Nova-Institut für Politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH
Germany
The nova-Institute GmbH is a private company (SME), with its main areas of research and consultancy being market research and techno-economic evaluation on agricultural raw material supply and applications including bio-based chemicals, bio-based plastics and composites and industrial biotechnology. Nova’s competences range from competition analysis along the whole value added chain from agricultural to the final product, over feasibility and potential studies, to marketing strategies and B2B communication. Additionally, nova is also working in the field of ecological evaluation including life cycle assessments (LCA), and in the area of standardization and certification of biomass. To round up our profile, the institute is also active in the field of dissemination and standardization of bio-based products.
Website: www.nova-institute.eu
Profile of staff engaged in the Project:
Dr. Christin Liptow
Dr. Liptow works as a life cycle assessment (LCA) analyst and project manager at the nova-Institute since November 2014. Among others her areas of responsibility include sustainability evaluations along the value chain of bio-based products derived from microalgae and oceanic bacteria and the organization of international LCA workshops.
Dr. Liptow has an engineering background (B.Eng. Bioproduct Technology, M.Sc. Process Engineering and Energy Technology) and received her doctoral degree from Chalmers University of Technology (Göteborg/Sweden). The focus of her thesis was on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of biomass-based chemical building blocks. Particularly she investigated the production of sugarcane and wood based ethylene produced via emerging fermentation and gasification routes.
Achim Raschka
Achim Raschka, Dipl. Biol., is head of the department for Technology and Markets at the nova-Institut, where he works since 2008 especially in the area of Industrial Biotechnology, Green Chemistry and Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies. He brings in his technological knowledge on innovative technologies including several options for Artificial Photosynthesis and the utilisation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide to fuels and products. Together with Michael Carus and others he organises the program the “Conference on Carbon Dioxide as a Feedstock for Fuels, Chemicals and Polymers”, that took place in 2015 the fourth time. He is connected do the CO2Chem network and the SCOT project and has a good network on research institutes and industries in this area.
Michael Carus
Michael Carus (MSc) (Germany) physicist, founder and managing director of the nova-Institute, is working for over 20 years in the field of Bio-based Economy. This includes biomass feedstock, processes, bio-based chemistry, polymers, plastics, fibres and composites.
The focus of his work are market analysis, techno-economic and ecological evaluation as well as the political and economic framework for bio-based processes and applications (“level playing field for industrial material use”).
Carus is also managing director of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA); nova-Institute as executive office of EIHA was member of the Lead Market Initiative (LMI) „Ad-hoc Advisory Group for Bio-based Products“ (2010-2013), and is member of the Technical Committee, CEN/TC 411 “Bio-based products” (since 2011), member of the “Expert Group on Bio-based Products” of the European Commission (since 2013), member of the Thematic Working Groups “Biomass supply” and “Market-making” of the “Bioeconomy Panel” of the European Commission (since 2013), as well as member of the SCAR Foresight experts group “Sustainable Bioresources for a Growing Bioeconomy” (since 2014). (SCAR means Standing Committee on Agricultural Research).