World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology: Germany Home to Top Biotech Research and Investment

Berlin (ots) - Processes and products based on biomass and
industrial biotechnology offer significant business potential for the
chemical industry in a wide range of applications such as
bioplastics. A panel on developments in the field of industrial
biotechnology in Germany will be held at the World Congress on
Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing (April 27-30, 2008) in
Chicago, Illinois. The panel runs from 10:45am to 12:15pm on April
28th at the Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Ave.

Research institutes play a pivotal role in biotechnology
investments, and they are particularly strong in Germany as the
country has many internationally recognized research centers. Dr.
Steffen Rupp is the Head of Molecular Biotechnology of Fraunhofer IGB
at the Fraunhofer Campus Stuttgart. His laboratory is a part of the
wider network of Fraunhofer Institutes, a world-renowned research
organization with affiliate centers all over Germany. He will discuss
renewable feedstock such as residual biomass and ways of transforming
such biomass into practical energy sources.

Chemical parks are a major attraction to Germany for the chemicals
and biotechnology industries. Dr. Markus Wolperdinger is in charge of
industrial biotech activities at InfraLeuna GmbH. InfraLeuna is the
owner and infrastructure provider of one of Germany's largest
chemical sites. The Leuna chemical site is home to over 100
companies, including some of the world's top chemical companies. Dr.
Wolperdinger will discuss activities in the industrial biotechnology
field that are currently taking place at the Leuna chemical site.

Dr. Karin Bronnenmeier will discuss the transfer of knowledge from
fossil based refineries to future biorefineries. Specifically the
integration of biotech expertise from biopharma biotech will be the
focus of her presentation. She is the "know-how" manager for
Biotechnology Plants at Linde-KCA-Dresden, the Competence Center
Biotechnology at Linde's engineering division. The Linde Group is a
leading gases and engineering company with 50,000 employees in over
70 countries.

Germany has the largest market in Europe for both the chemical
industry and thermoplastics. The panel will address investment
possibilities in Germany in a diversity of sectors, such as
biotechnology and bioplastic. Invest in Germany is the inward
investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. It
provides investors with comprehensive support from site selection to
the implementation of investment decisions.

Originaltext: Invest in Germany
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Media Contact:
Eva Henkel
Invest in Germany
Phone: +49-30-200099-173
Fax: +49-30-200099-111
Email: henkel@invest-in-germany.com
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