Under the terms of the agreement, Genomatica will seek to establish a consortium of industry leaders focused on creating a separate entity for the flagship commercial plant with Sojitz. Sojitz has also made a strategic financial investment, while also contributing its commercial and business expertise.
“At Sojitz, we believe real progress comes from challenging the status quo. [Genomatica] has been a leader in industrial biomanufacturing, continuously striving for innovation, and we look forward to working together with [Genomatica] to actively reshape the future of this sector with materials that are both commercially viable and globally responsible,” said Mitsutoshi Takagi, General Manager of Environment and Life Science Department at Sojitz, in a press statement.
Genomatica and Aquafil have successfully partnered to produce 100% renewably sourced, plant-based nylon-6 and plan to continue pre-commercial plant operations to further demonstrate the bioprocess technology and assess plant-based nylon.