The German government’s decision to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2038 at the latest will be followed by a structural change in the coal regions. Within this framework, the Rhenish mining district in North Rhine-Westphalia is to become a model region for the bioeconomy. With the support of the Federal Government, the BioökonomieREVIER project is being funded. With the support of science, industry and civil society, this project aims to turn the former lignite mining area into a model region for sustainable economic activity.