SUPREN GMBH

Their core work

SUPREN is a Dortmund-based SME specializing in sustainable chemical and fuel production from biomass and waste streams. They focus on converting lignin, lignocellulosic residues, and municipal solid waste into valuable products including bio-fuels for aviation and shipping. Their work spans membrane-based carbon capture, contaminated land remediation, and enzymatic/chemical conversion of plant-derived materials. They bring applied process engineering expertise to EU research consortia tackling the transition from fossil to renewable feedstocks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SUPREN's early H2020 work (2015-2019) was broader and more exploratory, spanning environmental remediation, carbon capture membranes, and lignin chemistry with no dominant keyword signature. From 2020 onward, they sharpened their focus decisively toward biofuel production — specifically aviation and shipping fuels from waste biomass. This trajectory shows a company that started by building competence across several green chemistry domains and then concentrated on the commercially promising niche of renewable transport fuels.

SUPREN is converging on biofuel production for hard-to-electrify transport (aviation, maritime), positioning themselves at the intersection of waste valorization and decarbonized logistics.

How they like to work

SUPREN operates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for a specialized SME contributing targeted process expertise to larger research efforts. With 54 unique partners across 15 countries in just 4 projects, they consistently join large, multinational consortia. This pattern suggests they are valued as a reliable technical contributor rather than a project driver — a good fit for coordinators who need applied biomass processing knowledge without administrative overhead.

Despite only 4 projects, SUPREN has built a surprisingly broad network of 54 partners across 15 countries, indicating participation in large-scale consortia with strong European reach. Their network spans well beyond Germany into a diverse set of EU member states.

What sets them apart

SUPREN occupies a specific niche as a German SME bridging biomass chemistry and industrial fuel production — they are not a university lab doing fundamental research, but a private company focused on making conversion processes work at scale. Their combination of lignin processing, membrane technology, and waste-to-fuel expertise is uncommon in a single small company. For consortium builders, they offer hands-on process engineering without the overhead of a large industrial partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FLEXI-GREEN FUELS
  Their most recent and strategically focused project, targeting the high-demand area of sustainable aviation and shipping fuels from waste biomass (EUR 497K contribution).
• FALCON
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 568K), focused on the technically challenging conversion of lignin into fuels and chemicals via enzymatic routes.
• NanoMEMC2
  Demonstrates cross-domain capability — combining nanomaterials expertise with carbon capture, distinct from their biofuel core.