E-NEMA GESELLSCHAFT FUER BIOTECHNOLOGIE UND BIOLOGISCHEN PFLANZENSCHUTZ mbH

Their core work

e-nema is a German biotech SME specializing in biological pest control using nematodes and other biocontrol agents. They develop and produce entomopathogenic nematodes — microscopic worms that kill insect pests — as sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides. Their work spans biopesticide development, integrated pest management (IPM) for invasive species, and innovative applications of nematodes as live feed in aquaculture. Based near Kiel in northern Germany, they bridge the gap between academic entomology research and commercial biocontrol products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

e-nema's early H2020 work (2015–2016) explored creative new applications for their nematode expertise — aquaculture live feed (NEMAQUA) and microbial biopesticides (INTERFUTURE). From 2019 onward, they shifted decisively toward invasive pest management and biosecurity, joining two large IPM projects targeting specific quarantine organisms (fruit flies and Japanese beetle) threatening European agriculture under climate change. This evolution shows a company moving from broad biotech exploration toward a focused niche in climate-driven invasive pest response.

e-nema is positioning itself as a go-to biocontrol partner for EU responses to climate-driven invasive pest threats — a problem area that will only grow as global warming accelerates pest range expansion into Europe.

How they like to work

e-nema operates primarily as a specialist contributor in larger consortia, having coordinated only one project (the smaller SME Instrument NEMAQUA at €50K) while participating in three others with substantially larger budgets. With 43 unique partners across 18 countries, they maintain a broad European network rather than clustering around a few repeat collaborators. This pattern suggests they are valued as a niche expert that larger research teams recruit for specific biocontrol capabilities.

e-nema has built a wide network of 43 consortium partners spanning 18 countries, indicating strong pan-European reach for a small biotech company. Their partnerships span agricultural research institutions, universities, and plant protection organizations across the EU.

What sets them apart

e-nema occupies a rare position as a commercial nematode producer that also participates in front-line research on invasive pest management — most biocontrol companies either manufacture or research, not both. Their ability to take nematode science from the lab to a market-ready product makes them a practical partner for projects that need real-world biocontrol deployment, not just publications. For consortium builders, they offer something hard to find: an SME with deep taxonomic expertise in entomopathogenic organisms AND the production capacity to actually deliver biocontrol agents at scale.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FF-IPM
  Largest funding (€306K), addresses the high-priority EU concern of emerging fruit fly pests under climate change, combining in-silico modelling with practical IPM.
• NEMAQUA
  Their only coordinated project — a creative pivot applying nematode expertise to aquaculture live feed, demonstrating entrepreneurial thinking through the SME Instrument.
• IPM-Popillia
  Targets the Japanese beetle invasion of Europe with a multidisciplinary approach combining citizen science, genome sequencing, and biocontrol — a timely biosecurity challenge.