Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP, Leuna branch

Research at the Leuna branch of the IGB, the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP, focuses on the development and scaling of processes for the conversion of renewable resources and CO₂. Fraunhofer CBP was founded in 2009 as a Fraunhofer project group. At the end of the five-year start-up financing by the state of Saxony-Anhalt at the end of 2014, the CBP, as a branch of the IGB, was incorporated into the federal and state financing of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.  

Open development platform to accelerate industrial implementation

The Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP focuses on the development and combination of biotechnological and chemical processes and closes the gap between laboratory and industrial implementation with its pilot-scale equipment. By providing infrastructure and pilot plants as well as highly qualified personnel, it enables partners from research and industry to scale up pretreatment processes for fractionation, biotechnological and chemical processes for the use of renewable and petrochemical raw materials to production-relevant dimensions and to accelerate process developments.

Fraunhofer CBP – Branch of the IGB

The establishment of the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP as a project group of the Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer IGB was initiated by Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth, then director of the institute. Under his leadership, the establishment of the process center at the Leuna chemical site was sealed between the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in 2009. On October 2, 2012, the new building was inaugurated in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

At the end of the five-year start-up financing period and successful evaluation in 2014, the project group was transferred to the federal and state financing of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and thus became a permanent part of Fraunhofer IGB.

Location Leuna and network

Fraunhofer CBP is located at the Leuna chemical site, whose infrastructure facilities are operated by InfraLeuna GmbH. The CBP is a major player in the BioEconomy cluster, in the chemical and biosystems technology performance center and is also a leading member of many other networks.