FKUR KUNSTSTOFF GMBH

Their core work

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH is a German SME specializing in bioplastics and bio-based polymer compounds. They develop biodegradable and compostable plastic materials for agricultural and industrial applications, including mulch films and keratin-based materials derived from waste streams like feathers. Their H2020 work focuses on replacing conventional plastics with sustainable bio-based alternatives across agriculture and packaging value chains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

FKuR's H2020 trajectory shows a clear shift from plastics replacement toward broader bio-based agricultural inputs. Their early work (2016-2017) centered on biodegradable mulch films and waste-to-bioplastic conversion — essentially making better plastics from biological sources. By 2019, with B-FERST, they expanded into bio-based fertilisers, soil conditioning, and full value chain sustainability, suggesting a strategic move from materials science into circular agriculture.

FKuR is broadening from bioplastics manufacturing into the wider bio-based agricultural inputs market, positioning themselves as a materials partner for circular farming solutions.

How they like to work

FKuR participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as a specialist materials company contributing specific bioplastics expertise to larger consortia. With 37 unique partners across 11 countries in just 3 projects, they operate in large Innovation Action consortia, indicating comfort working within complex multi-partner setups. They are a network-builder rather than a project-leader.

Despite only 3 projects, FKuR has built a broad European network of 37 partners across 11 countries, reflecting the large consortium structure of Innovation Actions. Their reach is wide for an SME of this size.

What sets them apart

FKuR sits at a rare intersection: they are both a bioplastics compounder (making the materials) and an active participant in agricultural application research (knowing how the materials perform in the field). For consortium builders, this means a single partner who can develop the bio-based material AND validate it in real agricultural conditions. Their SME status also brings agility and industrial scale-up experience that larger chemical companies often lack in EU project timelines.

Highlights from their portfolio

• B-FERST
  Largest funding (EUR 242,369) and most recent project, marking FKuR's strategic expansion from bioplastics into bio-based fertiliser value chains running until 2024.
• KARMA2020
  Demonstrates FKuR's waste valorisation capability — converting poultry feather waste into keratin-based bioplastics, a creative circular economy approach.