Help Cosun Beet find more uses for side streams

On January 31, 2024 – WITENO GmbH launched Cosun Beet Company’s challenge in a Webinar. During the Launch Webinar, key stakeholders, including Daniela Thrän, (Ex)-Co Chairperson of the German Bioeconomy Council and Matthias Sauer, CEO of Cosun Beet Company, provided valuable perspectives on the project’s goals and emphasized the importance of identifying innovative solutions.

What is Cosun Beet and what is the challenge about?

The Cosun Beet Company’s Anklam site processes sugar beets into white sugar and bioethanol resulting in various biogenic residues. From the pressed pulp as one of the residues the company produces biomethane. Approximately 2 million tons of sugar beets are processed from September to January, with intermediate products stored and bioethanol and biomethane produced throughout the year.

The goal is to transform the factory into a green biorefinery, offering a diverse product portfolio for different markets. The company aims to provide sustainable and climate-friendly products for various purposes by exploring new technologies, solutions, and partnerships to convert the residues into valuable resources. Therefore, Cosun Beet Company is actively searching for providers who can offer innovative concepts, technologies, and equipment to effectively utilize the specified residues.

“Our mission is to use the full potential of plants in a transparent, circular way. We call this The Plant Positive Way”, says Matthias Sauer, CEO of Cosun Beet.

WITENO GmbH and Cosun Beet Company expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes of the Launch Webinar, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts in advancing sustainable practices in the Baltic Sea region. The event served as a platform for fostering partnerships and showcasing solutions that align with the goals of BioBoosters.

Enhance Your Innovation Journey

To participate in the innovation competition, prospective participants are required to submit an application. Promising solution proposals will be shortlisted for a two-day workshop in the form of the COSUN BEET HACKATHON on April 16-17, 2024.

Optimization of your idea or product is the core focus. This Challenge is open for all interested teams: startups, established companies, research institutes, educational organizations, and other actors. You have the flexibility to engage either as an individual company or join forces with other actors to create a team. This collaborative approach aims to unlock synergies and identify opportunities for cooperation, enriching the ideation and development process.

The workshop serves as a platform not only to refine your concepts but also to explore potential collaborations and foster synergies within the innovation ecosystem.

An expert jury, consisting of representatives of Cosun Beet Company GmbH & Co. KG and of the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) supported by organizer’s representatives, will evaluate and judge the solutions presented during the hackathon, ultimately selecting a winner. By participating in the COSUN BEET HACKATHON you will have the chance for either business cooperation or the initiation of joint projects or pilots to test your presented concept with a renowned, internationally active company – the Cosun Group.

The goal is a collaboration beyond the innovation competition, leading to the creation of sustainable and innovative concepts, technologies and equipment to effectively utilize the specified residues. BioBoosters is a win-win concept, challenging providers while offering those with solution expertise the opportunity to strengthen their businesses.

Do you think you or someone you know has the solution, idea, or innovation? Don’t hesitate to participate or spread the word!

Apply until March 1, 2024 here

Read more at

BioBoosters (witeno.com)

Cosun Beet Company

Programme Manual Online

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