In his welcoming address to the event, the Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger, emphasized not only the great potential of renewable raw materials, but also Straubing's role as a beacon: "KoNaRo accompanies the entire value chain, from the plant in the field to the marketable product – and has developed into an internationally recognized innovation location over the past 25 years." Afterwards, the Minister presented the two traditional Sustainability Awards, which have been honoring outstanding achievements in the field of domestic raw materials for many years. "This year's award winners impressively show how profitability and regional value creation can work together," said Aiwanger.
Renewable Raw Materials Award: Biogas-powered‑heating network as a model project
The Minister presented the Renewable Resources Award 2025 to SPCTRM Engineering GmbH, the municipality of Röslau, Schubert Energie GbR and the joint municipal company Oberes Egertal. Their project "Röslau Heat Network" is an initiative of the municipality, industry and regional partners to implement a sustainable heat supply based on biogas from regional agriculture. The project is characterised by the particularly efficient and coordinated implementation, in which "one wheel meshes with the other", as project manager Michael Stumpe described it at the award ceremony, as well as the intelligent combination of different infrastructure measures. The excellent cooperation, which was also supported by broad acceptance among the population, was confirmed by Mayor Heiko Tröger. "A model with exemplary character far beyond the region," Aiwanger also attested.
Ernst Pelz Prize: World's first wood-based fleece jacket
Aiwanger awarded the Ernst Pelz Prize 2025 to Vaude Sport GmbH & Co. KG and UPM Biochemicals Sale GmbH. In the course of the joint project, the world's first wood-based fleece jacket was created. "For many years, UPM has been thinking about the direction in which a company can go in order to take wood to the next level of value creation," says Holger John (Sales Manager at UPM Biochemicals), explaining the strategic direction of the company. With its biorefinery in Leuna, UPM converts local, certified beech wood, so-called industrial wood, into biochemical products. Together with partners such as VAUDE, routes for polyester on a renewable basis are to be set up here. "It's about preserving value," says René Bethmann (Senior Innovation Manager at VAUDE Sport GmbH & Co. KG). "To do this, we need a raw material that is regionally available, that we can implement regionally and where we can ensure transparency, especially in the crucial extraction here in Germany. It's about really having the opportunity to scale globally with this technology." It is not sustainable in the future to produce polyester only from recycled bottles and textiles, for example. "The award winners impressively demonstrate the potential of combining research and industrial application," said the minister.
25 years of KoNaRo: Straubing, a place with thrust
In her speech on the anniversary, the Bavarian Minister of Agriculture, Michaela Kaniber, particularly emphasized the enormous innovative and attractive power that the competence center has developed over the past 25 years. "Straubing has long been much more than a location. Straubing is a promise: this is where ideas grow, where innovations are tested, where research becomes concrete application. Nowhere else in Europe can you find this density of competence, research, information and practice around renewable raw materials as here," Kaniber emphasised. They are proud of what has been achieved in Straubing, but at the same time see the mission to continue. She underlined the central importance of domestic biomass from agriculture and forestry for climate protection, security of supply and regional value creation. In his closing remarks, Lord Mayor Markus Pannermayr emphasised the important connection between economy and ecology. The OR must become an AND, only in this way can the right course be set for the future. There must be a fundamental agreement on this, on the one hand to ensure planning security - even beyond legislative periods - and at the same time to have enough room for manoeuvre.