Barbara is the Scientific Director and Chair of the Executive Board of the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) and Chair of Agricultural Engineering in Bioeconomic Systems at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. She is Vice-President of the Leibniz Association where she is responsible for sustainability topics.
Barbara served as the President of the European Society of Agricultural Engineers (EurAgEng) and is member of the Strategic Initiatives Council of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) as well as founding member of the Circular Bioeconomy Systems Working Group of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR).
She has raised more than €40 million in funding from funding organisations in Germany, the EU the UK, and internationally. Her work focusses on technological innovations in AgriFood and Bioeconomy systems with an emphasis on resource efficiency, energy systems, product quality and productivity facilitated by digitalisation and automation of processes. Her research is a the interface of science, practice, policy, and society.
Barbara will talk about the role of innovations for the realisation of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy
In response to global challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change, the circular bioeconomy relies on systemic sustainability transformations fueled by diverse innovations. This keynote highlights the essential role of technological, economic, social, and political innovations in driving these transitions across bioeconomy systems.
Drawing from transition management and Earth System Governance theories, it emphasizes the importance of holistic innovation mapping, integrating technological advancements with socio-economic levers and political strategies. Key innovations, such as precision technologies and waste reduction, are explored alongside necessary socio-technical regime changes.
The address highlights sensor-based data acquisition, digital twins, and AI-driven analyses as transformative technologies for real-time process control and ecosystem monitoring. The integration of diversified production systems with sustainability goals, exemplified through pilot projects, illustrates practical implementations.
Central to these efforts are living labs and “real world research” platforms, which enable the co-creation and practical testing of sustainable solutions. Examples like the Living Lab Leibniz Innovation Farm illustrate the successful integration of interdisciplinary research to address socio-economic and ecological challenges.
This keynote advocates for an integrated innovation strategy, showcasing the co-production of knowledge and the co-design of pathways towards effective sustainability strategies, crucial for the success of the bioeconomy.