From Policy and Technology to Practical Implementation: Twelve Expert-Led Workshops at Renewable Materials Conference 2025
Hürth, 2 July 2025: The Renewable Materials Conference (RMC), hosted by nova-Institute, returns to Siegburg/Cologne, Germany from 22–24 September 2025, offering a deep dive into groundbreaking solutions for replacing fossil carbon in chemicals and materials. This year’s edition places a significant emphasis on interactive knowledge exchange through twelve specialized workshops, designed to run alongside the main conference without overlapping with presentations or panels.
Early registrations made before 17 August 2025 will benefit from a 10% Early Bird Discount, encouraging sustainable innovators to secure their spot in advance.
The RMC 2025 is expected to attract over 500 global participants, featuring 75 expert presentations, 20 panel discussions, and a vibrant table-top exhibition spread across two floors. The event provides a comprehensive overview of renewable carbon applications, spanning biomass, CO₂ capture, and advanced recycling technologies, within a circular economy framework.
Day 1 Workshop – 22 September 2025
The conference kicks off with four highly focused workshops on industrial transformation and business strategies.
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Holcim (Germany)‘s Florian Kleinwächter leads with “Turning CO₂ into Business: Time to Walk the Talk”, showcasing upcoming opportunities for commercializing carbon utilisation.
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Syklo (Finland)‘s Timo Ture and Markku Nikkila present “From Waste to Wonders”, outlining a new industrial concept to convert cardboard and plastic waste into low-carbon technical bio-composites.
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A policy-driven workshop hosted by PtX Lab Lausitz (Germany) dives into policy frameworks that can transform petrochemical clusters through CO₂ utilisation. The session features insights from Irina Akhmetova, Lukas Horndasch, and guest expert Clemens Schneider of the University of Kassel.
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In the afternoon, nova-Institute offers a workshop for start-ups and SMEs titled “Business Plans for Renewable Chemicals and Materials”. Facilitators Lars Börger, Narendar Raju Poranki, and Gillian Tweddle will explain essential components of successful business planning, concluding with practical case studies.
Day 2 Workshop – 23 September 2025
Day two presents diverse industry topics, ranging from air-based chemistry to biodegradability and market communication.
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Fraunhofer UMSICHT (Germany)’s Kai Junge Puring introduces the “Air2Chem” project, which focuses on replacing fossil-based chemicals with those derived from atmospheric CO₂, pushing toward an air-integrated chemical industry.
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Michael Carus, CEO of nova-Institute and Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), shares findings from a BIC/RCI modelling study that maps out biomass availability for chemicals across Europe and beyond.
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Stefanie Fulda and Dušica Banduka from nova-Institute lead a marketing-focused workshop on effective strategies for promoting renewable chemicals and materials.
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In a workshop jointly hosted by HYDRA Marine Sciences and BASF (Germany), Miriam Weber, Christian Lott, and Andreas Künkel tackle key questions around biodegradability, supporting its integration into the circular economy.
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Kim Schoppink from the Science Based Targets initiative (EU) opens a session on proposed enhancements to the Corporate Net Zero Standard, focusing on their implications for renewable carbon usage.
Day 3 Workshop – 24 September 2025
The final day explores AI in material design and policy frameworks for renewable transitions.
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TNO (Netherlands)’s Jan-Harm Urbanus and Pieter Imhof present how artificial intelligence can be applied to polymer design, minimizing the negative impacts of plastics and enabling novel material innovations.
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Concurrently, Matthias Stratmann from nova-Institute leads a workshop examining the use of renewable carbon in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), including methodological insights and case applications.
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Concluding the workshop series, Christopher vom Berg (nova-Institute & RCI) will moderate “Facilitating Change – Policy for a Renewable Carbon Transition”. The session features a high-level expert panel with Janine van Kampen (Dutch Ministry for Climate Policy and Green Growth), Sebastian Kunz (Südzucker, Germany), and Luciano Proto Cassina (nova-Institute).
Additional Conference Highlights
The broader conference agenda includes sessions on:
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Defossilisation of the chemical industry
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Fossil-free plastics
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Fine chemicals
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Policy for renewable carbon
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Biodegradation pathways
A panel discussion titled “The Future of the Chemical Industry in Europe: Defossilised and Competitive – How Can This Work?” will unite policymakers, researchers, and corporate leaders.
On 23 September, attendees can vote for the “Renewable Material of the Year 2025”, with six shortlisted innovations including white lignin, biosynthetic polyamides, and cutting-edge recycling solutions.
Early Bird Offer & Registration
Register before 17 August 2025 to receive a 10% Early Bird Discount:
www.renewable-materials.eu/registration
Explore the workshop programme and details here:
www.renewable-materials.eu/workshops
Sponsors & Partners
The RMC 2025 is supported by a host of global sponsors including:
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Platin Sponsor: UPM Biochemicals (FI)
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Gold Sponsors: CO₂Value Europe (EU), IFF (US), Leaf Biotech (CN), TÜV AUSTRIA (BE), Uncountable Inc. (US), Zhongke Guosheng (CN)
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Silver Sponsors: J. Rettenmaier & Soehne (DE), REDcert (DE)
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Get-Together Sponsor: TNO (NL)
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Innovation Award Sponsor: Covestro (DE)
The conference also enjoys the support of numerous international industry associations, biotech clusters, and climate policy groups, helping ensure broad, cross-sector collaboration on renewable material solutions.
