Biogas produced in anaerobic digestion plants of manure has the potential to play an important role in future smart and flexible energy system by enabling demand driven electricity production. The high recalcitrance of manure towards anaerobic deconstruction does currently not allow the economic feasible conversion to biogas. To change this, we developed an optimized, heat-integrated steam pretreatment method that significantly enhances the biogas yield. An elaborate pretreatment optimization study showed that a thermal pretreatment of the liquid phase of the manure is not necessary, as the biogas yield cannot be improved. In contrast the washed solids benefitted strongly from steam pretreatment and the yields could be increased up to 50%. In a specifically constructed test rig the pumpability and the heat transfer coefficients were measured in the appropriate dimension of a later continuously operated pretreatment plant operated with manure form 50 dairy LSU (Life Stock Units). The pumping without clogging of such small flow rates appeared to be challenging and required geometrical adjustments. Also, the heat transfer coefficients for the resulting low flow velocities is small. The techno-economic assessment showed, that for a biogas plant using entirely cow manure as substrate, operated under Swiss conditions (i.e. no compensatory feed-in remuneration, own consumption of power), can only be economically operated with manure of more than 500 LSU. For pretreatment with an increased biogas yield this number is reduced to 300 LSU to reach break-even. Based on the results obtained during this project, the next step will be the development of a pilot facility at the IAG site in Grangeneuve.