Summary:
A Dutch company is a leading technology development company and forerunner in renewable chemistry. The company developed a process that converts non-food plant-based feedstock into industrial sugars and lignin. The company is looking for novel technologies, applications and ideas for the lignin that would bring added value and strengthens the circular economy. Cooperation would be in the frame of a research or a technical cooperation agreement.This request is part of an open innovation challenge
Description:
A Dutch global operating company is a leading technology development company and a forerunner in renewable chemistry. The company develops technologies that enable the production of sustainable products from plant-based raw materials. The company aims to work in partnership with like-minded companies and academic institutions around the globe to create revolutionary renewable chemistry solutions from invention to commercial scale.
The company has developed a novel biorefinery technology, which aims to make the most efficient use of biomass by valorizing all output streams. All biomass constituents are separated into a range of products and the goal is to get the greatest possible value out of these products, which is called cascading.
The technology harbours a process that converts non-food plant-based feedstock into industrial sugars and lignin. Lignin is the compound that is left once the sugars have been taken out of the original feedstock. Energy generation is currently the predominant application for lignin. To make the most efficient use of biomass and valorise each and every output stream, the company is looking for applications for the lignin that would bring added value over burning it for energy.
The company is trying to achieve this through cooperation with partners specialized in chemistry. Cooperation with partners would be in the frame of a research or a technical cooperation agreement.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This technology request is part of an innovation challenge and is published on an open innovation platform from the 15th of April until the 24th of May 2019. If an organisation does express interest in cooperation with this firm before closing date, it will be guided towards this open innovation platform on which one can get in touch with the company experts. Mind that posts on this platform are not confidential.
Beside open discussions on the platform, sharing of confidential information will be made possible on demand. After that, the firm will select the SME's with whom they would like to cooperate in the development of a solution. Once the challenge is closed, EOI's for this technology request will be treated in the traditional way.
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
Type of partners:
SME’s, academic institutions and other innovators with a focus on the research & development of new applications and technologies for lignin.
Where do partners fit in?
• Lignin could replace an existing fossil-based raw material, bringing value by creating a 100% plant-based product, reducing the CO2 footprint.
• Preferably, the company is looking for partners with creative, novel and disruptive ideas for lignin applications that strengthen the circular economy.
• The lignin can be used directly out of the process or as a dry solid. The most ideal scenario would be an application using the lignin in its most unrefined form while still containing hydrochloric acid. In this way energy-consuming process steps for its removal and drying would be eliminated.
Which disciplines are needed?
• Any expertise is welcome
• Lignin expertise
• Plant-based materials
• Conceptual product design
• Application development
• Out of the box thinking
• Material technology
Type of partner collaboration:
The Dutch company wants to work together as equal partners, IP conditions to be determined, this could be in the form of
Technical cooperation agreement or Research agreement or any other kind of agreement that suits the purpose.
Technical Specification or Expertise Sought:
The process produces a lignin that is unique compared to other lignins with respect to its low solubility and high chemical resistance. This type of lignin, also known as Willstätter lignin, is relatively unknown.
The company is especially looking for technologies and applications that make the best use of these properties.
Examples of possible research areas and collaboration are:
1. bitumen-replacement,
2. carbon materials,
3. resins
4. etc.
Stage of Development:
Concept stage
Comments Regarding Stage of Development:
The company is open to many stages of development, but focus is on implementation within 5 years or less.
IPR Status:
Other
Comments Regarding IPR Status:
Since, this technology request is an innovation challenge and is published on an open innovation platform all types of IPR Status can be considered.
External code:
TRNL20190402001
