At the “Green Chemistry Belt®”, the Danube Region academic institutions and companies cooperate to create ecological and cost-effective supply chains for biogenic raw materials along the Danube. The shift from petroleum-based to bio-based raw materials in the chemical industry requires a huge amount of biomass. The large agricultural area along the Danube can supply these basic materials. 
The European Union is estimated to use almost 2 billion tonnes of biomass, including agricultural and forestry biomass, animal products and aquatic biomass. In 2011, the EU used a total of nearly 2 billion tonnes of biomass , 21% was used for food, 44% for feed.
The concept of the “Green Chemistry Belt®” allows the following:
- Decentralised harvest: Local production of biomass in the form of agricultural products and waste materials
- The regional conversion to transportable and imperishable raw materials and the central processing of high-quality biogenic raw materials for the chemical industry at port locations and logistics centers along the Danube
- Shipping along the Danube upstream and in the Rhine area
The focus is on the analysis of biomass potentials, infrastructure conditions and the concept of a value chain of biogenic raw materials along the Danube. The European donor area and the cities in the region will benefit from this emerging market and its future development.
Green Chemistry Belt® – Trademark by BioCampus Straubing GmbH