Solvay has opened its first fully dedicated Industrial Biotechnology Laboratory (IBL) in Paulinia, Brazil.
The Belgian chemical producer said the lab is designed to boost the development of innovations and solutions based on sustainable chemistry and used in a growing range of end-markets.
The fully integrated laboratory will focus chiefly on researching new processes and molecules derived from biomass, which is mostly plant or vegetable-based and abundantly available in Brazil with its favorable climate and vast surface.
Louis Neltner, general manager of Solvay's Research & Innovation group, said the new lab will allow the company to “further nourish its innovation portfolio, using renewable resources, with tailored solutions to meet sustainability demands from customers in multiple end-markets.”
"Thanks to Brazil's wide variety of biomass, competitive agricultural businesses and biotech expertise the country has all the required conditions to develop and grow products and solutions based on renewable resources."
The lab's researchers will work jointly with the group's global business units in Solvay's research and innovation centers worldwide as well as with external partners including public and private institutions. Research programs in place include projects in flavors, fragrances, surfactants, cellulose derivatives and solvents.
Solvay has been developing products and solutions based on bio-sourced raw materials such as ethanol and glycerol for several decades with an eye toward meeting the challenges posed by the scarcity of resources amid growing industrialization, urbanization and an increasing number of consumers.