The author is head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and holds the Chair of Innovation and Technology Management (iTM) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
(Photo: Fraunhofer, Getty)
A technology that has great potential but has so far been little researched could help in the fight against climate change: artificial photosynthesis.
We know natural photosynthesis from biology class: Plants and bacteria use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide (CO2) to form biomass and diverse organic substances that store energy.
However, the efficiency of natural photosynthesis is not sufficient to curb climate change and reduce the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The leverage must be far greater.
Research therefore reproduces and improves the performance of plants in the laboratory – for example in the form of artificial leaves, which implement the process of photosynthesis more efficiently than their natural counterparts and produce sustainable, storable fuels such as hydrogen, methane and ethanol.
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We can process these into biofuels, among other things. So far, however, it has not been possible to achieve robust and cost-effective results with a high level of efficiency.
Germany has good prerequisites for further developing artificial photosynthesis
In Germany, we have been researching artificial photosynthesis since the 1990s. So far, a patchwork of projects and difficulties in industrializing research results have hampered the development of the technology.
However, recent activities in numerous individual projects and smaller research groups give hope. Framework technologies for artificial photosynthesis, such as CO2 storage technologies and plant construction, are also well developed in Germany.
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The joint project Foresight Fraunhofer classifies the technology as a so-called future option for the year 2030, which is currently in an early development phase and is characterized by great uncertainty. Consequently, we cannot assume that artificial photosynthesis will be of great relevance to our society by the end of the decade.
But that also means that the future of artificial photosynthesis is in our hands. We should use these opportunities in Germany. In addition to the energy sector, the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries are among the sectors that will have the greatest impact on artificial photosynthesis by 2030, according to Fraunhofer Foresight.
Because we produce plastics, paints, medicines or pesticides using chemical syntheses that require a lot of energy – usually fossil fuels. Artificial photosynthesis, on the other hand, can produce components using environmentally friendly energy sources. The technology can also be used in food production.
Politicians should initiate cooperation between science and business
Current research efforts suggest that in 10 to 20 years we will be able to produce hydrogen and other fuels using artificial photosynthesis. It could thus make important contributions to the energy system of the future.
Especially in times when (fossil) energy is becoming a very scarce and expensive commodity, we should therefore increase our efforts in research and development for artificial photosynthesis – and under no circumstances reduce them.
This also includes initiating a social debate and the opinion-forming process about the future option of artificial photosynthesis. The time is now. The aim for Germany should be that technology, devices and systems for artificial photosynthesis become German export products.
Innovation is not an individual task, but teamwork. This requires cooperation between science and industry as well as between companies. On the one hand, politics is responsible for initiating and moderating the social discovery processes.
On the other hand, it is their task to prioritize the topic of artificial photosynthesis on the agenda of research, innovation and education policy and to design the framework conditions in such a way that possibilities for artificial photosynthesis open up.
It’s not just about promoting basic research, but also bundling it. In addition, we need a breeding ground on which innovations can develop. Politics can purposefully build the bridge between science and business.
If you want innovations, you also have to invest, for example in start-ups, which can be attractive cooperation partners. This is the only way that the future option of artificial photosynthesis can become a shaper of the future.
The author: Marion A. Weissenberger-Eibl is head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and holds the Chair of Innovation and Technology Management (iTM) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
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