Technological watch

Materials manufacturer Covestro (Pittsburgh) and biotechnology company Genomatica (San Diego, CA) have joined forces to research and develop high-performance materials based on renewable feedstocks. With their collaboration announced today, both partners are aiming to reduce the use of fossil-based resources such as crude oil. These are still the most common carbon and raw material sources of the chemicals and plastics industries. Using carbon from plants instead would help reduce CO2 emissions and close the carbon loop as another move toward a circular economy.

This long-term partnership involves teams from both companies working together to drive commercially focused innovations. Genomatica will deploy its strengths in developing industrial-scale bioprocesses to produce widely used chemicals. Covestro complements the collaboration with its expertise in chemical process technology and application development.

“The market is showing increasing interest in products based on renewable raw materials,” said Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer of Covestro. “Being able to derive key materials from biomass is essential for making our industry less dependent on fossil raw materials and market fluctuations. With this, we are pursuing our vision of making the world a better place.”

Genomatica describes itself as a “recognized leader” in bioengineering and aims to lead a transition to more sustainable materials. It develops bio-based process technologies that enable a better way to produce widely used chemicals from alternative feedstocks, with better economics, sustainability and performance, according to the release.

 “We look forward to supporting Covestro in its efforts and providing our expertise in harnessing the power of biotechnology to bring much-needed change to many segments of the chemical industry,” said Genomatica CEO Christophe Schilling.

Image courtesy sarayut_sy/Adobe Stock.