01 – CO2 is bound 02 – Biomass is produced 03 – Biological recyclables are developed 04 – Sustainable packaging, cosmetics and medicines are produced 9 8 The high-tech bioreactor from Festo is an optimised and automated system based on the circular economy that can cultivate algae around the clock and control their growth. In their chloroplasts, the cells of the algae use photo- synthesis to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and chemical energy carriers, along with other valuable organic substances. Technical innovations ensure that the algae always find a suitable environment for reproduction. They are thus able to produce valuable basic materials for industrial value-added processes. Depending on the nutrients supplied to the algae biomass, its metabolic processes give rise to waste products – such as fatty acids, colour pigments and surfactants, which serve as starting materials for the production of medicines, food, plastics, cosmetics and fuels. These bio-based end products can ultimately be biodegraded and recycled in a climate-neutral manner as part of a holistic circular economy, since the carbon dioxide needed for the algae’s photosynthesis is derived from the ambient air. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies, expertise and components from Festo, the cultivation of biomass in this automated, closed-cycle process saves resources and is energy-efficient. The know-how gained from this biological process can also be applied to the cultivation of other microorganisms: certain bacteria, fungi or other cells can replace further important basic materials which currently still make use of the fossil resource petroleum. Festo sees organic cells as the factories of the future – they hold enormous potential. Their marketable, large-scale cultivation will be crucial when it comes to effectively combating climate change. In the future production worlds of a sustainable circular economy modelled on nature, biological and techni- cal processes will therefore merge. PhotoBionicCell – The photo-bioreactor What happens in the PhotoBionicCell? The aim is to achieve a sustainable circular economy in which the raw materials used are fully recycled – from the design stage to dismantling into individual components. Festo would like to make a decisive contribution to improving quality of life for current and future generations.
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