03.09.2025
Renewable Materials Conference 2025: Calling Brands, Start-ups and Chemical Companies to Shape the Future of Chemicals and Materials
There are less than three weeks left to register for the world's largest event on innovative and renewable chemicals and materials, fossil-free plastics, and related policies, which will take place from 22–24 September 2025 in Siegburg/Cologne, Germany.
The Renewable Materials Conference (RMC), organised by the nova-Institute, will showcase pioneering solutions and innovations for replacing fossil carbon with biomass, CO₂ utilisation and recycling. The growing success of the RMC demonstrates the appeal of its unique concept of presenting all renewable materials solutions at a single event. In just a few years, the conference has become the global meeting place for the renewable carbon economy. RMC offers for brands and start-ups unparalleled networking opportunities to connect with potential partners, investors and customers from chemical companies. During the conference, the audience will elect the winner of the “Renewable Material of the Year 2025” innovation award from six nominees.
The RMC covers the entire value chain from alternative carbon feedstocks, the chemical industry, the materials sector, product manufacturers to brand owners, as well as investors and policy makers. The last conference, held in June 2024, attracted nearly 500 participants from 32 countries, 90 % of whom were from the industrial sector. This year more than 500 participants are expected to attend. The list of registered participants can be accessed here: https://www.renewable-materials.eu/participant-list/
Detailed information on the conference and the registration link can be found here: https://www.renewable-materials.eu
A Comprehensive Conference Programme
75 presentations, 20 panel discussions and 14 interactive expert workshops will provide a deep insight into the latest bio-, CO2- and recycling-based developments and solutions. As a special offer for SMEs and start-ups, there will be a dedicated workshop tailored to their business needs and growth opportunities entitled “Business Plans for Renewable Chemicals and Materials for Start-ups and SMEs”. Another workshop is run by experts from the SBTi to discuss the latest status of the revision of the Science Based Targets.
Furthermore, there will also be an exclusive exhibition with 24 booths on two floors, of which only six are still available. The upper level with a reduced booth fee ensures that start-ups stand out among top brands, investors and industry leaders: https://www.renewable-materials.eu/exhibition-booking/
A highlight or the conference is a high-level panel discussion on the topic: “The Future of the European Chemical Industry: Defossilised and Competitive: How Can It Work?”. The nine international experts will provide their insights in global circular economy, EU policy, latest scientific developments, renewable polymers and fossil-free packaging, as well as strategies for the green transition of the chemical industry.
The event features further attractive programme items such as discussions with representatives from the European Commission's DG Grow, DG ENV and further policy makers, opportunities to make new contacts at three evening meeting points, and plenty of chances for intense networking with leading global brands and pioneers in renewable solutions during the three days of the conference. Networking is supported by a simple matchmaking system that makes it easy to reach out to participants to meet key contacts in person. The location is easily to be reached by plane (Frankfurt Airport), high-speed trains (Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels and Amsterdam) and by car (car park next to the event).
The final programme with speakers, titles and the agenda can be found here: https://www.renewable-materials.eu/program/ as well as the informative conference journal filled with information on the conference, articles and more (60 pages).
This Year's Key Topics
Key strategies and the future of chemicals and materials industry will be presented in five highly relevant topic areas:
Defossilisation of the Chemical Industry
More than 90 % of the carbon embedded in chemicals and plastics is fossil carbon from the ground, which needs to be replaced with biogenic, captured and recycled carbon. Chemical companies, start-ups and industry associations will present their concepts, strategies and success stories for the future of a sustainable and competitive chemical and plastics industry. Topics include alternative feedstocks, alternative naphtha, electric cracker and non-cracker commodity production via methanol and ethanol, biotechnology and biorefineries and more. This session includes 14 presentations, with five additional talks focusing on lignocellulosic biorefineries and lignin utilisation.
Fine Chemicals
The global fine chemicals market, valued at US$ 180 billion, is experiencing a surge in demand for bio-based solutions. Because fine chemicals are high-value and specialised ingredients for essential products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal care products, food additives, etc., their demand remains independent of economic cycles. Advances in biotechnology and biocatalysis are driving the development of high-purity compounds and sustainable processes. Overcoming challenges such as scalability and cost effectiveness is expected to unlock the market potential in this transition. Fine chemicals companies will present their achievements and latest developments in six presentations.
Fossil-free Plastics
95 % of all plastics today are derived from fossil carbon from the ground – globally 4 % are derived from recycling and 1 % from biomass. There is a growing demand for fossil-free plastics in several product groups. Start-ups and established companies will present their polymer and plastic innovations based on biomass, captured CO₂ and recycling. These include packaging, consumer goods, automotive, textiles and high-performance applications. With 22 presentations, the conference will provide brand owners with a unique insight into alternatives to fossil plastics. They will benefit from cross-sectoral discussions and networking. As part of this session, the six selected nominees will compete for the “Renewable Material of the Year 2025” Innovation Award.
Setting the Frame for Renewable Carbon
The main objective of the Green Deal is to move from a linear to a circular economy – reducing the fossil material use and cutting down on waste. The concept of sustainable carbon cycles was introduced by the European Commission in 2022 and is becoming increasingly influential for future regulations and legislation. Which policy and economic framework is needed to support and guide the transition to renewable carbon? Eleven presentations, panel discussions and workshops will tackle this topic.
Biodegradation
Biodegradable plastics are a complex and controversial issue. The key question is no longer whether biodegradable plastics are a good solution, but in which applications biodegradability makes sense. This is already reflected in the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which will make biodegradability mandatory for the first applications. In eleven presentations and an accompanying workshop, start-ups, companies and scientists will provide in-depth information on perception, science and policy, relevance and impact, applications, benefits and risks.
Six Nominees for the Innovation Award “Renewable Materials of the Year 2025”
Once again this year, the conference’s advisory board had to make a difficult choice in selecting the six most promising materials from the list of many excellent submissions for the “Renewable Materials of the Year 2025” sponsored by Covestro (DE). During the conference, the audience will elect the winner from the following nominees: Bloom Biorenewables (CH) – The First Ever White Lignin, Borregaard, (NO) – Innovative Platform Technology Bright for Renewable Lignin-based Biopolymers, Cyclize (DE) – Mixed Waste and CO₂ as Feedstock to Produce Syngas, Sci-Lume Labs (US) – Bylon, a Scalable, Circular, Biosynthetic Polyamide, Sustanix Materialtech (NL) – Replacing PFAS & Plastics in Paper Packaging, and Trinseo (IT) – Next Generation Recycled Content-Containing Acrylic Solutions.
Would you like to become a sponsor of the conference or exhibitor? Gain all information here:
Sponsoring opportunities: https://www.renewable-materials.eu/sponsoring/
Exhibition booking: https://www.renewable-materials.eu/exhibition-booking/
Thanks to RMC Sponsors and (Media)Partners
The nova-Institute would like to thank UPM Biochemicals (FI) for supporting the conference as Platin Sponsor, CO2Value Europe (EU), IFF (US), Leaf Biotech (CN), RedCert (DE), TÜV AUSTRIA Belgium (BE), Uncountable Inc.(US), and Zhongke Guosheng (Hangzhou) Technology (CN) as Gold Sponsors, and J. Rettenmaier & Soehne GmbH + Co KG (DE) as Silver Sponsor. Thank you also to TNO (NL) for acting as Get-Together Session sponsor. The innovation award “Renewable Material of the Year 2025” is sponsored by Covestro (DE).
The Renewable Materials Conference is supported by industry and trade associations, non-profit organisations, research institutions and interest groups that are thematically linked to the conference: AVK - Federation of Reinforced Plastics (DE), BCNP Consultants (DE), Bioeconomy for Change (FR), bündnis mikroplastikfrei (AT), C.A.R.M.E.N. (DE), ChemCologne (DE), Chemie-Cluster Bayern (DE), CLIB – Cluster industrielle Biotechnologie (DE), CO2Value Europe (EU), Enterprise Europe Network – Zenit (DE), European Bioplastics (EU), GO!PHA – Global Organization for PHA (International), IBB – Industrielle Biotechnologie Bayern Netzwerk (DE), INAK - Initiative natürliche Kreislaufwirtschaft (DE), ITA – Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen (DE), kunststoffland NRW (DE), NRW.Energy4Climate – Landesgesellschaft für Energie und Klimaschutz (DE), ÖGUT – Österreichische Gesellschaft für Umwelt und Technik (AT), Plastics Europe (DE) und Renewable Carbon Initiative (International).