On 8 and 9 November 2023, innovative enterprises and decision makers from all sectors met at “The Greener Manufacturing Show” in Cologne to discuss topics related to a sustainable and climate-smart industry. BIO.NRW was the official event partner and regional host and presented the “Marketplace of Innovations”. For the third year in a row, the trade fair took place in Cologne.

Various players from North Rhine-Westphalia’s biotechnology and bioeconomy community were involved and used different formats to showcase the diversity and density in NRW. Our co-exhibitors Aachen Proteineers, Bio4MatPro, BioIndustry e.V., BioCampus Cologne, Fibrothelium, KOALA/QuinCat, LIMS at Work GmbH U.Windmöller Innovation GmbH & Co. KG, presented a wide range of innovative approaches for a sustainable industrial location. Above all, it became clear that NRW has much to offer when it comes to transforming the economy, as start-ups and research institutions are working on new technologies and solutions to promote a sustainable economy. The co-exhibitors at the BIO.NRW joint stand, who are known as being very innovative, represented the diversity of biotechnology and the bioeconomy – from innovative coating solutions, the production of polyols based on domestic vegetable oils for use in building materials and varnishes, for example, to high-tech biomaterials as material substances.

During the two-day BIO.NRW workshop programme, we also gained exciting insights into the current developments of a bioeconomy in NRW, innovations for a sustainable future, and support services within NRW and beyond.
We had two exciting days at “The Greener Manufacturing Show”. Our “Marketplace of Innovations” would not have been possible without our wonderful co-exhibitors, the fantastic speakers and, last but not least, the BioökonomieMOBIL.

We were also delighted to welcome Kirsten Bender (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia), who took the opportunity to talk to the co-exhibitors and learn more about the innovative power in NRW.

We would also like to thank Prof. Ulrich Schwaneberg (RWTH Aachen University) and Prof. Ulrich Schurr (Forschungszentrum Jülich), who gave an exciting review presentation on the basis of many practical examples on the topic of “Building a bioeconomy (model region) through biological transformation: innovating NRWs industrial landscape” as part of The Greener Manufacturing Shows’ scientific conference taking place at the same time.

Interested parties from NRW who would like to co-exhibit at the BIO.NRW joint stand next year should contact Pia Drache.

​