Analysis of sustainability aspects in BioPark Regensburg
When was the last time you put your company to the test? It has not been for a long time? You are not alone in this. Although it is known that a variety of factors sustainably increase and secure competitiveness, many companies do not have an established innovation management system. Bayern Innovativ GmbH, a company of the State of Bavaria, is part of the consulting network Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and offers interesting assessment opportunities. Advice is free for SMEs.
BioPark Regensburg GmbH, a company of the city of Regensburg, took part in the specialized analysis of sustainability aspects in the company. One challenge was to combine the operations of the center, the activities of the leaseholders and the municipal strategies and guidelines. "With the assessment, we were able to carry out an intensive analysis and professional evaluation of the 17 UN sustainability goals for the first time," commented BioPark CEO Dr. Thomas Diefenthal on the project (also see picture). The evaluation focused on economic sustainability (profit), social sustainability (people), ecological sustainability (planet) and the management of sustainable development.
The result was surprisingly very positive. "We were delighted that the BioPark, with 67% of the points achieved, was well above the average of 56% for the other companies used for comparison," said BioPark CFO Prof. Dr. George Stephan Barefoot. The expert for business, science and finance contributes to the "Green Deal Regensburg" through various sustainability projects in cooperation with business. All activities relating to energy and climate protection in the city of Regensburg have been bundled under this umbrella brand since 2021. The analysis shows the strengths of the BioPark in the economic sustainability of its economic growth and the innovations in the cluster Regensburg Bioregion and Healthcare Regensburg. Further strengths can be found in social sustainability around the topic of personnel and team management in the BioPark.
In the area of ecological sustainability, the BioPark performs above average, but due to the operational nature of the laboratories and the decentralized use of media by the leaseholders, its operative possibilities and limits have been shown. The analysis sees potential for improvement in the precise monitoring of sustainability with key figures and the publication of an annual sustainability report. Further challenges are the establishment of a joint purchasing and disposal system for laboratory materials and alternative, ecological packaging materials. The BioPark could also be an attractive multiplier with targeted training courses on the subject of sustainability for leaseholders. "Unfortunately, we do not yet have the resources in the lean BioPark team to hire a sustainability officer and take care of this," explained Dr. Diefenthal. Nevertheless, he is confident and has already started the next sustainability project with his team. Two photovoltaic systems on the BioPark buildings will go into operation in 2023 to reduce energy consumption in the current age of the electricity crisis.
