GENENCOR INTERNATIONAL BV

Their core work

Genencor International BV, operating under DuPont Industrial Biosciences, is an industrial enzyme manufacturer specializing in the development and scale-up of enzymatic solutions for bio-based industries. They produce enzymes that enable cleaner industrial processes — from converting biomass into biogas to enabling oxidative biocatalysis for chemical production. Their H2020 work focuses on demonstrating enzyme technologies at industrial scale, bridging the gap between lab-proven biocatalysts and commercially viable production processes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only three projects spanning 2015-2021, the evolution is limited but shows a consistent thread: industrial enzyme applications across different bio-based value chains. Their earliest project (ROBOX, 2015) addressed fundamental biocatalysis for chemical production, while the 2016 projects (DEMETER, PULPACKTION) moved toward specific application domains — energy and packaging. The trajectory suggests a broadening of enzyme application areas rather than a deepening in one domain.

Genencor appears to be expanding its enzyme expertise from chemical synthesis toward renewable energy and sustainable materials — sectors where enzymatic processes can replace traditional industrial methods.

How they like to work

Genencor operates primarily as a technology provider within large demonstration consortia, typically BBI (Bio-Based Industries) projects. They coordinated DEMETER (their largest project at EUR 1.2M), showing capacity to lead, but more often join as a specialist partner contributing enzyme expertise. With 44 unique partners across 13 countries, they are well-networked in the European bio-economy and comfortable working in large multi-partner consortia typical of BBI demonstration projects.

Broad European network spanning 44 partners in 13 countries, built through participation in large BBI demonstration consortia. Their network likely includes biorefinery operators, research institutes, and end-user industries across the bio-based value chain.

What sets them apart

As a DuPont subsidiary, Genencor brings genuine industrial-scale enzyme manufacturing capability — not just research, but production capacity. This makes them a rare partner who can actually manufacture the enzymes that a consortium develops, closing the gap between demonstration and market. For any bio-based industries project needing an enzyme supplier who can go from pilot to full production, Genencor is one of few European options with proven capacity.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DEMETER
  Their only coordinated project and largest funding (EUR 1.2M) — a BBI demonstration project on enzyme production for biogas, showing their ability to lead industrial-scale bio-economy initiatives.
• ROBOX
  Addressed a fundamental industrial challenge — making oxidative biocatalysts robust enough for real industrial use, with applications across pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and food ingredients.
• PULPACKTION
  Demonstrates the breadth of enzyme applications into sustainable packaging — a high-growth market where enzymatic processing of pulp offers environmental advantages over conventional methods.