Since plastics are an important product of modern-day life and the majority is currently produced from fossils fuels, SuikerUnie has the ambition to impact the plastic production process by offering a sustainable alternative, namely biopolymers.
We’re looking for technologies that can support in this conversion process.
Suiker Unie is with more than 750 employees, a major sugar producer in Europe and part of the Royal Cosun group.
As well as developing, producing and selling sugar and sugar specialties, it processes all parts of the sugar beet into natural ingredients for the food, energy, biobased and related industries.
All components of the beet are used, nothing is wasted. Corporate sustainability is woven into Suiker Unie’s strategy for the benefit of their customers, growers, and staff.
It is desired that such a conversion process is competitive with traditional routes (using crude oil) for producing polymers.
Also, additional benefits of using sucrose from European sugar beet as compared to glucose from starch will be a great advantage.
THE CHALLENGE
We are looking for startups and scaleups that want to collaborate with Suiker Unie to transform sucrose to biopolymers and thereby serve as a sustainable alternative for raw materials traditionally used within plastics.
We are looking for technological processes that allow such conversion, which is competitive with traditional routes for producing polymers, such as using crude oil.
We are interested in the following technology direction:
CHEMICAL PROCESSES
That optimize the extraction or conversion of sucrose from sugar beet to bio-polymers, and thereby make this a solid alternative to traditional routes
BIOTECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
That can optimize the current processes used for conversion and thereby make the benefit of it economically viable compared to traditional routes.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU
- Pilot contract with SuikerUnie in case a fit is identified
- Access to SuikerUnie’s facilities like labs, pilot plants, application tests and more.
- Expert coaching
- Access to the EBG network
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA
You should
- Have a working prototype or demonstrator
- Be able to launch a finished product or service within the next 18 months
- Be able to do a pilot project in the Netherlands
TAKE The Challenge and click on the link
Work With Suikerunie to Valorize Sucrose From Sugar Beet Into Bio-polymers to Produce Sustainable Plastics
Personal Remarks
- Listen, we’re talking about the Dutch here … so put everything on paper … cos they’ll probably end up talking your money