nova experts (re)introduced: M. Sc. Pauline Ruiz

Companies in the chemical and materials sector need scientifically robust, easy-to-act-on sustainability answers that are credible in the market. Pauline has been working at nova for over six years, helping companies turn complex questions into practical business value.

Background and Expertise

M. Sc. Pauline Ruiz joined nova-Institute in 2020 as a Sustainability Expert, supporting companies, start-ups and research organisations in the transition towards sustainable chemicals and materials. She helps stakeholders understand the environmental performance of renewable carbon-based technologies and develop robust, science-based sustainability strategies.

With a background in chemistry and a Master’s degree in Polymer Engineering, Pauline combines expertise in materials science with several years of industrial experience in project management and research and development within the chemical and materials sectors. Her current expertise lies in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), carbon footprinting and sustainability evaluation of innovative solutions, including bio-based, biodegradable, carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), and recycling-based systems.

This combination allows her to bridge the gap between scientific assessment, industrial application and sustainability decision-making. She supports organisations from early-stage concepts to market-ready solutions by assessing environmental performance, identifying improvement opportunities and enabling credible sustainability claims.

Pauline regularly shares her work and expertise as a moderator and speaker at external events on LCA, sustainability, renewable carbon and circular solutions.

Which impacts can I expect for my company?

How sustainable is our product or technology? Pauline conducts LCA, carbon footprint and sustainability assessments ranging from screening studies to ISO-compliant LCA for chemicals, polymers and plastic products based on fossil, bio-based, CCU, recycled and other renewable carbon feedstocks.

Where can we reduce impacts most effectively? She identifies environmental hotspots, compares options to benchmarks and translates results into priorities for R&D, product development, investment and sustainability strategy.

How can we communicate sustainability without greenwashing? She turns LCA results into clear, transparent and science-based messages for customers, stakeholders and non-expert audiences.

How can innovative technologies be assessed fairly? She contributes to LCA methodology development for bio-based, biodegradable, CCU, recycling and other circular solutions.

How to onboard my team on sustainability? Through training and knowledge transfer, she helps teams understand what is behind LCA and sustainability, understanding results, ask better questions and apply life cycle thinking in daily decision-making.

Which solutions are available for my company? Through technology and market scouting, she supports companies, EU and national projects to accelerate the implementation of sustainable chemical and material solutions throughout the value chain.

Selected Recent Contributions

ISO-compliant LCA critically reviewed (2024): Support for robust, transparent Life Cycle Assessment work for industrial partners such as Peter Greven GmbH and Co. KG (https://www.peter-greven.de/nachhaltigkeit)
Methodological work on Renewable Carbon LCA (2025): Contributor to the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) multi-report series on LCA of renewable carbon sources, analysing methodological challenges of circular systems for renewable materials (https://renewable-carbon.eu/publications/product/evaluating-lca-approaches-and-methodologies-for-renewable-carbon-sources-report-1-of-3-renewable-carbon-in-lca-guidelines-march-2025-pdf/)
Workshop at the LCIC on “How to communicate sustainability?” (2026): Moderator and contributor to discussions on translating sustainability and LCA results into meaningful messages (https://fslci.org/lcic/lcic2026/)
Speaker at the Nordic Bioplastic Conference on “For which products is biodegradation the right fit?” (2026): focus on evidence, applications and policy developments (https://plast.dk/arrangement/nordic-bioplastic-conference-2026/)