Dr. of Natural Sciences Hans-Christian Schaefer leads the Biotechnology Department of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU) and is involved primarily in the development of efficient and environmentally-compatible processes for industrial biotechnology.
DBU Newsline: Where is DBU biotechnology funding concentrated at the moment?
H.-C. Schaefer: The second edition of our current grant initiative “Sustainable Pharmacy” has just been published. It involves, among other things, support for projects in environmentally-friendly medical product manufacture. The deadline for submissions is November 5th, 2013. Fundamentally, however, we are open to many issues. Projects which help the environment through high energy- and resource efficiency, or through the elimination of toxic substances, are eligible for funding. The focus should always be on a single application, that is, a concrete product or a distinct process. Innovation and “model character” are additional important factors. That means that grant projects must go beyond the current status of research and technology, and the results must be suitable for other applications.
DBU Newsline: How did the first round of the grant initiative “Sustainable Pharmacy” go?
H.-C. Schaefer: Four projects in the area of industrial biotechnology have been approved, funded with 1.6 million Euros, and are in the initial phases. Incidentally, the participating companies will be presenting themselves and their projects at this year‘s “Biotechnica” at the joint trade fair stand of the DBU and BIO Deutschland - a service that our project partners can use very cost-effectively.
Contact:
Dr. Hans-Christian Schaefer
DBU Biotechnology Department
hc.schaefer@dbu.de
Tel. 0541 9633-321
