Renewable Materials Conference Highlights CO2-Based Surfactants, Cellulosic Yarn and Bio-Based Coagulants
Innovations using renewable carbon, wood-based cellulose and bio-based feedstocks highlight pathways for reducing fossil dependence in chemicals and materials
The Renewable Materials Conference, held from 22–24 September 2026 in Siegburg/Cologne, brought together industry experts to discuss the transition from fossil carbon towards renewable carbon from biomass, CO2 and recycling.
The conference, described as the world’s largest “Defossilisation Summit”, attracted 365 participants from 26 countries. Discussions covered the future of the European chemical industry, technologies for reducing fossil-carbon dependence, market development and the policy measures needed to accelerate industrial transformation.
The event also recognised three innovations through the “Renewable Material of the Year 2026” award, covering a CO2-based surfactant, a cellulosic man-made filament yarn and a renewable polymer for wastewater treatment.
Chemical Industry Faces a “Quadruple System Shock”
The chemicals and materials industry is facing what conference participants described as a “quadruple system shock”, comprising geopolitical uncertainty, fragile supply chains, climate change and global overcapacity, particularly from China.
According to Lars Börger, CEO of nova-Institute, three of these pressures are encouraging the transition towards renewable carbon, while global overcapacity is reducing the financial capacity available for such investments.
The issue was discussed during the panel “Quadruple System Shock as Catalysts for Industrial Transformation”, held on September 22. The session brought together representatives from Change Chemistry, Rheinmetall, University of Twente, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, nova-Institute, BASF, ING Bank and the German Environment Agency (UBA).
The conference also highlighted the need to move beyond research and pilot projects by developing market demand, establishing new value chains and supply chains, and creating sufficient investment confidence.
“Europe has the technologies for defossilisation. Now we need to scale them. If we consider climate impact, resilience and strategic autonomy together, the transition to renewable carbon is already a real opportunity for Europe.” said Börger.
Renewable Material of the Year 2026 Winners
The innovation award, sponsored by Covestro for the past five years, featured six shortlisted innovations selected from 19 entries. Conference participants voted for the three winners.
1. Viridi: Surfactant Made Using Upcycled CO2
Viridi (UK) secured first place with VireyaTM, described as the world’s first anionic surfactant made using upcycled CO2.
Anionic surfactants are widely used in home and personal care products. According to the company, VireyaTM contains up to 33% CO2 and has a product carbon footprint up to 70% lower than incumbent products.
The technology is also designed to avoid the use of oil-palm-derived materials, supporting compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation. Viridi said its proprietary catalyst technology enables CO2 to be used as a carbon feedstock in polymers.
The catalyst is designed for scalability in existing chemical assets and is reusable and recyclable. VireyaTM surfactants are currently being developed at major manufacturers and are undergoing testing with major brand owners.
2. AeoniQ: Cellulosic Man-Made Filament Yarn
AeoniQ Holding (Switzerland) received second place for AeoniQTM, a cellulosic man-made filament yarn developed as an alternative to polyester and nylon.
The fibre is produced from renewable cellulose sources, including wood pulp, textile waste and non-valorised agricultural waste.
According to AeoniQ, its manufacturing process uses 100% renewable energy and operates with a 99.5% closed-loop process. The company also states that the material is biodegradable and has been confirmed to fully degrade within 12 weeks in soil at the end of its lifecycle.
AeoniQTM is intended for applications spanning performance, fashion, home textiles, automotive and technical textiles.
The company’s first blueprint industrialised production plant is scheduled to begin operations in Portugal in Q4 2026.
3. Kemira: Renewable Polymer for Wastewater Treatment
Kemira (Finland) took third place with KemAlpha®, a renewable polymer technology developed for wastewater treatment.
The technology is designed to replace fossil-based organic coagulants at industrial scale. KemAlpha is derived from alpha-glucan produced from renewable sugar feedstocks and is based entirely on biogenic carbon.
According to Kemira, its polymer design provides the charge density, molecular weight and robustness required for clarification and fine-particle removal in municipal and industrial wastewater systems.
The product is available in liquid and powder formats and is designed to integrate with existing treatment plants.
KemAlpha was commercialised through a joint venture between IFF and Kemira. The technology has demonstrated full-scale performance at a northern European dairy producer.
Market Measures Needed to Scale Renewable Materials
The conference highlighted market mechanisms as an important element in moving renewable-material technologies from innovation to commercial adoption.
One example discussed was the development of biodegradable and compostable stickers for fruit and vegetables. Under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the EU has stipulated that sticky labels on fruit and vegetables must be compatible with industrial composting from 2028.
The conference noted that such requirements can encourage companies to develop alternative materials and may also contribute to the creation of international markets.
Participants also pointed to the role of quotas in packaging, including existing targets for recycled plastics, and discussed the possibility of similar market-pull measures for bio-based plastics, particularly in food-contact packaging.
Diverse Industry Participation
The Renewable Materials Conference brought together stakeholders across the renewable-carbon value chain.
Large enterprises and brands accounted for 38% of participants, followed by start-ups and scale-ups at 16%, SMEs at 14%, and research institutes and universities at 14%. Associations, clusters and NGOs accounted for 8%, policymakers for 8%, and investors for 3%.
The conference also recorded 350 one-to-one meetings through its matchmaking programme.
The event demonstrated how developments in renewable carbon are extending across chemicals, textiles, packaging and wastewater treatment, with technologies using CO2, biomass, wood-based cellulose and renewable feedstocks emerging as potential alternatives to fossil-based materials.