19 ATB

Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy – ATB
www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/institutes/leibniz-institutes-all-lists/leibniz-institute-for-agricultural-engineering-and-bioeconomy.html

Team in O+

Dr Ralf Pecenka. Ralf is leading task 4.3 and 5.3. Ralf  is a senior scientist and mechanical engineer, specialising in processing of agricultural biomass for energy and material applications. He has 20 years’ experience in academic research and transfer of novel solutions into practice. During his PhD (University of Cottbus, DE) he has developed new technologies for processing of natural fibre plants and participated in planning and setup of an industrial fibre processing plant in Canada. His current research activities are focused on the development of efficient technologies for harvest, storage and processing of wood from Agroforestry and Short Rotation Coppices. Ralf Pecenka is active in international and national boards and working groups. He is a member of the board of Section IV (Energy in Agriculture) of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ralf_Pecenka

Dr Jürgen Kern Dr Kern is a senior scientist, is team leader of the research group Biogeochemistry at ATB. His work focuses on the measurement and assessment of the emission of greenhouse gases that accrue during the production of renewable resources. Recent activities focused on the energetic use of biomass in horticulture (EuroPruning) and the conversion of biomass to biochar. Jürgen Kern is active in international and national boards and working groups. He is a member of the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) and the German Society of Tropical Ecology. His experience comprises the production of annual and perennial crops including environmental effects along the whole production chain and also the understanding of eco-systems in tropical regions. https://www.atb-potsdam.de/en/institute/about-us/team/portrait/portrait/juergen-kern.html

About Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy – ATB)

Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy – ATB) is a nationally and internationally acting research and development centre with an interdisciplinary field of basic and applied research activities at the nexus of biological and technical systems. ATB is funded by Germany’s Federal Government and receives additional third-party funds of around 35% of its budget (total 2016 budget >21.5 Mio). ATB has multi-disciplinary research teams with currently about 230 staff members, 75 of them scientists and PhD students. In 2016 scientists published over 115 research papers in international peer-reviewed journals. The institute owns outstanding infrastructure including pilot plants and experimental fields. Research at ATB is aimed at sustainable intensification of bio-economic production. It follows the approach to analyse, model and evaluate exemplary the bio-economic production system. The Institute’s research work addresses topical scientific questions and contributes to the call for practical guidance and support in the domains of politics, industry, agriculture and horticulture. Research follows a systemic approach focusing on fields “precision crop production”, “livestock systems”, “biomaterials and bioenergy”, “biochar” and others. In conclusions ATB develops and integrates new technologies and management strategies – for a knowledge-based, site-specific production of biomass, and its use for food, as raw materials and fuels – from basic research to application. In the field of biomaterials and bioenergy a particular focus is on the production of renewable materials from Agroforestry and Short Rotation Coppices.