Topic

In the field of bioeconomy, biotechnological procedures are promising tools for improving sustainability of industrial processes in order to reduce CO₂ emissions and the use of fossil ressources. These processes include the production of chemicals, wastewater treatment, or the production of biogas as a renewable energy source. However, public perception of the use of biotechnology  is often negative, as an increasing number of applications require genetic engineering. Science and industry often attribute this criticism to a lack of scientific knowledge on the part of citizens. Nonetheless, causes are more diverse than scientific literacy among the public, and also include low trust in the parties involved. At the same time, the participation of citizens in pioneering decisions is currently considered desirable. Participation processes in terms of technically and economically complex topics therefore have to be designed and should bring citizens and other social actors, politicians, and companies into dialogue as equals.

Based on these assumptions, the inter- and transdisciplinary research project BIOCIVIS ("Partizipation zur Sicherung des Nachhaltigkeitsnutzens und der gesellschaftlichen Teilhabe (in) der Bioökonomie") focuses on which participatory processes can be used to ensure the benefits of bioeconomic technologies in society and to strengthen democratic participation. Through the collaboration of biologists with political scientists, participative formats for securing sustainability benefits and social participation are developed and analyzed using microbial biotechnology as an example. Microbial biotechnology companies, civil society actors, and citizens are integrated into multi-stage participation processes.

BIOCIVIS is led by Prof. Doris Fuchs (Institute for Political Science, WWU Münster) in collaboration with Prof. Bodo Philipp (Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, WWU Münster) as members of the Center for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research (ZIN). The project is funded by grands of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, funding number 031B0780) during its three-year term (November 2019 until October 2022) as a part of the concept "Bioökonomie als gesellschaftlicher Wandel".

Further information on BIOCIVIS can also be found on the website of the project (go.wwu.de/biocivis).