BioBoosters is a project under the EU-funded Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, jointly implemented by organizations from seven European countries – Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The aim is to promote the green transition in the bioeconomy by linking expertise with the concrete challenges faced by companies.

At its core is a proven hackathon format that is business-driven and tailored to specific issues. Through public innovation calls, start-ups, researchers, and innovators are specifically invited to develop solutions for sustainable business models.

The process follows a standardized procedure that can be adapted regionally, enabling structured collaboration between companies, research institutions, public authorities, and innovative solution providers.

The BioBoosters Hackathon connects the innovation ecosystems of the bioeconomy in nine regions of the Baltic Sea area. Through this open innovation approach in interregional cooperation, cross-sector knowledge transfer is strengthened and international collaborations are fostered.

A total of 18 hackathons have been held so far in cooperation with relevant target groups. This has validated the underlying innovation model, which can be applied in future innovation hubs. It is also transferable to other regions seeking to support their business networks in the green or digital transition.

BioBoosters creates a win-win situation: organizations with specific challenges (Challenge Providers) meet creative solution providers. In this way, a network for collaboration and practical solutions is created in support of a sustainable bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea region.

Facts and Figures:

• 18 business-driven hackathons have generated up to 120 solutions for challenges in the circular transition

• 246 teams from over 20 countries have applied with their ideas

• 23 R&D and business partnerships have been initiated, including 13 international collaborations

• Over 500 professionals have been directly brought together – in total, 1,800 experts have been connected through the BioBoosters LinkedIn community

In addition to being an intensive, collaborative learning format, the hackathon has proven to be an effective tool for promoting the circular bioeconomy and international cooperation. The value propositions between challenge providers and solution providers have been strategically aligned. The following figures illustrate this:

• 98% of surveyed challenge providers (n = 46) stated they had received a promising solution to their challenge

• 95% of solution teams (n = 160) reported gaining valuable know-how through mentoring

• 94% agreed that the BioBoosters Hackathon is a good tool to build partnerships for idea validation and commercialization

Organizers and mentors (n = 158) were also asked about the hackathon’s impact as an open innovation platform. Their assessments:

• 94% agree that the hackathon supports the green transition in the Baltic Sea region

• 93% see it as fostering growth in the bioeconomy sector

• 92% value the exchange of best practices across borders

WITENO is now working together with project partners to permanently embed the insights gained into their respective organizations. At the same time, we are strengthening our network through a long-term cooperation model that will continue beyond the project’s lifetime.

This spring, together with AdFiS products GmbH, we organized the CarbonHack – a hackathon aimed at making activated carbon production more sustainable, efficient, and future-proof.

The focus was on new approaches to reducing energy consumption, alternative raw materials and binders, and innovative ideas for integrating plant-based residues into activated carbon production. Four selected teams from science and innovation worked on site to develop their concepts, with two standing out in particular.

Team LuMiB, a collaboration between Luleå University of Technology (Sweden) and the University of Milan, presented a lignin-based solution to improve the porosity and adsorption performance of activated carbon.

Team Bio4Act from the University of Kassel developed a process for producing biological binders from oils and tars to avoid chemical additives and increase energy efficiency.

AdFiS products GmbH, based in Teterow (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), is Germany’s leading manufacturer of activated carbon. With its doped activated carbon “dopetac sulfo 100,” AdFiS is driving innovative solutions for air purification, desulfurization, and sustainable filtration technology – making it an ideal partner for groundbreaking developments in the circular economy.

In spring 2024, WITENO hosted the first BioBoosters Hackathon together with the Cosun Beet Company, Anklam site, as the challenge provider. The aim was to support Cosun Beet Company’s transformation into a green biorefinery with a comprehensive product portfolio for a wide range of markets. “Our mission is to unlock the full potential of plants in a transparent cycle. We call this The Plant Positive Way,” said Matthias Sauer, former Managing Director of Cosun Beet Company Anklam. The challenge focused on innovative ways to utilize specific residues through cutting-edge concepts, technologies, and equipment. Three winning teams were selected.

Team n-fix from Belgium developed an innovative method for producing microbial biofertilizers from beet pulp digestate. This method promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sugar beet cultivation, increase plant resilience, yield, and sugar content, while minimizing nitrogen use.

Team Vinasse2Proteins from Biberach University of Applied Sciences focuses on the increasingly important role of plant proteins in the sustainable food supply of the future. These proteins can, for example, be obtained from fungi grown on residues from the bioethanol plant. The remaining water is of such good quality that it can be used to cultivate algae, which in turn can be processed into food products.

Team CAPitalize Leaves, a consortium from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) in Leipzig, aims to further develop the innovative, climate-friendly Capraferm process. This process enables the conversion of beet leaves into carboxylic acids, which can serve as raw materials for high-value chemicals.

AdFiS-Press release 2025

Cosun Beet-Press release 2024

BioBoosters Impact Review 2024