AVANTIUM CHEMICALS BV

Their core work

Avantium is a Dutch chemical technology company specializing in converting biomass and CO2 into bio-based chemicals, fuels, and plastics. Their core business revolves around catalytic and electrochemical processes to produce platform chemicals like FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), mono-ethylene glycol, and PEF (polyethylene furanoate) — a bio-based alternative to PET plastic. They operate across the full chain from feedstock processing and sugar separation to polymer production, with strong capabilities in downstream process integration. Avantium bridges the gap between laboratory chemistry and industrial-scale demonstration, bringing bio-based products closer to market adoption.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2018), Avantium focused on biomass conversion, biofuels from macro-algae, bio-based plastics (PEF), and general biorefinery processing — largely working with plant-based and forestry feedstocks. From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward CO2 valorization, electrochemistry, and producing organic acids and chemicals from industrial CO2 emissions rather than solely from biomass. This evolution shows a company moving from first-generation bio-based chemistry toward carbon-negative chemical production, combining their biorefinery expertise with electrochemical CO2 conversion.

Avantium is increasingly positioned at the intersection of CO2 utilization and bio-based chemistry, making them a strong partner for any consortium targeting carbon-negative chemical production or circular carbon economy projects.

How they like to work

Avantium operates primarily as an active partner (16 of 22 projects) but steps into the coordinator role for their most strategic projects, particularly those closest to demonstration scale or directly tied to their core PEF/glycol technology. With 197 unique consortium partners across 22 countries, they are a well-connected hub rather than a loyal-to-few-partners organization. This breadth signals they are experienced consortium members who integrate well across diverse teams and bring industrial-scale ambition to research collaborations.

Avantium has collaborated with 197 distinct partners across 22 countries, making them one of the better-connected SMEs in the European bio-based chemistry space. Their network spans Western and Northern Europe heavily, with strong ties to academic and industrial partners in Germany, France, Belgium, and the Nordic countries.

What sets them apart

Avantium is rare among SMEs in that they operate at the intersection of chemistry R&D and industrial demonstration — they don't just develop processes, they scale them. Their proprietary PEF technology gives them a tangible product pipeline that most research-oriented participants lack, making them a credible partner for projects that need a path from lab to market. With EUR 22M in H2020 funding and coordinator experience on demonstration-scale projects (EGgPLANT, IMPRESS), they bring both scientific depth and commercial drive to any consortium.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IMPRESS
  Largest single grant at EUR 6.2M as coordinator — a flagship project on industrial-scale downstream sugar processing, demonstrating Avantium's ability to lead major demonstration efforts.
• PEFerence
  Coordinator of the reference project for PEF bio-based plastic production — directly tied to Avantium's core commercial product and longest-running H2020 project (2017–2025).
• EGgPLANT
  EUR 2.5M SME Instrument Phase 2 grant for demonstration-scale mono-ethylene glycol production — one of the few projects where Avantium brought its own technology to near-market readiness.