Berlin, 30 November 2022 

Climate change, dwindling resources, energy crisis, declining biodi­versity: the list of global problems and natural risks is long. Prof. Dr. Christine Lang, CSO of BELANO medical AG and professor of micro­biology at Technical University Berlin, has therefore once again highlighted ways in which changing economic behavior can provide solutions to many of these problems. “Our economic thinking must change as a whole,” she said as keynote speaker at an event organized by the Berliner Tages­spiegel in coope­ration with the BioDeutschland network.

Christine Lang, who is also chair of the Inter­na­tional Bioeconomy Council (IACGB), pointed out the impor­tance for developing a true circular economy. “We produce, buy, use and throw away,” she deplored. In contrast, it is already possible today, by utilizing natural processes and with the help of the biosci­ences, to reuse materials, use renewable resources and thus avoid waste. Natural resources and waste could be converted into new products and returned to the economic cycle.

The economy as a whole must become more sustainable worldwide. “Our economic thinking must not cause crises, but must be part of the solution,” said Prof. Lang, referring, among other things, to the energy crisis, plastic waste and the conti­nuing high emission of climate-damaging gases. She said that it is already possible to use bio-based materials in almost all indus­trial sectors with the help of natural resources and thanks to research. In the healthcare sector, there are already numerous alter­native active ingre­dients for cosmetics and medical products that are not only based on natural processes, but also promote people’s health in the long term. “The fact that alter­na­tives are still not being imple­mented and used on a large scale is partly due to the fact that conven­tional fossil-based products are cheaper, and innova­tions are promoted in develo­pment but not given equal status in market competition.”

Active ingre­dients such as those developed by BELANO medical for micro­biotic skin care or medical products, for example, are based exclu­sively on natural micro­biotic processes and do not contain antibiotics, cortisone, parabens, silicones or mineral oils. Funding for such develo­p­ments is rare. BELANO medical finances a large part of its research with its own funds and invest­ments or bonds from private investors.

Further infor­mation on the event:
https://www.biodeutschland.org/de/nachrichten/impuls-und-diskussion-bei-der-future-sustainability-week-des-tagesspiegels.html