Instead of happening as a result of one big discovery, independence from fossil resources will most likely take place gradually. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen have succeeded in taking another step in this direction. The scientists are now able to produce a paint primer on the basis of lignin, which, for example, can be obtained from plant residues. It is free of petrochemical raw materials and therefore has a significantly improved CO2 balance.