)Frankfurt, with its focus on fine and specialty chem-istry, was among the winners of the “BioIndustry2021” contest held by the Federal Ministry of Re-search. Nineteen competitors from throughout Ger-many originally took part. Five winners were selectedby an international jury. As a first step, funds to a totalof five million euros were awarded to IndustrialBiotechnology projects in Hessen. The Cluster Man-agement of the CIB Frankfurt organizes an annualcongress for the actors in Industrial Biotechnologyas the main get together for the sector. This is an oc-casion for presenting new ideas for projects, dis-cussing research results with a view to their industrialapplication potential, and identifying new partners –thus creating the basis for new joint projects.

To get new processes and innovative products readyfor the market, the Frankfurt Cluster now has the sup-port of about 80 partners from science and industrywith their competences in the key technologies ofenzyme catalysis, fermentation and downstream pro-cessing. Seven projects with a total volume of morethan 11 million euros have already grown out of CIB’spartnering activities. In a variety of fields such aspharmaceutical precursors, cosmetic active ingre -dients, fine chemicals and nutrients, well-known representatives of the various user industries fromthroughout Germany, including Sanofi-Aventis,Merck, DSM, BASF and Symrise, are active in thefunding projects of CIB Frankfurt.

Cluster Integrated Bioindustry Frankfurt

Further developments in Industrial Biotechnologywill depend, among other things, on whether thecombined efforts of all parties concerned can suc-cessfully promote good ideas and provide help forinnovative companies during the start-up phase. Tothis end, Hessen’s government set up a State Offen-sive for the Development of Scientific and EconomicExcellence (LOEWE) in 2008 with a view to providinglong-term support for the research landscape. Thisespecially includes new ideas in Industrial Biotech-nology. Insect biotechnology – a major new researchline of the Justus Liebig University in Giessen andthe Fraunhofer Gesellschaft – is being promoted inits work of discovering new active ingredients for thechemical and pharmaceutical industry in the meta -bolism of insects. Another key element of the Frank-furt Cluster concept is the financing of IndustrialBiotechnology companies. For this purpose “CIB invest” was set up. Companies are brought togetherwith investors at conferences and workshops on thesubject of financing. The entrepreneurs are givencoaching before these decisive discussions are held.One result of the exchanges between experts from

the technical and financial spheres is that an increas-ing number of bankers and venture capital investorsare coming to realize the investment opportunitiesopened up by Industrial Biotechnology.

The results of research cannot be planned. But theclose cooperation between public and private fund-ing can enhance the probability of success. Nearnessto the financial centre Frankfurt and the subsequentnetworking with wider circles are of inestimablevalue for this type of public-private partnership.

Capital for Industrial Biotechnology

C I B Fr a n k f u r t

CIB Frankfurt – the Competence Network forIndustrial Biotechnology in Hessen

“At a rough estimate, the amount of capi-

tal which will be required by existing

start-ups or small and medium-sized

companies, and potential start-ups over

the next few years will amount to about

500 million euros.”

Dr. Gunter Festel, Festel Capital

5

In Hessen, funds of more than 32 million euros aremade available for Industrial Biotechnology. Fundingof this future technology is an integral part of Hessen’s government programmes. Approximately26 million euros are being invested through Hessen’sfunding programme LOEWE (State Offensive for theDevelopment of Scientific and Economic Excellence)in projects, centres and focal points of IndustrialBiotechnology.

13

Hamburg

11

106 7

45

3

2

9

12

1

8

1415

17 18 19

Gießen

Hannover

Hanau

Frankfurt

LudwigshafenKaiserslautern

Saarbrücken

Darmstadt

ReutlingenSpain

<

Marburg

Göttingen

Holzminden

Bremerhaven

Grenzach-Wyhlen

Konstanz

Aachen

Leipzig

Dresden

Berlin

Lead arrangersPartners

Project No. Funding programme

1 – 7 BioIndustry 2021

8 – 10 3 funding

11 3 centres

12 3 special funding

13 –15 FNR (Agency for Renewable Resources)

16 –19 Other funding programmes

Total

(DBU ChemBioTec, ProInno, Eurostarter)

Funding volume

5.1m euros

0.7m euros

21.3m euros

4.0m euros

0.6m euros

0.9m euros

Total volume

11.2m euros

1.4m euros

21.3m euros

4.0m euros

1.1m euros

2.7m euros

32.6m euros 41.7m euros

HessenInnovation Centre for Industrial Biotechnology

Source: HA Hessen Agentur GmbH

“The BioIndustry 2021 initiative of the

BMBF [Federal Ministry of Education and

Research] helps to ensure that ideas and

research results in the field of “White Bio -

technology” can be brought on the market

more quickly in the form of products. To

this end, regional and cross-regional part-

ners from science, economy and finance

should come together from the beginning.”

Dr. Christian Müller, BMBF Berlin

Industrial Biotechnology is beauty careMore effective cosmetics

6

Germans spend 150 euros per head every year forbody care products such as deodorants, shower gelsor skin creams. Since body care products are expect -ed to be natural, effective and well tolerated, cos-metics manufacturers are focusing increasingly onbiotechnological processes. “Natural beauty is fromwithin.” In the era of Industrial Biotechnology thisslogan of the Frankfurt company Merz becomesmore relevant than ever before. The new cosmeticsact directly in the cells, which are ultimately decisivefor good outward appearance. Scientists decode thecell processes which lead to skin aging and use thisknowledge to develop new additives for the preven-tion of lines and wrinkles. They turn their attentionto odour producing bacteria and discover new activeprinciples for deodorants. In Hessen, ingredients forcosmetics are not only explored, they are also pro-duced in bioreactors.

Biotechnology against wrinkles

Our largest organ, the skin, has a wide range of pro-tective mechanisms against harmful environmentalinfluences. Among these are certain lipids in the sur-face layer of the skin, the ceramides, which effectivelyprevent the skin from drying out and slow down theskin aging process. For some years it has alreadybeen possible to produce skin-identical ceramidesby biotechnological methods. A special yeast speciesis used to produce a ceramide component which occurs in the same form in our skin. Cosmetics pro-ducers are now incorporating this in creams.

Better still would be to prevent the formation ofwrink les in the first place. Scientists have alreadyfound out why our skin ages: under UV stress the skincells release a collagen degrading enzyme whichcauses the skin to lose its elasticity. Fortunately, ourcells also produce a substance which blocks the collagen degrading enzyme, thus slowing down theaging process. The human gene containing the blueprint for this inhibitor has been isolated at BRAINand implanted in E-coli bacteria. The bacteria nowproduce the natural anti-wrinkle factor in a bioreac-tor. The substance is carefully purified and mixed inwith a cream. The result is a test product which hasaroused great interest in the cosmetics sector.

Olga Lyub

kina

© w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

“We are currently carrying out in-house

discussions to identify areas where we

can make use of White Biotechnology to

replace or support chemical processes.”

Professor Thomas Herget

Senior Director Research and

Development at Merck in Darmstadt

7

Self-tanning products and musk fragrancefrom the bioreactor

For almost 40 years, Merck KGaA has been produc-ing one of the basic materials for the cosmetics industry in the bioreactor: the sunless tanning agentdihydroxyacetone. The substance was discovered in1960 in Gluconobacter oxydans bacteria, which havebeen used for hundreds of years in the productionof vinegar. These microorganisms are also used inthe cosmetics industry, since the biotechnologicalprocess is cheap and simple – the starting materialis glycerine, which occurs abundantly as a by-pro -duct of soap manufacture and, more recently, ofbiodiesel production. Scientists are continuallywidening the range of substances which can be pro-duced by fermentation. For this reason, Merck is nowaiming to find out what other products can be pro-duced in bioreactors instead of traditional chemicalapparatus.

Another company planning to make greater use ofbiotechnological processes is Symrise AG in Holz-minden (Lower Saxony), one of the world’s majorsuppliers of aromas and fragrances. For this purposeSymrise is engaging in strategic cooperations withpartners in Hessen, and is working together withDarmstadt Technical University and the Karl Win-nacker Institute of DECHEMA (Society for ChemicalEngineering and Biotechnology) on the biotechno-logical production of valuable musk fragrances. Forcost reasons these fragrances are still being pro-duced on a petrochemical basis. They originate nat-urally from an abdominal gland of the musk deer, butknowledge about their biosynthesis is still incom-

plete. It is now proposed to clarifythe metabolic pathways

and use them as thebasis for industrialorganic processes.

New active principles for deodorants and creams

Cooperation with partners from Hessen has proveduseful for Symrise AG in the past. The company hasalready developed two novel cosmetic active ingre-dients together with BRAIN AG in Zwingenberg. Oneof these soothes irritated skin by blocking a receptorresponsible for reddening, itching and other dermalirritations. The other prevents body odour – and tobetter effect than conventional products.

patmuc

photography © w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

Source

: BRAIN

AG

Source

: BRAIN

AG

8

The new deodorant active ingredient is designed toinhibit a particular bacterium which makes sweatsmell unpleasant (sweat in itself has a neutral odour).Bacteria of this kind form a wafer-thin organic film inwhich they communicate through highly specific signals. If this bacterial communication can bespecifically blocked, the organic film will not beformed and the sweat will not smell disagreeable.The first thing the scientists at BRAIN did was to iden-tify the bacteria concerned. In close cooperation withAnalytiCon Discovery GmbH, a specialist in thescreening and optimization of natural substances,they discovered an active ingredient and modified itin such a way that it was able to inhibit the bacterialcommunication for 24 hours. As a result, there is noneed for any other deodorant additives such as alcohol or broad-spectrum antibiotics which disturbthe entire skin microflora.

The interdisciplinary cooperation between Symrise,BRAIN and AnalytiCon Discovery led to an extra- ordinary shortening of the development period. Thewhole project, from initiation to the launching of thenew deodorant active ingredient, took only twoyears – an impressive example of the value creationmade possible by the networking of different ex-perts, which is a characteristic of Industrial Biotech-nology.

Preservatives from citrus fruits

A permanent challenge for cosmetics manufacturersis the restricted shelf life of their products. Some ofthe substances often used for preserving them con-tain halogen or formaldehyde, which can irritate theskin. However, nature has antimicrobial substancesof its own which increase shelf life in a gentle way.One example is perillic acid. The technique for pro-ducing this natural preservative in the bioreactor hasbeen explored by scientists at the Karl Winnacker Institute of DECHEMA in Frankfurt. The special feature of their fermentation process is that the precursor used by the bacteria in question islimonene, which occurs in large quantities as a wasteproduct in the citrus fruit industry. The researchers atDECHEMA are at present trying to find out whatother substances the bacterium can produce fromlimonene and similar residual material.

The use of cheap organic wastes as raw materials,the production of more readily tolerable additivesand, more particularly, of better active ingredients – Industrial Biotechnology offers the cosmetics industry several advantages at the same time. Andquite apart from this, it enables the sector to meetconsumer wishes for natural ingredients.

“We will continue to develop this

success ful strategy and are glad that we

have formed such a powerful consortium

in the field of natural substances.”

Achim Daub, President of Scent & Care

at Symrise in Holzminden

mah

ey ©

www.fo

tolia

.de

9

Global energy consumption is continually rising,while fossil energy resources such as oil and coalare being depleted more rapidly day by day. It isnot for this reason alone that renewable energy isbecoming increasingly important. One of themajor sources of renewable energy in Germany isbiomass. The utilization of whole plants or residualmaterials of plant and animal origin is already mak-ing a noticeable contribution to Germany’s energysupplies. However, the use of biofuels from renew-ables such as rapeseed oil or vegetable starch hasfallen recently into disrepute because energy cropsenter into competition with food crops. IndustrialBiotechnology points the way out of this dilemma– researchers in Hessen are developing secondgeneration biofuels, to be produced from straw,wood and other residual materials.

Biogas from organic waste

The “fuel or food” debate does not arise for biogasproduction. Waste materials of plant and animal ori-gin are fermented by special bacteria to methaneand carbon dioxide in large tanks. The bacteria feedon residual and waste matter of biological originsuch as old or scrap wood, organic wastes, sewagesludge, liquid manure or cereal straw. Hessen already has 94 biogas plants with a total capacity of33,600 kilowatts (as at October 2009). Readilydegradable organic matter such as manure or silageare fermented in them – and they can also be fer-mented together with so-called co-substrates suchas lawn clippings, food leftovers and other residualmatter. The methane is finally burnt and used forgenerating electricity and heat.

A biogas plant unique of its kind has been in opera-tion since 2007 at the Höchst Industrial Park in Frank-furt. Here organic wastes and industrial sludge areconverted daily to 30,000 cubic metres of biogas. Itis planned to condition some of it in future and feedit into the public gas network in an amount equiva-lent to that needed by about 4,000 one-familyhouses. The first biogas plant in Hessen to feed gasinto the supply network was inaugurated in 2008 inDarmstadt-Wixhausen. The materials fermented hereare mainly maize silage and rye husks.

However, the bacteria used for biogas productionare unable to use woody plant waste, but new en-zymes are already being developed for the pre-treat-ment of tree waste and other organic material simi-larly difficult to break down.

Industrial Biotechnology is energyRegenerative fuels

Conditioning plant in Darmstadt-Wixhausen

Source

: ÖKOBIT G

mbH

klick © www.fotolia.de

10

Mobile in Hessen with fuel from the field

Given the increasing mobility of people and goods,bio-energy will play an important role particularly intransport. Hessen – a major traffic hub between northand south, east and west – is devoting itself to thisissue with all due responsibility. Germany’s firstbioethanol filling station was opened in Hessen inDecember 2005 on the premises of a car dealer inBad Homburg. The proprietor had already been sell-ing so-called flexible fuel vehicles which can run onboth gasoline and ethanol. It was only logical, there-fore, to supply the necessary biofuel. In the mean-time, ethanol – or more correctly E85, i.e. gasolinewith 85 percent ethanol by volume – is being soldcountrywide at approximately 270 filling stations, ofwhich 30 are in Hessen. And flexible fuel vehicles arebecoming increasingly popular – as part of Hessen’spilot project “Mobile with Bioethanol” the RegionalCouncil in Giessen concluded a leasing contract forflexible fuel vehicles.

Bioethanol is produced in Germany predominantlyfrom cereals and sugar beets, in Brazil from sugarcane, and in the USA mainly from maize. However,these first generation biofuels can be nothing morethan an interim solution on the way to an exit fromfossil energy fuels. Since valuable foodstuffs shouldnot end up in fuel tanks in future, there is a clearneed for new methods of biofuel production.

Ethanol and butanol from plant waste

A low-cost alternative is provided by the second gen-eration biofuels, which are obtained from plantwaste and food industry by-products, e.g. straw,wood scraps, or energy plants such as miscanthusand switchgrass. Professor Eckhard Boles, a micro -biologist at Frankfurt’s Goethe University, is workingon the use of plant biomass for the production of alcohol fuels. Together with his own company, Butalco GmbH, Professor Boles is developing specialyeasts which convert straw and other organic wastesto alcohol fuels. As a fuel, however, ethanol has a serious drawback – it absorbs water and has a corro-sive action. The aim of Professor Boles, therefore, isthe biotechnological production of biobutanol,which causes no damage to conventional internalcombustion engines. In addition, butanol has ahigher energy density, which means a greater maxi-mum distance per tankful. Butanol, unlike ethanol,does not occur in natural yeast metabolism, but genetically modified yeasts are already producingthe future fuel on a laboratory scale, even if only invery small amounts. Their metabolism if now beingfurther optimized for commercial use.

CHANCE-U

P-MANAGER ©

www.fo

tolia

.de

11

Biohydrogen – learning from the termites

Experts are also setting great hopes in hydrogen asan energy source for fuel cell vehicles. But the hydro-gen will also have to be produced by a sustainablemethod if it is to become established in the energymix of the future. Researchers in Giessen and Mar-burg are pursuing the vision of getting hydrogenfrom woody plant waste, and have taken termites astheir model. The termite intestine houses a commu-nity of highly specialized symbiotic microorganismswhich digest wood enzymatically. The amount of cel-lulose needed by termites to produce two litres ofhydrogen is equivalent to not more than that con-tained in a DIN A4 sheet of paper.

Enzymatic digestion of wood and the compositionof the microorganisms in the termite intestine arebeing investigated in detail by Professor AndreasBrune at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg. At the Justus Liebig Uni-versity in Giessen Professor Andreas Vilcinskas is investigating insects in a search for enzymes whichconvert woody plant waste to hydrogen. His partic-ular interest is focused on the digestion of wood byindigenous insects such as the common wood wasp.

What biofuels our vehicles will run on in future –whether ethanol, butanol or hydrogen – is somethingwhich no-one can predict at the moment. But onething is certain: ideas from Hessen will contribute tothe sustainable provision of tomorrow’s fuels.

Cyanobacteria as fuel producers

Another initiator in the search for regenerative fuelswhich do not compete with food crops for their pro-duction is the Justus Liebig University in Giessen,where the metabolism of cyanobacteria (also knownas “blue-green algae”) is being studied by AnnegretWilde, a professor of microbiology. Cyanobacteria,like algae and higher plants, also obtain their energyfrom photosynthesis. From sunlight and carbon diox-ide they produce very small amounts of ethanol as anatural metabolite. It is hoped that analysis of themetabolism of cyanobacteria with the aid of molec-ular biology will provide starting points for steppingup ethanol production.

romy mitterlech

ner © w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

Jan Reink

e © w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

“In theory, termites can produce about

two litres of hydrogen from the cellulose

contained in a DIN A4 sheet of paper by

breaking them down with symbionts

which inhabit their intestines. With this a

fuel cell vehicle can travel almost ten

kilometres.”

Professor Andreas Vilcinskas,

Entomologist at the Justus Liebig

University in Giessen and Head of the

Fraunhofer Bioresources Project Group

12

Chemicals are indispensable for the production ofartificial fibres and for the processing of cotton,leather and other natural materials. Chromium saltsare used for tanning leather, formaldehyde serves toprevent wrinkling. Thanks to modern textile chem-istry, our clothes keep their colours longer and donot become matted so quickly. However, some ofthe substances used are considered to be harmfulto health and the environment. Industrial Biotech-nology can provide more gentle means, for exampleenzymes for the bleaching of jeans. The leather andtextile industries are on the search for natural alter-natives for many other chemical processes. Biotech-nology companies in Hessen are greatly in demandby global concerns engaged in the production oftextile chemicals.

Many processes are optimized by enzymes

Biotechnological processes have long become established in the textile industry. Special enzymes,the xylanases, remove woody tissues from raw cotton, while amylases remove the starch used tocoat and stabilize the fibres during weaving. How-ever, since the European textile industry cannot compete with firms in Asia as regards the costs eitherfor labour or for compliance with environmental regulations, it will have to establish more environ-mentally friendly production processes and moresustainable new products.

The latest trend: clothes with a function

A wide range of potential uses is expected from whatare known as technical or functional textiles, e.g. tex-tiles for allergy sufferers, textiles with an antimicrobialeffect, textiles for hospital hygiene, and textiles inwhich cosmetic or pharmaceutical products havebeen incorporated. Natural coatings against rain andwind are already being developed. Research intobiotechnological solutions for textile manufacturersis also being done by companies in Hessen. For ex-ample, BRAIN AG in Zwingenberg is cooperating withthe specialty chemical producer Clariant AG on thedevelopment of new enzymes for textile finishing andthe optimization of processes in the textile industry.

Industrial Biotechnology is clothingEnzymes in the textile and leather industries

Otto Röhm, pioneer of Industrial Biotechnology in Hessen

Over 100 years ago, the pharmacist and chemist Otto Röhm isolated enzymes from the animalpancreas for leather production. In 1907, together with the merchant Otto Haas, he foundedthe company Röhm & Haas, out of which grew Röhm Enzyme, now AB Enzymes. In 1909 thecompany moved to Darmstadt in the vicinity of the then leather factories. Otto Röhm, whofiled a patent for the first enzymatic detergent in 1914 and introduced the first biotechnolog-ical method of clarifying fruit juice in the mid-1930s, was among those who originally helpedto establish Hessen’s powerful position in Industrial Biotechnology.

Charly ©

www.fo

tolia

.de

13

Olive leaves for fine leather

The leather industry, too, is interested in new and en-vironmentally more friendly processes. At the pres-ent time it is still using worldwide more than 480,000tonnes of chromium-containing tanning agentswhich, when improperly handled, can be hazardousto both human health and the environment. Biotech-nology is working on a sustainable alternative on thebasis of plant substances.

N Zyme BioTec GmbH in Darmstadt is developing anew tanning agent from olive leaves and has alreadyapplied for a patent. The company specializes in natural cross-linking molecules, and these are exactlythe substances needed for tanning, since they linkthe collagen of the animal skins to form leather. Theplant-derived tanning agent is extracted with waterfrom olive leaves – without organic solvents – andbiotechnologically activated. In cooperation with theReutlingen Leather Institute, an internationally re -nowned research centre and tanner’s school, N ZymeBioTec has already used it for tanning leather on apilot plant scale. Thanks to Industrial Biotechnologyit is not only ecologically compatible but also highlyresistant and at the same time just as soft as conven-tionally tanned leather.

Jeans – stonewashed without stones

Environmentally friendlier techniques, improvedpro ducts – the advantages of biotechnology havealso been recognized by the manufacturers ofstonewashed jeans. Up to now jeans were washedwith pumice stones to give them a worn and fadedlook. However, the process is problematic – each pairof jeans involves more than half a kilogram of wornpumice stones which damage the industrial washingmachines, and which also have to be disposed of.Enzymes, on the other hand, produce the pumice effect in a gentle way, while at the same time savingwater, energy and waste. Among the enzymes sup-plied by AB Enzymes GmbH in Darmstadt – one ofthe earliest enzyme suppliers worldwide – are cellu-lases and laccases for the treatment of jeans. Cellu-lases get to work on the cellulose in the cotton fibres,breaking down the dyed outer layers of the fibres.Laccases oxidize the indigo dye and decolourize itwithout damaging the fabric. Faded look, fibres intact – only enzymes can manage that.

Sven

Hoppe © w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

Jacq

ues Ribieff ©

www.fo

tolia

.de

“Tanning is dependent on cross-linking

molecules – and this is exactly where our

know-how lies.”

Dr. Stefan Marx,

CEO of N Zyme BioTec, Darmstadt

Industrial Biotechnology puts the flavour inFood production with Industrial Biotechnology

14

The food sector, like other areas of German industry,is under increasing competitive pressure interna -tionally. In view of the saturated food market in Germany, experts consider that there will be no significant growth potential for German producersover the long term. For this reason, innovation willbe needed for the development of new processesand products. Major potential is seen largely in whatis known as “functional food”. Experts estimates ofthe opportunities for growth in this area are opti-mistic – annual growth rates on the world market ofover 20 percent are expected. The new generationof better foods – from classical food processing tonovel beverages, sweeteners and aromas – will comefrom Hessen.

Biotechnological methods have a long tradition infood production. For thousands of years use hasbeen made of microorganisms and their metabolicproducts for processing milk or producing bever-ages, and for baking. And for a long time this was alldone unknowingly. Among our oldest drinks is wine.The yeasts necessary for fermentation already formcolonies on the skin of ripe grapes. Until the 1970swines were the outcome of what is known as spon-taneous fermentation. Since this process wasscarcely controllable, wine growers always had tolive with the risk of economic loss. To guarantee thequality and taste of their wines, winegrowers nowa-days use selected yeasts. Erbslöh Geisenheim AG,one of the world’s largest yeast producers, providesmicroorganisms as starter cultures for all varieties ofgrapes. A selected yeast on a biological basis hasbeen available for Europe’s organic winegrowerssince 2008. The company delivers the cultures fromthe production site in Geisenheim to customers bothin Germany and abroad.

Pure yeast enzymes ensure good quality for wines

Source

: Erbslöh G

eise

nheim AG

Pave

l Lose

vsky ©

www.fo

tolia

.de

15

The latest trend: fermented drinks

Through the great success of Bionade, the popularfermented soft drink from Germany, IndustrialBiotechnology has also found its way into the pro-duction of non-alcoholic drinks. Another companybanking on this trend is Döhler GmbH which, to-gether with N Zyme BioTec GmbH as developmentpartner, has produced Georgia – the fermented drinkfrom Coca Cola. The positive and healthy image ofthis class of drinks has given rise to a dynamicgrowth on the market. Non-alcoholic products basedon malt do not merely taste good – they are actuallyhealthy. The natural raw material furnishes a numberof B vitamins together with important minerals andtrace elements. Döhler offers a wide range of fer-mentation bases which can be obtained alternativelyby fermentations of malt, tea or fruit juices tuned toindividual tastes.

Functional foods

Food products with health-promoting characteristicsare becoming increasingly popular. Examples offunctional foods are foods containing special miner-als, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids or dietary fibreswhich should not be left out of a balanced diet. Themarket potential over the medium term in Germanyalone will amount to several billion euros. Most ofthe nutritional ingredients in these functional foodshave long been produced by biotechnologicalprocesses. The most familiar functional food prod-ucts are yoghurts with bacterial cultures describedas “probiotic”. Fruit juices, for example, are enrichedwith vitamins A-C-E, bread with omega-3-fatty acidsand iodine, margarine with vegetable sterines.

The new sweetness comes from Hessen

The trend towards low-calorie foods is important inview of diseases of civilization such as diabetes andadiposity. A company devoting itself to this trend isNutrinova, an internationally leading food additivesupplier forming part of the Celanese group. Nutri-nova operates production plants in the FrankfurtHöchst Industrial Park, and since 2004 it has beendeveloping new sweeteners originating from micro -organisms, edible fungi or plants. The researchers inHessen are following entirely new paths in theirsearch for innovative low-calorie sweeteners. Theyhave developed novel molecular taste buds with the ability to recognize sweetness, and initial suc-cesses have already been reported. These molecularprobes are able to detect not only new sweetenersbut also sweetness enhancers. The most promisingcandidates for new sweeteners and sweetness en-hancers are currently being submitted by Nutrinovato intensive testing lasting several years. They mustnot only show that are safe for human beings butalso whether they really qualify to meet the highstandards imposed by the food industry.

Source

: BRAIN

AG

Birgit Reitz-H

ofm

ann © w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

16

Natural fruit aromas from fungi

Industrial Biotechnology is also focusing attention onaromatic ingredients. Natural aromas from fruits orplants are expensive, and synthetic aromas are notfully accepted by consumers. For example, a popularand frequently used aroma is nootkaton, which iscontained in grapefruits. To produce it, IndustrialBiotechnology makes use of nature’s own tools. Pro-fessor Holger Zorn of the Institute of Food Chemistryand Food Biotechnology at the University of Giessenis working on the biotechnological production of thiskey aroma from natural substrates with the aid offungi. The process has been set up on a laboratoryscale. The natural aroma can already be got from a300-litre bioreactor. Further development is in thehands of the industrial cooperation partner, N ZymeBioTec. Since the production costs of natural nootka-ton correspond to those for the synthetic aroma, therating as “natural” will doubtless open up a consid-erable marketing advantage for a process which wasdeveloped in Hessen.

Functional beer: can be drunk even bypeople suffering from gluten allergy

Up to one percent of the population in CentralEurope suffers from gluten allergy, a hereditarydisease of the small intestine, as a result ofwhich gluten damages the intestinal mucus.The persons affected must keep off all the tra-ditional cereal products. Even beer brewed incompliance with the German beer purity lawdoes not agree with them. However, gluten-free beer has been part of the product rangeof many health food stores since April 2008.The enzyme which extracts the gluten from thebeer was developed by N Zyme BioTec GmbHin Darmstadt. The beer, which is brewed by theNeumarkter Lammsbräu organic brewery inNürnberg, is drunk throughout Germany. Pro-duction is already 150 hectolitres per month.

volff ©

www.fo

tolia

.de

“Germany can offer many examples of

success as a centre of biotechnological

production. Small and medium-sized

firms are playing an increasingly

important role here.”

Professor Dieter Sell

DECHEMA e.V., Frankfurt

17

Biotechnological processes have been put to use inenvironmental protection for almost a hundredyears, long before the term “biotechnology” cameinto existence. Municipal sewage purification plantsand gas filters were developed at the turn of thenineteenth century. They were already highly effec-tive at the time, even though little was known aboutthe biological principles on which they were based.Nowadays, Industrial Biotechnology is also makinga major contribution to environmental protection inindustrial production. With its various possibilities,including use of renewable raw materials or the spe-cific use of enzymes, Industrial Biotechnology helpsto reduce pollutant emissions and to economize onresources.

Enzymes play an important role in environmentalprotection. For about 50 years they have been in-cluded as ingredients in detergents, with the resultthat laundry comes out just as clean at 40 degreesas it did before at 60 degrees. Another advantage isthat these enzymes not only remove protein stainslike blood, lipstick and other grease spots but alsohelp to reduce the amount of active washing sub-stances. If the washing temperature is reduced by 20degrees Celsius energy consumption per wash canbe cut by 50 percent. This has the effect of cuttingcarbon dioxide emissions by 1.3 million tonnes ayear in Germany alone.

At the same time, the saving of 18,000 tonnes of detergents contributes towards a further reductionof the harmful greenhouse gas. At present, scientistsat BRAIN are cooperating with Henkel KGaA, theglobally operating consumer goods manufacturer,on the development of detergent enzymes which remain highly active even in cold water. In 2008 Dr. Holger Zinke, the founder and CEO of the com-pany, received the German Environmental Award ofthe Federal Foundation for the Environment for hisachievements in Industrial Biotechnology.

Industrial Biotechnology protects the environmentMicroorganisms and enzymes remove pollution

Biologically clean at low temperatures

The avoidance and treatment of effluents have an important part to play not only in households butalso particularly in industry. EnviroChemie GmbH inRossdorf, near Darmstadt, has been engaged forover 30 years in the development of plants andprocesses for the treatment of industrial effluentswith high organic contamination levels, such as occurespecially in the food and beverage industry. Micro -organisms inhabiting the biosludge in these plantsbreak down the hydrocarbon compounds such asfats in the absence of air to methane and carbon

Biological treatment of effluents with the Biomar process

Source

: Env

iroChem

ie G

mbH

Bohanka © www.fotolia.de

18

dioxide. The biogas thus formed can then be ex-ploited as a source of energy. A plant generatingbiogas in this way is in use, for example, at theTrautwein winery in Rhine Hessen. EnviroChemie hasconstructed 30 plants in Eastern Europe over the lastthree years, and the company also sees good salesprospects in Scandinavia and Southern Europe.

One of Germany’s leading Industrial Biotechnologycompanies, Evonik Degussa GmbH in Hanau, is alsoworking on effluent treatment. The company has developed a flocculant which speeds up the sedi-mentation of undissolved substances in purificationplants. The only chemical auxiliary available up tonow for speeding up sedimentation was syntheticpolyacrylate, a substance based on mineral oil, butthis was not biologically degradable and hencecould not be used in purification plants. Productionplants for the new biologically degradable auxiliaryare already at the planning stage.

Environmentally friendly cell factories

The chemical industry is increasingly convertingto biotechnological processes for its traditionaloperations. The steps are carried out in aque-ous environments, and it is possible to dispensewith organic solvents. Further advantages arelower raw material consumption and reductionsin waste and climate-damaging emissions.However, as long as the choice of available rawmaterials is confined to starch, sugar and veg-etable oils, not all processes are competitivewith conventional petrochemical production.The ongoing research projects at Hessen’s uni-versities into cellulose digestion can make fur-ther synthetic steps economically attractive. Atthe present time, products of biotechnologicalorigin (including enzymes, precursors formedicaments and amino acids) make up fivepercent of the global chemical market. Thisshare will grow considerably in the next fewyears.

a In 2008 there were 195 chemical firms in Hessen.

a The chemical industry in Hessen achieved atotal turnover of 21.4 billion euros in 2008, the turnover for pharmaceutics being 10.9 billion euros.

a The major potentials for Industrial Biotech -nology in chemistry are in the production offine and special chemicals, with a turnover in2008 of around 32.4 billion euros.

a In Industrial Biotechnology, Germany is servinga market estimated at 80 billion US dollars for2009 and with double-digit growth rates.

Source

: BRAIN

AG

“We need a revolution in energy and

resource productivity.”

Former German President Dr. Horst Köhler

in October 2008 at the presentation of

the German Environmental Award to

Dr. Holger Zinke, BRAIN AG, Zwingenberg

19

Industrial Biotechnology has a futureA world without chimneys

Fuels from wood, tanning agents from olive leaves,laundry washed at room temperature – the chemicalindustry, with its impact on every aspect of our livesand on our society, is now about to undergo a splen-did, value-enhancing transformation. Ten years agothe deciphering of the genome – the building blocksof life – laid the foundation for the incipient struc-tural change. Today, the accumulation of new knowl-edge, the clarification of the interactions of proteinsin the cells and the analysis of metabolic processes– proteomics and metabolomics – are moving aheadin seven-league boots. Energy efficient manufactur-ing, healthier ingredients and sustainable materialsare becoming part of our everyday lives. New knowl-edge opens the way to major innovative leaps anda rethinking process is setting in, with the focus ongreater sustainability for the sake of later genera-tions. Chemical factories without a chimney? This isnot just a dream – it is a vision well within reach.

The chemical industry, with all its creativity, has beenone of the most powerful drivers of our global econ-omy ever since it first came into being. And this willcontinue to be the case for a long time to come.However, now that chemical substances are startingto be made from olive leaves, citrus peel and woodwaste, the familiar picture of the chemical industrywill undergo a change. And in view of dwindling oilresources, scientists are searching for new sourcesof energy. Over the long term algae could be one ofthe alternatives. But for the moment these are in de-mand as producers of high-grade additives for food-stuffs and cosmetics. With the increasing number ofsuccessful processes and products based on en-zymes or microorganisms, chemistry is being biolo-gized at an ever increasing rate. Even now, many dif-ferent microorganisms are being put into service inhundreds of industrial processes, where they createnew products, safeguard jobs and maintain our stan-dard of living. Just imagine what will be possible to-morrow with the aid of nature and its bioresources

if, at the present time, not more one percent of theestimated millions and millions of microbes arebeing cultivated and used as raw materials. With theaid of metagenomics scientists are already findingways to get round this bottleneck and are creating adiversity which had never before been thought pos-sible, under the motto “Nature – the source of allthings new”.

Scientists on the search for alternative raw materials

Source

: Evo

nik Deg

ussa G

mbH

Oliv

ier © w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

Insects also offer a wide range of raw materials whichhave not been exploited hitherto and which extendfar beyond medical applications. Researchers in Hessen are leading in this field. And with SYNMIKRO,the Hessian Government has taken on a leadingposition in the visionary research field of syntheticmicrobiology. Within the framework of the StateOffensive for the Development of Scientific and Eco-nomic Excellence (LOEWE), more than 21 millioneuros are being devoted to the design of biologicalstructures and cells. This research could culminate inbiohydrogen production, or equally well in morereadily tolerable crop protection products or inmedicaments free of side effects. In this excellentresearch landscape, the focus is set firmly on futureenergy sources, the control of climate change, andthe sustainability of production for the sake of generations to come.

Interdisciplinary teams with competence in problem solving

Visions have a firm basis in existing knowledge andexperience, and in the networking of different disci-plines, characters and approaches. This is a basiswhich can be found everywhere in Germany, thoughHessen, with its particular advantages, has an espe-cially prominent position for Industrial Biotechnol-ogy. It is already an established centre of production,thanks to its nearness to many different user indus-tries, its tightly knit logistics network and its closelinks with the financial sector. Capital is indis -pensable for speeding up developments, particu-larly when innovative leaders among small andmedium-sized companies in Hessen have to begeared in with major industrial concerns. If our visionis to come true in a globalized environment, it is vitalthat new discoveries should be brought as soon aspossible from laboratory to market. In future, there-fore, not only regional and federal funding, but alsoinvestment funds with private enterprises and bankswill become a substantial driving force behind thedevelopment of Industrial Biotechnology.

Hessen, with its central position in Germany and Europe, is at all events well set up for a Revolution inWhite together with all its partners.

20

Source

: BRAIN

AG

Yuri Arcurs © w

ww.fo

tolia

.de

21

Volume 1 Funding OptionsFor technology oriented companies in Hessen (in German)

Volume 2 Nature’s ToolsWhite Biotechnology in Hessen(in German)

Volume 3 Hessen – Gateway to Biomanufacturing in Europe A practical Guide to Sites and Servicesfor GMP-Production

Volume 4 Hessen – Your Gateway to the Diagnostics Market in EuropeA practical Guide to Services and Technology for the Diagnostic Industry

Volume 5 Medical Engineering in Hessen– Structures and PotentialsResults of a company survey (in German)

Volume 6 Competence Atlas Hessen-BiotechThe Spectrum of Biotechnology Companies in Hessen 2009

Volume 7 Hessen – Gateway to the Diagnostics Market in EuropeA Practical Guide to Services and Technologies in Hessen’sIn Vitro Diagnostics Industry (in German)

Volume 8 Hessen – Gateway to Contract Research in Europe A practical Guide to Sites and Services,second edition

Volume 9 Biotech in HessenData and Facts (in English and German)

Volume 10 Chemical Parks in HessenProfessional Sites and Services forPharma Biotech and Chemistry in Central Europe

Volume 11 Industrial Biotechnology in HessenA Guided Tour through the User Sectors (in English and German)

Volume 12 Hessen as a Biotechnology LocationRoom for Innovations (in English and German)

Information /Downloads /Orders:www.hessen-biotech.de/veroeffentlichungen

Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung

Förderoptionenfür technologieorientierte Unternehmen in Hessen

www.hessen-umwelttech.de

BiotechnologieChemie · PharmaMedizintechnik

InformationstechnologieTelekommunikation · InternetSoftware · Mobile-Business

UmwelttechnologieEnergietechnologie

Nano- und MaterialtechnologieOberflächentechnologie · Optische TechnologieMikrosystemtechnologie

www.hessen-it.de

www.hessen-nanotech.de

www.hessen-biotech.de

Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung

Werkzeuge der NaturWeiße Biotechnologie in Hessen

ww

w.h

esse

n-b

iote

ch.d

e

Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport,Urban and Regional Development

Hessen: Gateway to Biomanufacturing in Europe

ww

w.h

esse

n-b

iote

ch.d

e

A Practical Guide to Sites and Services for GMP-Production – Quality Management – Contract Manufacturing

Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport, Urban and Regional Development

Hessen – Your Gateway to the Diagnostics Market in Europe

A Practical Guide to Services and Technology for the Diagnostic Industry

www.hessen-biotech.de

Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft,Verkehr und Landesentwicklung

Medizintechnik in Hessen –Strukturen und Potenziale

ww

w.h

esse

n-b

iote

ch.d

e

Ergebnisse einer Unternehmensbefragung

essehwww

monocEfoMnaisseH

edhcetoibne

abrU,tropsnarT,scimy rtsini

eDlanoigeRdnana

tnempolev

sseH

mCo

esseh.www

etioB-nesecnetepm

ed.hcetoib-ne

hce

s altAAt

tcepSehT

olonhcetoiBfomur

HniseinapmoCyg

9002nesse

‘

nesseH

hcetoiB

Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung

www.hessen-biotech.de

Industrielle Biotechnologie in HessenEin Streifzug durch die Anwenderbranchen

Hessen Biotech

13

11

106 7

3

9

12

1

8

1415

17 18 19

Gießen

Hanau

Frankfurt

LudwigshafenKaiserslautern

Saarbrücken

Darmstadt

Marburgn

Raum für Innovationen

Hessisches Ministeriumfür Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung

www.hessen-biotech.de

BiotechnologiestandortHessen

BiotechHessen

Hessisches Ministerium fürWirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung

Hessen – das Tor zumeuropäischen Diagnostikmarkt

Wegweiser für Dienstleistungen und Technologien in der hessischen In-vitro-Diagnostik-Industrie

www.hessen-biotech.de

Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport,

Urban and Regional Development

www.hessen-biotech.de

Hessen – Gateway to Contract Research in EuropeA practical Guide to Sites and Services, second edition

Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung

www.hessen-biotech.de

6 14

6

34 31 23

60 55

71

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

kurzfristigshort-term

mittelfristigmid-term

langfristiglong-term

Erwartung JahresumsatzExpectation: Annual Revenue

%

2 10

6

60 55

35 38 35

59

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Erwartung MitarbeiterzahlExpectation: Employee Figures

kurzfristigshort-term

mittelfristigmid-term

langfristiglong-term

%

12 16

6

40 39

27

48 45

67

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

kurzfristigshort-term

mittelfristigmid-term

langfristiglong-term

Erwartung Ertrag (EBIT)Expectation: Earnings (EBIT)

%

0 5 4

72 66

36 28 29

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

kurzfristigshort-term

mittelfristigmid-term

langfristiglong-term

Erwartung Mitarbeiterzahl in F&EExpectation: Employee Figures in R & D

%

Biotech in Hessen Daten und Fakten / Facts and Figures

Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport and Regional Development

www.hessen-biotech.de

Chemical Parks in HessenProfessional Sites and Services for Pharma, Biotech and Chemistry in Central Europe

Hessen Biotech

Hessen – there’s no way around us.

Publication Series of the Aktionslinie Hessen-Biotechof the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport, Urban and Regional Development

22

www.hessen-biotech.deBiotechHessen

www.hessen-agentur.de

www.cib-frankfurt.deC I B Fr a n k f u r t