Workshop for Increased Circularity

The two-hour workshop that will take place on May 11 between 10:00 and 12:00. It will bring together established companies, including corporates, SMEs and municipality-owned companies, with startups developing a wide-range of innovations, from biobased plastics, production solutions and recycling methods to data decision support tools.

The selected startups are Bioextrax, Circular Ocean, Ekbacken Studios, HUD, Mycomine, Norbite, Preference AB, R-cycle, Re:Lab AB, Recircle Solutions, Swestep, Trifilon, and TURFS.

The workshop aims to introduce startups and facilitate round-table conversations among one or multiple established companies to address a problem that contributes to increasing circularity within the plastic value chain. The focus of the workshop will be on the knowledge and skills that startups can bring to various stages in the value chain, such as raw materials, production, use, and recycling, rather than on specific applications.

“The focus is not on packaging, which falls under producer responsibility, but rather on plastic flows from products, agriculture, demolition projects, etc. which do not have a functioning recycling system,” explains Linda Hagman, Project Manager for Circular Matching at Ignite Sweden.

Applications are Open for Established Companies

Applications for startup participants are closed, but established companies can still apply for the workshop before April 28. Companies that are interested in taking part in this workshop are expected to show their dedication towards promoting circularity through collaborative efforts with startups, and have the capacity to implement innovation within themselves or to identify what is needed for full circularity.

Established companies interested in participating can register for the workshop before April 28 here.

This workshop is part of Omställningslyftet, a national initiative funded by the European Regional Development Fund and led by RISE in collaboration with Ignite Sweden and SISP, that aims to engage and involve small and medium-sized businesses in the green transition.

In Collaboration with Plastteknik Nordic

The workshop will be held at Plastteknik Nordic, the leading meeting place for the plastics and rubber industry in the Nordic region, on May 10-11 in Malmö.

“Hosting the workshop at Plastteknik Nordic provides a great opportunity as it enables us to connect innovative startups with the whole plastic industry,” says Linda.

Startups will also have the chance to exhibit at their trade show, showcasing their solutions to attending and exhibiting companies.

Mahtab Karimi, Project Manager for Plastteknik Nordic, hopes that this collaboration with Ignite Sweden and SISP will help to emphasize the importance of circularity in the industry.

“Circularity is a focus area that permeates the entire meeting place. Plastteknik Nordic brings together the entire Nordic plastic and rubber industry value chain, and together with Ignite Sweden and SISP, we can network more broadly,” says Mahtab.

For more information about Plastteknik Nordic, visit their website here. Register for the event here.

These are the startups that established companies can meet at the workshop:

Bioextrax: They have developed a unique and GMO-free process which increases the conversion rate between sucrose and PHA, allowing for a significantly lower production cost for PHA.

Circular Ocean: Recycle traceable discarded fishing nets recycled into a new sustainable recyclable material – PENYLON(™) for additive manufacturing (AM) and injection molding (IM).

Ekbacken Studios: They produce sustainable and luxurious furniture by upcycling waste materials, leading to lower climate impact.

HUD: HUD’s innovative textile absorbs and transports moisture away, keeping the skin dry and reducing irritation and eczema. This can help to reduce sick days and workplace health costs.

Mycomine: MycoCube is a portable treatment plant in which the active component is fungi. It is used in-situ to minimize transportation of pollution.

Norbite: They have developed a process using insects to convert plastic waste sludge into proteins and lipids that meet animal feed requirements.

Preference AB: It specializes in industrial innovation with pyrolytic processing of plastic waste, including high-grade PVC. They offer solutions such as data and decision support, software development projects, and other industrial innovations.

R-cycle: Their software creates digital product passports for plastic articles, aiming to increase recycled plastic percentage by ensuring complete supply chain traceability and transparency.

Re:Lab AB: They convert laboratory plastic waste into high-quality syngas using their proprietary technology for closed-loop production of renewable chemicals and plastics.

Recircle Solutions: They develop and industrialize new solutions for plastic recycling and the use of recycled plastic in new applications.

Swestep: Their technology delivers a capital-efficient and profitable solution that produces renewable fuels, sustainable liquids and raw material alternatives.

Trifilon: They develop, produce and sell lightweight biocomposite plastics for high-performance applications.

TURFS: Their environmentally friendly and inclusive shock-absorbing surfaces are designed to be recyclable and consist of TPE, hardened PU binder and EPP.