Thanks to the LOEWE Centre for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, the city of Giessen is a world leader in insect biotechnology. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME and the Justus Liebig University Giessen, research is carried out here into the application of biotechnological methods to develop services or products based on insects. A particular focus is on the development of sustainable, insect-based technologies for the circular bioeconomy.

To mark the establishment of the innovative company entoSOLUTIONS in Giessen, a networking meeting was held in the atrium of the Fraunhofer IME on 24 January 2025. The young company is planning to construct a building for the industrial breeding and utilisation of insects in the immediate vicinity of the Fraunhofer IME. 

The event was opened by Prof. Dr Andreas Vilcinskas, Head of the Bioresources Division at Fraunhofer IME: ''This industrial establishment is intended to develop innovative solutions for the sustainable and energy-efficient use of insects in the circular bioeconomy.It is of strategic importance for the region, as it represents an important step towards the establishment of a ‘Silicon Valley’ for insect technologies in Central Hessen’'.

Greetings from Prof Dr Wencke Gwozdz, Vice President of Justus Liebig University, were followed by keynote speeches from Andreas Köck, Oliver Klein, Prof Dr Wolfram Martens and Mark Füger from entoSOLUTIONS and a presentation by Moritz Strube from SWARM Biotactics. The talks presented innovative solutions for the sustainable and energy-efficient use of insects and explained the visions of the researchers and entrepreneurs.The event was rounded off with a guided tour of the new Fraunhofer building and an insect tasting session.