The international meeting place for the chemical, plastics and materials industry will take place in Siegburg near Cologne from September 22 to 24, 2025. The conference will present new solutions and current innovations to replace fossil carbon with biomass, CO₂ utilization and recycling.
The Renewable Materials Conference (RMC), which will once again take place in Siegburg near Cologne, is the world’s largest conference for the chemical and materials industry based on biomass, carbon capture and utilization (CCU) and advanced recycling – the only alternatives to fossil-based chemicals and materials. The unique concept of bundling all solutions for renewable materials in one event hits the nerve of the times. The event covers the entire value chain, from alternative carbon feedstocks to the chemical industry, the materials sector, product manufacturers and brand owners, and is also aimed at investors and policy makers. The last conference in June 2024 was attended by almost 500 participants from 32 countries, 90% of them from industry.
This year, top speakers from industry, science and politics will present the latest fossil-free technologies, innovations, policy implications, markets and investments to an international audience of experts over three days in 80 presentations, 20 panel discussions and more than ten workshops. Companies, associations and institutes are invited to host their own workshops and participate in the exhibition – early registration is recommended as only a limited number of stands are available.
https://renewable-materials.eu/exhibition-booking/
“The Renewable Materials Conference is an important platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange in the field of renewable materials,” says Michael Carus, CEO of nova-Institute and organizer of the RMC. “Our comprehensive approach covers the entire value chain, from alternative carbon sources, the chemical industry, the materials sector, producers to brand owners and investors, making the RMC the ultimate platform for networking and partnerships in the new circular economy for renewable carbon. “
Deadlines for the submission of contributions
The deadlines for the submission of abstracts are March 16, or May 4 for the Innovation Award “Renewable Material of the Year 2025”. The abstracts and innovations should be in line with the five clearly defined topics for this year.
renewable-materials.eu/call-for-abstracts/
renewable-materials.eu/award-application/
Early bird discounts are available until March 16 (20% discount) and August 17 (10% discount).
renewable-materials.eu/registration/
The first confirmed keynote speakers can be found here: renewable-materials.eu
The five topics of the conference
Defossilization of the chemical industry
Defossilization is the new hot topic for climate change mitigation. More than 90% of the carbon contained in chemicals and plastics is fossil carbon from the ground that needs to be replaced by biogenic or recycled carbon or through CO₂ utilization. Chemical companies, start-ups and industry associations are invited to present their concepts, strategies and success stories for the future of a sustainable and competitive chemicals and plastics industry. Topics include alternative raw materials, alternative naphtha, electric crackers and the production of bulk chemicals without crackers, biorefineries and more.
Fine chemicals
The global fine chemicals market, which is worth USD 180 billion, is experiencing a surge in demand for bio-based solutions. As fine chemicals are high-value and specialized ingredients for important products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal care products, food additives, etc., their demand remains high regardless of economic cycles. Advances in biotechnology and biocatalysis are driving the development of high-purity compounds and sustainable processes. The large market potential can be increasingly tapped by overcoming challenges such as scalability and cost efficiency in this transition process. Fine chemical companies are invited to present their achievements and cutting-edge developments.
Fossil-free plastics
Modern life is unthinkable without plastics, but 95% of all plastics today are made from fossil carbon from the ground – globally, only 4% of carbon is derived from recycling and 1% from biomass. There is a growing demand for fossil-free plastics in various product groups. Start-ups and established companies are invited to present their polymer and plastics innovations based on biomass, captured CO₂ and recycling. These include packaging, consumer goods, automotive, textiles and high-performance applications. The conference offers a unique opportunity to introduce brand owners to alternatives to fossil-based plastics and to benefit from cross-industry discussions and networking.
Sustainable carbon cycles
The main objective of the Green Deal is the transition from a linear production model, characterized by the consumption of large quantities of raw materials and the generation of an equally large amount of waste, to a circular economy. The concept of sustainable carbon cycles was introduced by the European Commission in 2022 and is increasingly influencing future regulations and legislation. Brands, investors, policy makers and certification bodies are invited to present their visions and discuss strategies and measures for sustainable carbon cycles, circular raw materials, cascading use and waste-free production in panel discussions and workshops.
Biodegradability
Biodegradable plastics are a complex and controversial topic. The key question is no longer whether biodegradable plastics are a good solution, but in which applications biodegradability makes sense. This is already reflected in the new Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which will make biodegradability mandatory for the first applications. Start-ups, companies and scientists are invited to provide detailed information and insights into science and policy, relevance and impact, applications, benefits and risks.
Sponsors
The nova-Institute would like to thank UPM Biochemicals (FI) for supporting the conference as a platinum sponsor, as well as CO₂Value Europe (EU) and TÜV Austria Belgium (BE) as gold sponsors; and Covestro (DE) for sponsoring the “Renewable Material of the Year 2025” innovation award.
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