SYNTHELAST SA

Their core work

SYNTHELAST SA is a Spanish SME based in Elche specializing in elastomer and rubber-based material processing. Their work spans both the creation of new specialty polymers — including CO2-derived polyurethane elastomers for the footwear industry — and the recovery of rubber from end-of-life tyres through devulcanization processes. On the recycling side, they contribute to closing the loop on critical raw materials locked in waste rubber, reintroducing recovered material into production lines as a substitute for virgin rubber. This dual capability in material synthesis and material recovery makes them relevant both to manufacturers seeking sustainable inputs and to waste processing consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their 2015 work centered on synthesizing novel bio-inspired polyurethane elastomers for the footwear sector, indicating an origin in specialty polymer formulation and new material creation. By 2019 the focus had shifted substantially toward the recovery end of the material lifecycle — devulcanization, end-of-life tyre processing, and reintroduction of reclaimed rubber into production — reflecting the EU's growing emphasis on circular economy and critical raw material independence. The trajectory is a clear move from "making new materials" to "recovering and reusing existing ones," which aligns with both regulatory pressure and market demand for recycled-content inputs.

SYNTHELAST is moving firmly toward circular economy and waste rubber valorization, making them a strong candidate for future consortia targeting tyre recycling mandates, secondary raw material supply chains, or sustainable polymer feedstocks.

How they like to work

SYNTHELAST has experience on both sides of the project leadership divide: they self-initiated and coordinated a Phase 1 SME Instrument project, showing they can drive feasibility work independently, and they also joined as a participant in a larger Innovation Action with a broader consortium. Their network is small and selective — 6 partners across 3 countries — suggesting they enter collaborations where they can contribute a specific technical capability rather than seeking large multi-partner visibility. Working with them likely means a focused, technically grounded partner who knows their niche.

SYNTHELAST has worked with 6 unique consortium partners across 3 countries, a compact footprint consistent with SME Instrument and targeted Innovation Action structures. Their geographic network is European but narrowly scoped, with no evidence of repeated partner relationships from available data.

What sets them apart

SYNTHELAST occupies an unusual position as a small industrial SME with demonstrated experience on both the creation side (new elastomer synthesis) and the recovery side (devulcanization, recycled rubber) of the rubber material cycle. For consortium builders in circular economy, automotive waste, or sustainable manufacturing, this dual competence is harder to find than depth in just one direction. Their Elche base also places them in one of Spain's historically strong footwear and polymers manufacturing clusters, giving them proximity to real industrial end-users.

Highlights from their portfolio

• VALUE-RUBBER
  The largest and most recent project (EUR 328,152, 2019–2022) as part of an Innovation Action consortium, directly targeting the commercially significant problem of reintroducing end-of-life tyre rubber into production as virgin-grade material via devulcanization.
• PUFOOTCO2
  Coordinated independently under the SME Instrument in 2015, demonstrating initiative and the ability to originate an EU-funded project around CO2-based polyurethane chemistry applied to the footwear sector.