Economy

BIOWEG to build Europe’s largest bacterial cellulose plant, backed by Series A of €30 million

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BIOWEG, the German deeptech company producing high-performance, biodegradable bacterial cellulose to replace fossil-based polymers and intentionally added microplastics, will begin construction of Europe’s largest bacterial cellulose production plant in Q4 2026. The first-of-a-kind facility, located in Elsdorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, will produce up to 10,000 tonnes a year, with first commercial volumes expected in 2028 — bringing onshore production of a material that Europe today almost entirely imports.

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Sukano signs capacity reservation agreement for releaf® with Avantium

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CEO Tom Van Aken and Her Majesty Queen Maxima. Source: Avantium

Avantium N.V., a leader in renewable and circular polymer materials, and Sukano AG, a global specialist in additive and colour masterbatches for polyesters, biopolymers, and specialty resins headquartered in Switzerland, has signed a capacity reservation agreement for Avantium’s PEF (polyethylene furanoate), marketed as releaf®. Masterbatches are specialty additive and colour concentrates that improve plastics performance during manufacturing and amplify its properties in multiple end-use applications. The agreement builds on the collaboration and conditional offtake agreement the two companies entered into in 2022 to develop masterbatches for PEF and marks a further step toward the commercial adoption of releaf® across a broad range of packaging, consumer goods and specialty applications.

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Metsä Group invests EUR 25 million in the production of Muoto fibre packaging in Äänekoski, Finland

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The Finnish company is investing 24 million € in a new production line for Muoto food packaging in Äänekoski, Finland. Metsä Group’s Muoto™ products can be used instead of plastic in food packaging for applications that are more demanding, for example. As for Metsä’s other innovation projects, the development of the lignin product and carbon capture is continuing as planned, but the conditions for the Kuura textile fibre project are estimated to have changed significantly due to the global market situation. 

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IFIB 2026 will be held on October 1-2 in Rome. The Eternal City will be the world capital of circular bioeconomy

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On October 1-2, Rome, Italy, will be the center of gravity of world bioeconomy. The Italian city capital will host the International Forum on Industrial Biotechnology. IFIB will be held at the WeGil hosted by Lazio Innova and Lazio Region.  With more than 200 delegates in attendance from approximately 25 different countries from all around the world, also thanks to a partnership with the Italian Trade Agency, the conference truly succeeds one more time in its ambitions aim to be one of the leading bioeconomy events at global level.

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Thailand’s Minister of Industry, Varawut Silpa-archa, visited NatureWorks’ new manufacturing facility at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex

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A high-level delegation led by Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry of Thailand, visited NatureWorks’ manufacturing site at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC). The visit – the American company claims – follows the successful inauguration of the site on April 29, 2026, and highlights the role of public-private collaboration in advancing Thailand’s sustainable industrial development and bioeconomy ambitions.

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EIT invests €70 million to boost innovation skills in universities and deepen cooperation with the European Universities Alliances

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Berlaymont, European Commission’s Headquarter in Brussels

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has selected 35 projects to receive €70 million in funding to help higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe turn research into real-world innovation, strengthen entrepreneurship education and deepen collaboration with businesses. Awarded through the 2025 EIT Higher Education Initiative’s Call for Proposals, the funding will support 552 organisations from 49 countries, including universities, businesses, research centres and public authorities. This investment marks a major step towards achieving the goal of equipping Europe’s future innovators with the skills needed to launch startups, bring new technologies to market, and drive Europe’s competitiveness.

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Fibre-based food packaging set to lead by 2045 as barrier innovations accelerate and regulation tightens, new study reveals

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Source: UPM

A new study from UPM Specialty Materials and global consultancy Smithers points to changing dynamics in the food packaging landscape, with fibre-based materials taking the leading share by 2045, recycling rates climbing toward 37%, and a regulatory landscape where sustainability becomes a strict government mandate. Fibre-based food packaging is on course to become the leading sustainable material by 2045, driven by breakthrough barrier coating technologies, tightening global regulation, and a decisive consumer shift away from single-use plastics. These are among the key findings of the new global study published by UPM Specialty Materials and Smithers.

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CBE JU published its 2025 Annual Activity Report: the EU bioeconomy is alive and well

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Virginia Puzzolo, Head of Program at CBE JU at IFIB 2023 in Florence

CBE JU has published its 2025 Annual Activity Report, presenting a year of strong demand, broader participation and tangible progress in supporting Europe’s circular bio-based sector. From record interest in the call for proposals, strong SME and newcomer participation to industrial deployment milestones, progress towards KPIs and wider engagement of new organisations and underrepresented countries, the latest results underline CBE JU’s contribution to the EU’s strategic goals. 

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UPM and ANDRITZ partner to advance tailored tissue innovation

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The world’s leading multifibre pulp producer UPM Pulp and the international technology group ANDRITZ have signed a strategic, multi-year cooperation agreement to enable tissue manufacturers to develop and optimize next-generation tissue products and processes. With dedicated access to pilot-scale development at ANDRITZ’s PrimeLineTIAC Tissue Innovation and Application Center in Graz, Austria, tissue manufacturers can optimize fibre and process solutions tailored to their production setup. They can also develop and commercialize innovative products faster for enhanced performance and improve efficiency across tissue production and raw materials.

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Neste, Goldwin, Idemitsu and Toray partner to supply renewable nylon fiber for THE NORTH FACE brand

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Goldwin Inc., Neste, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., and Toray Industries, Inc. have established a supply chain for nylon fiber made from renewable raw materials. Neste supplies Neste RE™, a renewable raw material that enables the production of high-performance renewable nylon fiber and reduces the reliance on fossil feedstocks. The nylon fiber produced through this project is scheduled to be used by Goldwin for a part of THE NORTH FACE products in August 2026. 

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