Twelve Expert Workshops at RMC 2025 Foster Deep Insights

The Renewable Materials Conference (RMC), hosted by nova-Institute, is set to return from 22–24 September 2025 in Siegburg/Cologne, Germany. Alongside its core conference schedule, this year’s edition will feature a robust lineup of twelve expert-led, interactive workshops, spotlighting practical, policy, and technological developments in the field of renewable materials. Participants registering before 17 August can avail a 10% early-bird discount.

Expected to welcome over 500 global participants, RMC 2025 will offer 75 expert presentations, 20 panel discussions, and a two-floor exhibition area for networking. A key highlight is the inclusion of interactive workshops hosted by leading companies, research institutions, and international organizations, structured to complement conference themes with no schedule overlap.

Day 1 Workshops (22 September 2025):

Holcim (DE): Florian Kleinwächter will present “Turn CO₂ into Business,” showcasing Holcim’s emerging opportunities.
Syklo (FI): Timo Ture and Markku Nikkila introduce a novel industrial model to convert post-consumer cardboard and plastics into low-carbon biocomposites, titled “From Waste to Wonders.”
PtX Lab Lausitz (DE): Irina Akhmetova, Lukas Horndasch, and Clemens Schneider (University of Kassel) will lead a policy-focused workshop on transitioning petrochemical clusters using CO₂.
nova-Institute (DE): Lars Börger, Narendar Raju Poranki, and Gillian Tweddle present “Business Plans for Startups and SMEs,” guiding participants through funding strategies and business plan essentials with real-life case studies.

Day 2 Workshops (23 September 2025):

Fraunhofer UMSICHT (DE): Kai Junge Puring introduces “Air2Chem,” exploring atmospheric CO₂ as a raw material for chemical production.
nova-Institute/RCI (DE): Michael Carus unveils BIC/RCI’s biomass availability modeling for chemicals in Europe and globally.
nova-Institute (DE): Stefanie Fulda and Dušica Banduka conduct a workshop on communicating renewable materials and chemicals.
HYDRA Marine Sciences & BASF (DE): Miriam Weber, Christian Lott, and Andreas Künkel co-host a biodegradability workshop, examining biodegradable materials in the circular economy.
Science Based Targets initiative (EU): Kim Schoppink leads discussions on updates to the Corporate Net Zero Standard and its implications for renewable carbon.

Day 3 Workshops (24 September 2025):

TNO (NL): Jan-Harm Urbanus and Pieter Imhof showcase how AI tools can revolutionize polymer design to minimize plastic impacts.
nova-Institute (DE): Matthias Stratmann addresses the role of renewable carbon in Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and footprint methodologies.
nova-Institute & RCI: Christopher vom Berg moderates “Facilitating Change – Policy for a Renewable Carbon Transition” with experts Janine van Kampen (Dutch Ministry for Climate Policy), Sebastian Kunz (Südzucker, DE), and Luciano Proto Cassina (nova-Institute).

For booking and full workshop info: www.renewable-materials.eu/workshops

Conference Highlights:

The main programme focuses on defossilisation of chemicals, fossil-free plastics, fine chemicals, renewable carbon policies, and biodegradation.
A panel titled “The Future of the Chemical Industry in Europe” will feature cross-sector experts discussing sustainable transformation.
On 23 September, six breakthrough materials will compete for the “Renewable Material of the Year 2025” award, sponsored by Covestro (DE). Materials range from biosynthetic polyamides to white lignin and advanced recycling technologies.

For the full programme: www.renewable-materials.eu/program
Award info: www.renewable-materials.eu/award-application