ALTUGLAS INTERNATIONAL SAS

Their core work

Altuglas International is an industrial manufacturer of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), the high-performance acrylic polymer used in automotive glazing, signage, construction panels, and consumer products. Their H2020 participation focuses on closing the material loop for acrylic plastics — specifically, developing and validating thermal depolymerization pathways that break end-of-life PMMA back into its constituent MMA monomer for reuse in virgin-quality production. As an industrial producer rather than a research lab, they contribute manufacturing knowledge, quality validation, and scale-up expertise that pure research partners cannot provide. Their most recent engagement extends this circularity work into the electric vehicle supply chain, where recovered PMMA and PP from end-of-life vehicles must meet strict automotive performance standards.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest project (MMAtwo, 2018) is tightly focused on the chemistry of PMMA: thermal depolymerization, monomer recovery, and the material science of the acrylic polymer chain. By 2021, with REVOLUTION, the frame has broadened significantly — from "how do we recycle PMMA" to "how do we design entire vehicle components so they can be recovered at end-of-life", encompassing ecodesign principles, multiple polymers (PP alongside PMMA), ELV regulatory compliance, and even machine learning for material sorting. The trajectory is clear: from deep material chemistry toward system-level circular economy thinking within the automotive sector.

Altuglas is moving from being a plastics producer solving its own recycling problem toward becoming a circular economy partner in the automotive value chain, positioning themselves as an essential supplier of high-spec recycled acrylic for EV manufacturers under tightening ELV regulations.

How they like to work

Altuglas holds no coordinator roles across their two projects, consistently joining as an industrial partner or third party — the role of a company that brings proprietary material knowledge and production validation rather than research leadership. The scale of their network is striking for just two projects: 34 unique partners across 12 countries suggests participation in large, multi-stakeholder Innovation Actions with broad consortium membership. This is typical of an industrial heavyweight that adds credibility and scale-up validation to research-led consortia.

Despite only two projects, Altuglas has connected with 34 unique partners spanning 12 countries — a notably broad European network that reflects the large consortia characteristic of H2020 Innovation Actions. Their connections likely span research institutes, automotive OEMs, polymer processors, and waste management companies across Western Europe.

What sets them apart

Unlike university groups or research institutes working on polymer recycling in the abstract, Altuglas is an actual PMMA manufacturer — they know exactly what quality a recycled monomer must achieve to re-enter commercial production, which makes their validation of recycling processes credible and industrially meaningful. Their involvement signals to consortium partners and future customers that a recycling pathway has passed industrial scrutiny, not just lab benchmarks. For anyone building a consortium around plastic circularity, automotive materials, or ELV compliance, Altuglas fills the industrial anchor role that transforms research projects into market-ready solutions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MMAtwo
  A landmark closed-loop acrylic recycling project — Altuglas's participation as a third party in a project that targets regenerating MMA monomer from waste PMMA directly links their core product line to circular economy validation at industrial scale.
• REVOLUTION
  The only project where Altuglas received EC funding (EUR 85,260), and it shows their strategic expansion into the electric vehicle supply chain, targeting ELV directive compliance with recycled PMMA and PP in automotive components.