ENZYMICALS AG

Their core work

Enzymicals is a German biotech SME specializing in industrial enzyme development and biocatalysis. They engineer enzymes for chemical synthesis — turning biological catalysts into practical tools for producing pharmaceuticals (APIs), bulk chemicals, and increasingly, biodegradable plastics. Based in Greifswald, they bridge the gap between academic enzyme research and industrial-scale biocatalytic processes, offering enzyme panels, cascade reaction design, and process scale-up from microreactor to technical scale.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 phase (2015–2018), Enzymicals focused squarely on enzyme fundamentals: engineering C-C bond forming enzymes, building enzyme panels, thermostabilization, and scaling cascade reactions from microreactors to technical scale — essentially perfecting their core biocatalysis toolkit. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted dramatically toward applications with environmental impact: catalytic membrane reactors for process intensification (MACBETH) and enzymatic plastic degradation for upcycling waste into bioplastics (upPE-T). This evolution shows a company that built deep enzyme engineering capabilities first, then pivoted toward sustainability and circular economy applications where those capabilities command premium value.

Enzymicals is moving from pure enzyme development into circular economy applications — expect future work in enzymatic recycling, bio-based materials, and green chemistry process design.

How they like to work

Enzymicals consistently joins large European consortia as a specialist partner rather than leading projects — zero coordinator roles across six projects, with 103 unique partners across 20 countries. This pattern is typical of a high-value SME that brings specific technical capabilities (enzyme design, biocatalytic process know-how) into multidisciplinary teams. Their wide partner network and participation in both research-focused (RIA, MSCA) and innovation-focused (IA) projects suggests they are easy to work with and adaptable to different consortium structures.

Extensive European network spanning 103 unique partners across 20 countries, built through consistent participation in large consortia. Their Greifswald base connects them strongly to German academic biocatalysis research, but their reach is genuinely pan-European.

What sets them apart

Enzymicals occupies a rare niche: a commercially operating enzyme company that actively participates in EU research, bridging the valley between academic enzyme discovery and industrial deployment. Unlike university labs, they bring production-oriented thinking — scale-up, thermostability, process economics — to every consortium they join. Their recent pivot into enzymatic plastic degradation positions them at the intersection of biotechnology and circular economy, a combination few SMEs can credibly claim.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MACBETH
  Their largest single grant (EUR 801K) and a shift into membrane reactor technology — signals strategic expansion beyond pure enzyme work into integrated process design.
• upPE-T
  Tackles the high-profile challenge of enzymatic PET/PE plastic waste upcycling into biodegradable packaging — their most commercially promising and environmentally relevant project.
• CARBAZYMES
  Best showcase of their core enzyme engineering expertise: building an entire C-C bond forming enzyme platform spanning lyases, aldolases, and halohydrin dehalogenases for industrial chemical synthesis.