Israeli start-up, Biotic, win Climate Solutions Prize and get recognized by Continental.
In 2023, Continental partnered with Startup Nation Central (SNC) on the Climate Solutions Prize competition. SNC is an independent Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) from Israel driven by a team of business and technology experts. Their objective is to find unique technologies which drive innovation processes forward. Continental’s “Pioneering Sustainable Material” challenge focused on start-ups creating cutting-edge sustainable material technologies which can be used in the automotive space.
Biotic, founded in 2020, is a bio-tech start-up that focuses on biological alternatives to plastics. They were victorious in the “Pioneering Sustainable Material” tech challenge offered by Continental.
For the challenge, Biotic developed a process that uses algae and sea water as feedstock for their precision fermentation, allowing for modification of the polymers’ characteristics. The synthesized bio-based polymer holds the potential to replace several existing fossil-based components and packaging in the automotive industry. Currently, Continental and Biotic are preparing a proof of concept with the intention to form a long-term co-operation. The winner of the Climate Solutions Prize was announced at the final event on 26 February 2024.
Plastics are one of the main materials extensively utilized at Continental Automotive. A broad range of plastics, from standard to engineering plastics, is employed to meet the complex and technical requirements of the wide product portfolio.
Biotic envisions a world where plastic is not a concern. Polymers and other plastics account for 12 to 16 per cent of the total weight of a car, so it is crucial to seek sustainable alternative solutions.
Adi Goldman, CEO and Co-founder of Biotic said, “We are very proud to have been awarded with the Climate Solutions Prize, and we are looking forward to working together with Continental to develop our solution further towards future scalability.”
Gilles Mabire, CTO at Continental Automotive said, “For Continental, embracing sustainability in automotive development is a strategic imperative. One part of our multi-faceted approach to find innovative sustainable solutions is to work with young, particularly agile and innovative companies. And we were quite impressed with Biotic’s approach of complete recycling throughout the material’s life cycle.”
