In Michigan, Ecovia Renewables has increased capacity for production of natural polymers and met all key milestones during the first year of a previously announced joint development agreement with Seppic. The in-house pilot plant is located at Ecovia’s Ann Arbor R&D facility. The site supports ongoing sampling efforts for Ecovia’s biopolymers, including AzuraBase and AzuraGel, which can be used as soil additives for water retention to superabsorbent cores for infant diapers to thickeners for food.
“Demonstrating Ecovia’s bioprocess platform at pilot scale will be an important and exciting milestone for the company, representing a key step in de-risking our technology and preparing for commercial production,” says Dr. Jeremy Minty, Ecovia President and CEO. .
The scale-up also “accommodates ongoing progress” achieved under Ecovia’s multi-year joint development agreement with Seppic, a subsidiary of Air Liquide. Announced in April 2018, the partnership focuses on the development of topical cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredients.