German specialty catalyst SME developing catalytic materials for CO2 capture, glycerol-to-fuel conversion, and sustainable aviation and marine fuels.
C&CS is a German specialty chemicals and catalyst company that develops and supplies catalytic materials and processes for industrial decarbonization applications. Their contribution to EU projects centres on the practical chemistry side: providing or developing the catalyst formulations, specialty sorbents, and reactive materials that make advanced chemical processes work at scale. In the MEMBER project they contributed expertise in membrane materials and CO2 capture chemistry; in GLAMOUR they applied catalysis to convert glycerol — a waste byproduct of biodiesel production — into synthetic aviation and marine fuels. As a private SME, they sit closer to industrial application than academic partners in the same consortia, bridging laboratory research and real-world chemical production.
Both MEMBER and GLAMOUR rely on C&CS for catalytic expertise — from palladium and mixed-matrix membrane catalysts in MEMBER to glycerol reforming and Fischer-Tropsch catalysis in GLAMOUR.
MEMBER (2018–2022) placed C&CS in a consortium developing metal-organic frameworks, mixed-matrix membranes, palladium membranes, and CO2 sorbents for pre- and post-combustion carbon capture.
GLAMOUR (2020–2024) involved converting glycerol to synthetic paraffine kerosene and marine diesel oil through chemical looping and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
MEMBER's scope included membrane-assisted sorption enhanced reforming, indicating capability beyond simple catalyst supply into integrated membrane-reactor system design.
Their H2020 participation opened in the domain of advanced materials for carbon capture — metal-organic frameworks, palladium membranes, and CO2 sorbents represent a materials-science-heavy entry point focused on removing carbon at the point of emission. By 2020 their focus had rotated toward producing sustainable fuels from waste feedstocks: glycerol reforming, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and chemical looping are all active conversion chemistries rather than capture and containment. The shift suggests they are moving from end-of-pipe decarbonization toward circular fuel chemistry, where the commercial pull from aviation and marine sectors is stronger.
C&CS appears to be tracking toward the sustainable fuels value chain — particularly drop-in fuels for hard-to-electrify sectors like aviation and shipping — where specialty catalyst supply has direct commercial demand beyond the research phase.
C&CS participates exclusively as a consortium member and has never taken the coordinator role, which is typical of specialist SMEs that contribute a defined technical capability rather than driving overall project management. With 29 unique partners from just 2 projects, they clearly join large, multi-partner consortia — likely contributing catalyst or materials supply and testing rather than broad project leadership. This pattern suggests they are most valuable as a focused technical partner whose role is well-scoped and deliverable-driven.
Despite only two projects, C&CS has connected with 29 unique partners across 10 countries, indicating they consistently join large international consortia rather than small bilateral collaborations. No single geographic cluster is evident, suggesting openness to pan-European partnership rather than a home-country preference.
C&CS occupies an unusual niche as a private SME catalyst specialist inside R&D consortia typically dominated by universities and research institutes — they bring industrial-grade materials know-how and proximity to real production conditions that academic partners cannot replicate. Their dual presence in both carbon capture chemistry and sustainable fuel synthesis positions them at the practical intersection of two of Europe's biggest decarbonization investment themes. For a consortium needing someone who can actually make the catalytic material work rather than just model it, C&CS is a credible shortlist candidate.
