Through the multi-year collaboration, the chemical company and the Massachusetts, US-based firm formerly known as Zymergen said they plan to work together “to unlock the power of synthetic biology as an enabler of more sustainable chemicals and materials and thus aid the transition to more environmentally-friendly solutions.”

At the start, the alliance will focus on new sustainable biopolymers specialties that the partners believe could “tangibly impact a breadth of markets, from home and personal care to agriculture and food.”

As part of the partnership, Solvay will also acquire a Ginkgo laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a location regarded as one of the world’s most important biotech hubs.

The Belgian group said the collaboration will enable it to expand its R&I footprint in the US, provide access to new talents and establish a sustainable growth base in synthetic biology.

Solvay added that in the work with Gingko, it hopes to develop “deep competencies” in bioinformatics / data science, strain engineering, biocatalysis and fermentation processes and integrate these into its Renewable Materials and Biotechnology growth platform.

In particular, it hopes to” strengthen and accelerate its ability to scout, develop and turn into businesses the most valuable biotech-enabled opportunities.”

For Solvay, the ultimate goal of the renewables platform that complements its work in fields such as battery materials, green hydrogen and thermoplastic composites is to meet growing demand for sustainable solutions by increasing the share of renewable carbon in its product offering and develop new business opportunities enabled by biotechnology.

CEO Ilham Kadri added that Solvay expects to leverage its new presence in the Boston area “to step up and accelerate our offerings in this field.”

Commenting on the collaboration plans, Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks, said “synthetic biology can help companies across a wide breadth of markets reach their environmental and economic goals at the same time,” calling its European partner’s move a “big swing at sustainability.”

The Massachusetts company bills itself as a leading horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across diverse markets, ranging from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty chemicals.

Ginkgo’s biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, is currently building a global infrastructure for biosecurity aimed at empowering governments, communities and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological threats.

Solvay’s hopes for its new renewables platform ambition are pinned on a “holistic innovation approach” with three interconnected pillars: sustainable renewable carbon, biotechnology and end-of-life management. The group already has established growth platforms in batteries, green hydrogen and thermoplastic composites.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist