Crises need clever minds – The winner of the innovation award “Bio-based Material of the Year 2020” is a wood fibre-based ready meal tray certified for home composting from Huhtamaki Lurgan (UK/Finland)!

The second place goes to a self-adhesive tape from monta Klebebandwerk (Germany), which consists of 90% renewable raw materials. Third place goes to a functional barrier coating from Fraunhofer ISC (Germany), which is a paper-based and compostable functional barrier coating for food packaging, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.


Only one established event on bio-based economy was neither cancelled nor postponed: The “13th International Conference on Bio-based Materials” will be held ONLINE this year on 12–14 May 2020 – final programme available online

44 speakers from leading companies have confirmed their presentations. Topics of the online conference are circular economy, renewable carbon, chemical recycling and latest investments in biorefineries. Information on technologies, markets and policy will be provided for bio-based building blocks and polymers. One special focus is on lignin utilisation, another on fine chemicals for pharma, cosmetics, body care & specialities.


Aviation fuels, CO2-based fuels and chemicals, PtX and CCU need conferences and meeting places for exchange – especially in times of the corona virus.

Unfortunately, nova won’t be able to hold the major conferences in Cologne next week due to general event bans in Germany: 1st European Summit on CO2-based Aviation Fuels (in cooperation with IASA), 23 March 2020 and the 8th Conference on Carbon Dioxide as Feedstock for Fuels, Chemistry and Polymers, 24 – 25 March 2020


Compostable sanitary pads from India, sustainable fibres from Finland and home compostable coffee capsules from Germany are the winners of the innovation award “Bio-based Material of the Year 2019”

For the 12th year in a row, the innovation award “Bio-based Material of the Year” has been granted to the young, innovative bio-based chemicals and materials industry. The award has been sponsored by InfraServ Knapsack and organized by nova-Institute (both located in Hürth, Germany)