FORSHUNGSINSTITUTE FUR BERGBAUFOLGELANDSCAFTEN E.V.

Their core work

FIB is a German research institute specializing in post-mining landscapes — the rehabilitation and productive reuse of land left behind by coal and lignite mining. Based in Finsterwalde in the Lusatia region (one of Germany's most prominent coal-dependent areas), they research how degraded and underutilized former mining land can be converted for bioenergy production, sustainable feedstock cultivation, and regional economic transition. Their work sits at the intersection of land remediation science and energy transition policy, making them a practical bridge between environmental restoration and new economic models for coal-dependent communities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

FIB's trajectory shows a clear shift from technical biomass research toward broader socioeconomic transition work. Their early projects (FORBIO 2016, BIOPLAT-EU 2018) focused specifically on bioenergy crops and feedstock production on underutilized land — a direct extension of their post-mining landscape expertise. By 2019 with TRACER, they moved into coal region transition strategy, addressing industrial roadmaps, social challenges, re-skilling, and investment mobilization. This evolution mirrors the broader European policy shift from "what can we grow on old mining land" to "how do we transform entire coal-dependent economies."

FIB is moving from land-use research toward comprehensive coal transition advisory, positioning itself as a practice-informed voice on just transition for mining regions across Europe.

How they like to work

FIB participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with a smaller, specialized research institute that contributes domain expertise rather than managing large consortia. Despite only three projects, they have worked with 28 unique partners across 17 countries, indicating they are sought after for their niche knowledge of post-mining landscapes. All three projects are CSA (Coordination and Support Actions), meaning FIB operates in the policy, strategy, and knowledge-exchange space rather than in lab-based R&D.

Despite modest project volume, FIB has built a surprisingly broad European network — 28 partners across 17 countries — reflecting the continent-wide relevance of coal transition. Their geographic spread suggests connections across both Western European bioenergy research hubs and Central/Eastern European coal regions.

What sets them apart

FIB occupies a rare niche: a research institute physically located in a coal transition region (Lusatia) with deep, hands-on expertise in what happens to the land after mining stops. While many organizations study energy transition in the abstract, FIB brings decades of practical experience with post-mining soil remediation, land reuse, and local economic impacts. For any consortium addressing just transition, coal phase-out, or marginal land valorization, FIB offers credibility that desk-based policy institutes cannot match.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TRACER
  Directly addresses coal region transition — the most politically urgent topic in EU energy policy — with focus on industrial roadmaps and social re-skilling.
• BIOPLAT-EU
  Largest funding (EUR 210,651) and built a concrete web-based decision platform for bioenergy land-use, showing applied tool-building capability beyond pure research.