Biotechnology as significant measure to face climate change

In his presentation, Prof Blümke explained that renewable raw materials must be used in order to emit less CO₂. Therfore the chemical industry needs to set up new processes that are no longer based on crude oil as a raw material. Sugar, or more generally speaking, renewable raw materials, could be used as a substitute. In this context, Mr Blümke also considered that the production of renewable raw materials leads to an ecological footprint of very different sizes, which is why environmentally friendly processes are so important. Following the lecture, the President of the TUHH, Prof Andreas Timm-Giel, presented the certificate of appointment as professor in accordance with Section 17 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act.

Mr Blümke studied biotechnology at the TU Braunschweig and obtained his doctorate there. After holding various positions, including at the GKSS Helmholtz Research Centre in Geesthacht, Wilfried Blümke joined the chemical company Evonik (then ‘degussa’) in 2002 and has been Head of the Biotechnology and Environmental Process Engineering Department since 2014. A good five years ago, he moved to the ‘BiotechHub’, Evonik's centre of excellence for industrial biotechnology.