Cross-Cluster Project “WECLA”

Last updated on: 07 Apr, 2022
Copyright: Bayern Innovativ

In the Bavarian cross-cluster project ” Alternative technological approaches for materials, nutrition, chemistry, agriculture and additive manufacturing – WECLA”, the Cluster New Materials (CNW), the Cluster Nutrition (CE), the Cluster Chemistry Bavaria (CCB), the Coordination Office Additive Manufacturing and the Competence Network Digital Agriculture Bavaria (KNeDL) have joined forces to work together in the future technology fields around the topics of materials, nutrition, chemistry, agriculture and additive manufacturing.

The transformation of our economic system towards a sustainable economy based on renewable resources is of great importance for the development of our society, for the preservation of our prosperity and for a future fit for grandchildren. The transformation needed goes beyond simply moving away from fossil fuels. It encompasses agribusiness and food production the use of accumulating residues and by-products and the use of low-resource, circular technologies. This requires new innovative processes and technologies, some of which are available on the market but most of which are still under development. In particular, biotechnology, chemistry and additive manufacturing are seen as technology fields with high innovation potential.

Project Objective:

The aim of the project is to build knowledge about alternative technologies, innovative technology developers and pioneers in research institutions as well as promising startups and innovative and agile companies. The analysis of interfaces is to show the potentials of the technologies and processes for other technology and application areas.

The research focuses on the following technology fields:

  • alternative raw materials for food
  • Replacement of fossil-based and/or animal-based materials
  • 3D printing of food, biomaterials and bioinks
  • New production methods such as cellular agriculture, hydroponics, lndoor-/Vertical Farming
  • (Natural) ingredients for food, cosmetics and consumer goods from plant-based raw materials, residues and industrial side streams through industrial biotechnology

The findings from research and analysis are clearly presented. With modern and attractive communication formats for knowledge transfer, this information will be made available to the Bavarian innovation ecosystem and its stakeholders in business, industry and science. This is intended to sensitize the cluster partners and Bavarian companies to future topics and provide impetus for new business ideas. In addition, the cooperation between the three clusters, the competence network and the coordination office will be expanded and consolidated.

First steps:

In the next few months, future topics, innovative startups and technology pioneers will now be researched and an internal project database will be set up. In a workshop with external communications experts, current and target-group-specific communication formats will be elicited and selected, and an editorial plan will be drawn up.

Further information:

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact our project team: Dr. Theresa Dörres (doerres@chemiecluster-bayern.de; +49 174 977 39 13)


Cross-Cluster-Project “WECLA
“Alternative technological approaches for ingredients, materials and food – environment analysis on innovative start-ups and current research developments with the aim of knowledge transfer”.
A collaboration of clusters and initiatives:

Funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, as part of the “Cross-Cluster Bavaria 2022” funding initiative.

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