CIRCA GROUP AS

Their core work

Circa Group AS is a Norwegian green chemistry company specializing in the production of bio-based solvents derived from cellulosic feedstocks such as sawdust. Their flagship product, Cyrene, is a dipolar aprotic solvent produced from cellulose that directly competes with toxic petrochemical solvents like NMP and DMF — widely used in coatings, graphene processing, and polymer manufacturing. The company is focused on scaling this technology to full commercial production through continuous processing, making sustainable solvent supply viable for industrial buyers. They also contribute expertise in bio-based thermosets and polymer chemistry to broader EU research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both projects began in 2020, so a true chronological shift is limited. However, the keyword split between the two projects reveals a clear strategic arc: early engagement centered on bio-based polymer chemistry (aza-Michael addition, bio-based diamines, thermosets) as a third-party contributor, while their own funded project, ReSolute, is firmly anchored in commercial-scale solvent production — full-scale, continuous process, flagship, outperformance. This suggests Circa has moved from supplying bio-based building blocks to others, toward establishing Cyrene as a standalone industrial product with its own market. The trajectory is toward commercial deployment rather than continued materials research.

Circa Group is transitioning from research partner to industrial producer — their next collaborations will likely center on qualifying Cyrene for new application sectors (batteries, pharmaceuticals, electronics) and securing supply agreements with industrial end-users.

How they like to work

Circa Group has not led any H2020 projects — they join as a participant or third-party contributor, typically bringing a specific enabling technology (Cyrene solvent or bio-based materials) that other partners build around. Their 29 unique partners across 8 countries despite only two projects suggests they operate in large, multi-stakeholder consortia. Working with them likely means gaining access to their proprietary bio-based solvent as a project input, rather than engaging a broad research team.

Circa Group has accumulated 29 unique consortium partners across 8 countries from just two projects, reflecting the large research consortia typical of H2020 RIA and IA instruments. Their geographic reach spans at minimum Norway and several European countries, though no single dominant national cluster is evident from the available data.

What sets them apart

Circa Group is one of the very few companies in Europe with a commercially scalable, non-reprotoxic bio-based alternative to NMP and DMF — two solvents facing tightening EU regulatory restrictions under REACH. This regulatory tailwind gives their Cyrene product structural market advantage that is difficult for incumbent petrochemical suppliers to replicate quickly. For consortium builders, they offer something genuinely rare: an industrial SME that can supply a validated bio-based solvent at scale, bridging the gap between green chemistry research and actual manufacturing procurement.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ReSolute
  This is Circa's own flagship EU project — receiving over €1.2M to demonstrate Cyrene at full industrial scale from sawdust feedstock, making it their most commercially consequential H2020 involvement.
• CHAMPION
  Notable for showing Circa's cross-project value as a third-party supplier of bio-based materials to polymer chemistry consortia, extending their reach beyond their core solvent business.