Introduction
The construction sector is one of the sectors with the highest energy consumption and is responsible for approximately 30% of the global demand for primary energy, nearly 40% of final energy consumption, around 55% of global electricity usage, and approximately 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The sector places significant pressure on natural resources due to its high energy consumption throughout its lifecycle, from raw material production to the demolition and disposal of buildings.
For example, the production of building materials alone accounts for more than 80% of the energy consumed in constructing buildings. Experts estimate that in the coming years, buildings will surpass the energy consumption of both the transportation and manufacturing sectors.
In addition to its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, the construction sector exerts enormous pressure on global resources. Buildings and infrastructure, especially in developing countries, are the primary consumers, accounting for between 40% and 50% of all resources produced for material production. The construction industry plays a significant role in global material consumption, with experts predicting that by 2060, global material consumption will double, and the construction industry will be responsible for about a third of this growth. Given that more than half of the Earth’s population resides in cities – a figure expected to reach 70% by 2050 – this pressure is expected to increase, mainly due to the demand for housing and the need for supporting infrastructure. These trends increase the risk of depleting natural and non-renewable resources and create various adverse environmental impacts. Construction waste is also a significant pollutant: most building materials today are outdated, composed of synthetic and chemical products, often non-recyclable, toxic, and environmentally harmful during production and disposal.
Bio-Based Materials (BBM) are materials from renewable biological sources, such as plants, animals, or microorganisms. They offer promising environmental solutions, easing the pressure on Earth’s resources, providing energy efficiency, biodegradability (in some cases), and the potential to achieve carbon neutrality—or even a negative carbon balance. Research shows that even if a small percentage of buildings worldwide were constructed using Bio-Based Materials (BBM) instead of traditional concrete or steel, it could lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Recognizing the potential of this field, governments around the world are working to promote it. For example, in the United States, a presidential executive order was issued in 2022 to advance biotechnology innovation and biological manufacturing; the Department of Defense established the BioMADE network to explore innovative biological manufacturing capabilities; and the USDA launched a program for researching the benefits of using materials derived from agricultural products for the production of building materials and other consumer products. In addition, over the past decade, several different government initiatives have been promoted, such as DARPA’s ELM project, launched in 2016 to develop materials combining traditional building materials with biological systems, and NASA’s NIAC program, launched in 2023, to promote research on growing building blocks using biomineralization technologies for sustaining life on Mars. In the UK, the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) defined biological engineering as one of the five core technologies the country aims to advance, allocating about two billion pounds to promote the field. In Europe, the European Union launched a program called Circular Biobased Europe (CBE JU) this year focused on advancing innovation in biological construction.
This study examines the emerging field of BBM in the construction sector. It highlights its advantages over traditional building materials, explores the opportunities and challenges associated with its use—particularly in the context of climate change—and reviews the key trends and players in the global market.
Biological Construction and Sustainability
Biological Construction (BC) is an innovative approach that applies biological and ecological principles to the design, construction, and operation of buildings and infrastructure. This approach seeks to create sustainable built environments that are efficient in their use of resources and in harmony with natural ecosystems. In particular, BC involves the use of bio-based materials in construction. These materials are considered bio-based when they incorporate plant biomass or materials derived from animals (excluding geological formations or fossils). Examples include traditional materials such as wood, agricultural straw, hemp, flax, mycelium, bamboo, cotton stalks, and cork, which are often by-products of agriculture or the timber industry. Modern bio-based materials may also include products that contain a certain percentage of bio-based content.
The key features of biological construction include:
Bio-Based Materials and Living Systems: Bio-based building materials such as wood, bamboo, hemp, mud, recycled materials, and advanced materials with biological components are used. These materials are renewable, have low embodied energy, and often offer superior thermal and acoustic properties compared to conventional building materials. Additionally, there is the integration of living systems, such as living walls, green roofs, and bio-based water purification systems . These systems contribute to the microclimate, filter pollutants, manage stormwater, and provide habitats for urban biodiversity.
Energy Efficiency, Durability, and Adaptability: Energy performance is optimized through advanced insulation, passive and active climate systems, and the integration of renewable energy. Buildings constructed with biological materials often aim for near-zero energy consumption or a positive energy balance. Alongside this, there is a focus on designing resilient structures that can adapt to climate change, extreme weather events, and evolving needs and requirements over time. Approaches include modular design, spatial flexibility, and durable, recyclable materials.
Resource Recycling and Recovery: Implement strategies and technologies for resource recycling and recovery, such as rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, aerobic digestion (composting) of organic waste, and material reuse. These approaches reduce resource consumption and waste generation throughout the building’s life cycle.
Nature-Inspired Design, Health, and Well-being: Incorporation of biological and ecological principles in building design, such as solar orientation, natural ventilation, daylighting, and the integration of vegetation. These approaches enhance energy efficiency and the building’s indoor climate while reducing environmental impact. They also prioritize the health and well-being of occupants by using non-toxic materials, ensuring proper ventilation, natural lighting, connection to nature, and reducing noise pollution.
Classification of Bio-Based Materials
A central component of biological construction is bio-based materials, which include several key categories:
- Biopolymers: Polymers from natural sources such as starch, cellulose, proteins, and plant oils are common. Examples include Ppolylactic ACID (PLA), Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and starch-based bioplastics. These polymers offer properties similar to petroleum-based plastics while providing environmental benefits.
- Bio-Based Composites: Composite materials that combine a biological polymer matrix with natural reinforcing fibers, such as flax, hemp, sisal, or wood fibers. These materials offer lightweight properties, high mechanical strength, and good durability.
- Bio-Based Solvents: Solvents are derived from natural sources such as plants or agricultural by-products. They are used as alternatives to petroleum-based solvents in various applications, including coatings, adhesives, and cleaning. These solvents have lower toxicity, reduced flammability, and a smaller environmental footprint.
- Biofuels: Liquid or gaseous fuels produced from biomass, such as starch-based ethanol, vegetable oil-based biodiesel, and biogas generated from organic waste, provide a renewable alternative to fossil fuels and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Bio-Based Chemicals: Chemical products are synthesized from biological sources, such as organic acids, alcohols, esters, and solvents. These are used as raw materials in various industrial applications, including polymers, coatings, and paints.
Applications of Bio-Based Materials in the Construction Industry
- Thermal Insulation: Bio-polymers, which replace petroleum-based polymers like plant- based Polyurethane and Polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams, are used as efficient insulating materials. They offer low thermal conductivity, good mechanical durability, and a reduced carbon footprint compared to synthetic insulation materials. Examples include BEWI’s bio-based insulation foam and Mogu’s mycelium-based acoustic panels.
- Engineered Wood Products: Products such as Medium-Dentity Fiberboard (MDF), Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), and Glued Laminated TImber (Glulam) is made from wood fibers or flakes bonded with bio-based adhesives. These products offer high structural strength, improved fire resistance, and lightweight properties while reducing the use of solid wood.
- Bio-Based Concrete and Aggregates: Concrete can incorporate bio-based materials like sugarcane ash, bamboo ash, or plant fibers as partial replacements for Portland cement, improving thermal and acoustic properties while reducing cement content and related emissions. Aggregates like rice husks, coconut fibers, or recycled wood chips serve as partial substitutes for natural aggregates, reducing mining needs, lightening structure weight, and enhancing thermal and acoustic properties. Companies like Biomason and DTE Materials develop bio-based concretes and aggregates from agricultural and forestry waste.
- Bio-Based Coatings and Paints: These contain plant oils, natural resins, or bio-based solvents, offering lower. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), reduced toxicity, and lower emissions than petroleum-based alternatives. Some advanced products even have air-purifying or self-cleaning properties when exposed to light. Key players in the field include Dutch AkzoNobel, American PPG Industries and Sherwin Williams, Japanese Nippon Paint Holdings, and Finnish Stora Enso OYJ.
- Bio-Based Adhesives and Sealants: Made from plant oils, proteins, or starch-based polymers, bio-based adhesives and sealants provide strong bonding, water resistance, and lower pollutant emissions, offering an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based products. Lignin, a natural wood component, is increasingly used in composite cement, rigid foam, corrosion inhibitors, asphalt, resins, paints, and adhesives. Companies like American Cargill and German Henkel offer bio-based adhesive and sealant products.
- Bio-Based Air Filters: These filters offer efficient, safe alternatives to conventional air filtration materials from biological sources like algae or biomaterials such as cellulose, chitin, silk, soy, and keratin. For example, the startup Algen Air developed an algae-based air purifier installed at Pittsburgh Airport, which can filter as much CO₂ as over 5,000 houseplants.
- Adaptive Bio-Materials: Advanced materials that actively respond to environmental changes, such as surfaces with complex liquid-handling capabilities, algae-integrated glass that adapts to light, and building envelope materials that adjust to weather conditions. Some materials can be 3D-printed, making the production process more efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. Mexican startup Green Fluidics, for example, produces bright solar panels based on biotechnology and photovoltaic cells.
- Non-Industrial Wastewater Treatment: Utilization of biological processes such as anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas carried out in a unique facility that collects sewage and organic waste and also produces a by-product used as rich fertilizer; vegetation-rich ponds (with emphasis on algae) and microorganisms that absorb and purify wastewater; filtration systems based on worms or algae that can treat sewage and greywater water; and biological purification units (including organisms) used in residential and commercial buildings to treat gray water before it enters municipal sewage systems. For example, American Veolia offers a variety of organism-based products for wastewater purification, and Biorock from Luxembourg provides methods and technical support for wastewater treatment on a residential and commercial scale using biological means.
- Building and Water Heating and Other Energy Needs: Biomass boilers and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems use organic materials like straw, wood chips, or agricultural waste to produce heat and hot water for commercial and residential buildings. Biogas generated from anaerobic digestion of organic materials is also used. Windhager produces biomass-based heating systems, and HomeBioGas in Israel turns food waste into cooking gas and liquid fertilizer.
- Soil Improvement Before Construction: Techniques like Biocementation and Biogrouting stabilize the soil by using microorganisms to produce calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), improving the mechanical properties of the ground before construction. Bioclogging reduces soil permeability by blocking soil pores with biological polymers or biomass. Blocking the pores in the soil decreases its permeability level. Sometimes, this technique is used to build underground barriers to control groundwater flow and protect building foundations from water penetration. Bioremediation is a technique for preparing contaminated land for construction using microorganisms that break down or neutralize pollutants in the soil. This technique is exemplified in cleaning old industrial sites (Brownfields) for their development and other purposes. Bioaugmentation involves adding specific microorganisms to the soil to improve its properties, such as fertility, structure, resilience, and water retention capacity. For instance, mycorrhizal fungi can enhance plant growth and nutrient uptake, or rhizobacteria can fix atmospheric nitrogen needed for plant growth instead of synthetic fertilizers. Soil stabilization using biological polymers is another technique, mainly in road construction and building embankments and slopes. Finally, biochemistry is a method where microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria and algae, create a protective layer on the soil surface, stabilizing it against wind and water erosion, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Several prominent companies are active in this space: American bioMASON and German Dust BioSolutions are involved in biological concrete; British Evonetix, American Allonnia, BluumBio, and Mycocycle are just a few examples of many companies engaged in biological soil purification. It should be noted that the technologies presented here are not all at the same level of technological maturity.
Spotlight:
Bio-Concrete and Reducing CO₂ Emissions
Concrete is one of the world’s most widely used artificial materials and a significant source of CO₂ emissions. The production process is responsible for about 7% of global emissions. While many cement and concrete manufacturers are adopting energy-efficient methods and exploring supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to reduce emissions, significant innovations are still needed to achieve zero emissions. Bio-concrete may offer a solution.
Bio-concrete (BioCement) is an innovative building material that integrates living microorganisms into conventional concrete mixtures. This technology utilizes the metabolic activity of specific bacteria to enhance the properties of concrete and give it new capabilities, such as self-healing. Notable examples of companies producing bio-concrete include Green Basilisk from the Netherlands, which manufactures a biological granular additive for concrete that provides self-healing capabilities for cracks, thereby improving the concrete’s water resistance; Minus Materials from the U.S., which uses microalgae for biological renewal and enhancing CO₂ absorption in limestone; and Grown Bio from the Netherlands, which produces insulation tiles for construction using mycelium.
The main components of bio-concrete include:
Concrete matrix:
A standard mix of cement, aggregates, water, and additives that serves as a substrate for the microorganisms.
Engineered bacteria: Carefully selected bacterial strains, usually of the Bacillus type, that can survive in the alkaline environment of concrete and thrive in its tiny pores.
Food source:
Organic additives, such as calcium lactate, feed the bacteria and are activated in the presence of water.
Critical Uses of Bio-Concrete:
- Self-Healing Concrete: The principle behind bio-concrete is based on the metabolic conversion of the bacteria’s food source into calcite (calcium carbonate crystals). When micro-cracks form in the concrete and water penetrates, the bacteria are activated and begin consuming the food source. As a result, the calcite precipitates and seals the cracks, preventing further damage and allowing the concrete to “heal” itself. This self-healing ability significantly reduces the need for repairs, extends the lifespan of structures, and enhances their durability against wear and environmental conditions. Moreover, bio-concrete technology minimizes the need for maintenance, saves resources, and reduces the carbon footprint of buildings throughout their life cycle. Despite the higher initial cost compared to regular concrete, bio-concrete offers significant long-term savings by reducing maintenance requirements and extending the functional life of buildings.
- Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS): Capturing and storing CO₂ during production is crucial in reducing emissions. This technology captures emissions from fossil fuel combustion or cement production and injects CO₂ into the concrete or stores it in geological reservoirs. Although CCUS has excellent potential, it has not yet been adopted commercially in cement plants despite dozens of projects in development globally.
- The leading technology used in these projects is post-combustion CO₂ capture, which, though costly, is more efficient than capturing CO₂ during combustion. Estimates suggest that adopting CCUS in cement production could capture about one-third of the cement-related emissions by 2050.
- CO₂ is injected into cement, supplementary cementitious materials, concrete blocks, mixtures, and concrete waste byproducts. The process triggers chemical reactions that transform CO₂ into solid minerals (such as calcium carbonate), strengthening the concrete and offering unique advantages for construction.
- Alternative Cement Chemistry (ACC): This approach involves developing and using materials not based on traditional Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), aiming to reduce the environmental impact associated with OPC production and improve the performance and sustainability of cement-based building materials. This method uses other materials or processes to create low-carbon cement, significantly reducing the emissions generated during the OPC process. Although some leading cement and concrete manufacturers have started experimenting with ACC, widespread adoption is still challenging, as industry standards and building codes still prefer OPC. Nonetheless, the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) predicts that ACCs could account for 5% of the global cement market by 2050.
Advantages of Biological Materials in Construction:
- Recyclability: Biological materials (Biomaterials) can be recycled and reused, whether in the same form or differently, reducing construction waste and the demand for raw materials. For example, Bio-PE (Bio-Polyethylene), a recyclable plastic derived from ethanol produced from sugarcane or other plant-based sources, has properties similar to regular polyethylene and can be used in packaging materials, bags, and containers. Bio-PET (Bio-Polyethylene Terephthalate) is another recyclable plastic made from bio-based ethylene glycol (derived from sugarcane or other plant sources) and terephthalic acid.
- Mycelium-based Materials: Mycelium (the vegetative part of fungi) can create recyclable packaging materials, insulation, and even furniture. Biomaterials are vital to the circular economy concept, emphasizing waste reduction and resource reuse in creating sustainable construction practices. Their production process, including agricultural production, harvesting, transport, and logistics, can also be environmentally friendly.
- Hybrid Materials: Combining various materials, such as wood waste, sunflower, cork, corn cobs, coconut, rice husks, or bamboo particles, with inorganic materials like lime and cement to create green building materials.
- Hygroscopic Behavior: Most biomaterials demonstrate hygroscopic behavior, combining high vapor permeability with moisture regulation. This is beneficial in construction as it helps balance thermal control and moisture regulation in built environments.
Regulation in Biological Construction
The use of biology-based materials in construction is subject to various regulations and standards worldwide, ensuring their safety, performance, and sustainability. This section provides an overview of the regulatory landscape governing the use of biological materials in the construction industry, focusing on key countries and regions.
United States:
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions from building materials, ensuring that biological materials with low VOC emissions comply with strict air quality standards. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International, a leading standards organization, has developed a series of standards for testing and evaluating the safety and performance of biological materials used in construction.
- The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), promotes using sustainable, biology-based materials in construction projects. Buildings that incorporate a significant proportion of biological materials can earn LEED certification credits, incentivizing the adoption of these materials. Similarly, ASHRAE 189.1, developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), establishes sustainable design and construction requirements that support using biological materials.
- The International Building Code (IBC), widely adopted across the United States, includes fire safety provisions to ensure that biological materials used in construction meet necessary fire safety standards. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates the BioPreferred Program, which promotes using bio-based products, including those used in construction, through federal procurement initiatives and product labeling.
- California’s CalGreen building standards code, which includes guidelines for using biological materials in sustainable construction, is an example of state-level regulation. The state also has a bio-based product labeling law, requiring clear labeling of such products to raise consumer awareness and influence demand for bio-based construction materials.
European Union
- The Construction Products Regulation (EU No. 305/2011) (CPR) harmonizes the conditions for marketing construction products, including biological materials, and requires them to bear the CE marking. This regulation ensures that biological materials meet essential performance standards for safety, health, and environmental protection.
- The REACH regulation (EC 1907/2006) in the European Union addresses the safe use of chemical substances throughout their life cycle, and biological materials must comply with its requirements.
- The EN 15804 standard provides core rules for construction products’ environmental product declarations (EPD), ensuring transparency and comparability of environmental performance data for biological materials.
- The EN 16785 series offers methods for determining products’ bio-based content and verifying the use of sustainable materials.
- The CEN/TC 351 committee develops standardized methods for assessing hazardous substances in construction products, ensuring that biological materials do not emit harmful substances.
- Finally, European fire safety standards (EN 13501-1) classify the reaction of construction products to fire, ensuring that biological materials meet fire safety requirements.
The rest of the world
- The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certifies buildings’ environmental performance in Britain. BREEAM certification encourages the use of sustainable materials, including bio-based materials, by awarding credit points for their incorporation into construction projects.
- In France, the government has unveiled plans for a sustainability law requiring at least 50% wood or other natural materials to be used in all new public buildings. This bold initiative is designed to reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint and promote using renewable materials.
- The Canadian government launched the ‘Green Construction through Wood’ (GCWood) program to encourage the use of wood in non-traditional construction projects, such as tall buildings and bridges. The program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable forest management. The National Building Code of Canada (NBC) and provincial building codes include provisions for using bio-based materials, ensuring their safety and performance in construction applications.
- Germany’s Renewable Resources Act (EEG) promotes the use of renewable energy sources and biofuels, indirectly encouraging the use of bio-based materials as a source of renewable energy for construction processes. The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) promotes sustainable construction methods, including bio-based materials.
- At the international level, ISO 14001 provides a framework for effective environmental management systems, ensuring that organizations producing bio-based materials minimize ecological impact. The ISO 16620 series offers a framework for determining the bio-based content of plastics and plastic products, verifying the renewable source of bioplastics used in construction.
Market Analysis: Bio-based Polymers Market for the Construction Sector
Overview:
The green construction market, including the construction and operation of environmentally friendly buildings, is valued at approximately $0.6 trillion in 2024 and is expected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.82%. Within this broad market, the green building materials segment was valued at about $477 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.3% to reach approximately $1.2 trillion by 2032. A key sub-segment here is the bio-based polymers market for construction, which was valued at about $11.7 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach about $20 billion by 2031 (a CAGR of about 6.8% during the period under review).
This growth is driven by many factors, including the expansion of urban infrastructure worldwide, increased spending on R&D for environmentally friendly products, focus on promoting sustainability in construction practices, development of green building regulations, growing demand for efficient insulation solutions (especially in Europe and the United States), and the increase in relevant applications of bio-based polymers, for example, in coatings, paints, adhesives, pipes, flooring, roofing, and other building materials. However, growth is challenged by the volatility of raw material prices, high production costs relative to traditional methods, and the construction sector’s aversion to risks and adopting new technologies. Moreover, these materials have not yet achieved sufficient technological maturity; for example, their load-bearing capacity is less than traditional solutions, and they require unique support and operational practices that are not yet common in the construction sector.
Geographically, Europe leads the field of green construction in general and green building materials in particular. Most growth is expected in the Asia-Pacific region due to rapid economic growth leading to accelerated urbanization processes, new construction projects, innovative product development, and a favorable regulatory environment, especially in China, Japan, India, and Indonesia. Growth is also expected in the European bio-based polymers market for construction, mainly due to regulatory initiatives to improve energy efficiency in general and in buildings in particular and reduce carbon emissions. However, growth in the region may be slower due to a more conservative approach to construction and long and cumbersome regulatory processes.
Challenges and Barriers
Initial Costs:
Due to more advanced materials and technologies, bio-based construction may involve higher initial costs than conventional construction methods. These costs could pose a barrier to widespread adoption, especially in projects with limited budgets, as construction projects are usually determined based on economic considerations. Studies have shown that using bio-based materials can increase initial construction costs by 10% to 25% compared to traditional building materials. Although bio-based buildings tend to have lower operating costs, for example, due to their energy efficiency – one study showed that building public housing using bio-based insulation led to a 70% reduction in energy consumption compared to regular synthetic insulation. However, construction companies perform short-term financial calculations. At the same time, the savings are long-term and mainly relevant to building owners, making it difficult to justify high initial investment in bio-based materials.
Design Complexity:
Designing buildings with bio-based construction can be complex and requires an interdisciplinary approach involving architects, engineers, ecologists, and other experts. The planning process may be longer and require more resources than standard projects.
Limited Material Availability and Supply Chain Challenges:
Some building materials and technologies used in bio-based construction may be less common and not widely available. While bio-based materials can support local economies using non-food crops or agricultural by-products, construction projects often rely on materials from global markets for cost reasons, undermining incentives for local production (alongside second-order problems, such as increasing the carbon footprint resulting from transportation and shipping). Here, companies focusing on achieving short-term profitability cannot justify the high initial costs of sourcing materials locally.
Market Acceptance and Awareness:
The construction industry is characterized by conservatism and risk aversion, which leads to hesitation in adopting innovative building materials and practices. This is mainly due to their high cost and inability to demonstrate savings in the short term. Bio-based construction is still an emerging field; therefore, it resists changing traditional construction methods.
Performance Challenges and Long-term Uncertainty:
Certain bio-based construction buildings represent innovation, but certain materials and technologies’ long-term performance and durability may be uncertain. Further research is needed to fully evaluate long-term performance and develop standards and bases for evaluation.
Regulatory Development and Approval:
The development and regulatory approval processes of bio-based materials (for example, in aspects of safety, fire resistance, etc.) are critical for their widespread implementation in the construction sector. However, these are long and expensive processes, requiring acquiring quality scientific data over time to approve them and strengthening confidence from regulators, customers, contractors, and insurers.
Examples of Players in the Field
Bio-based Insulation Materials
| Country | Company | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USA | BioFoam | Production of sustainable foam spray for building insulation, roofing, fire sealing, and waterproofing |
| UK | Mykor | | Produce insulation panels composed of 100% renewable industrial residues, green chemistry, and mycelium powered by biotechnology |
| Belgium | EXIE | The company’s products are natural insulation materials that act as moisture regulators and sound absorbers |
| Germany | Evonik | Production of bio-based chemicals and materials for use in construction |
| Denmark | BEWi | Production of insulation foam from natural materials, mainly from plant waste materials |
| Netherlands | GROWN bio | Packaging products, building materials, and interior design items |
Bio-based Coatings and Paints
| Country | Company | Description |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Baril Coatings | Production of bio-based coating and paint materials |
| USA | Green Planet Paints | Production of coatings from plant resin and mineral pigments |
| USA | silacote | Production of bio-based paints |
| USA | The Real Milk Paint Co | Use of milk, calcium lime, and plant-based fillers to produce paint |
| Germany | AURO | Production of bio-paints using mineral fillers, cellulose, rapeseed, and castor oil |
| Israel | Nanoplate Ltd. | Research and development of nanotechnology for coating |
| Mexico | BioShield Paint | Use of cellulose and chalk to produce paint |
| Spain | Proquicesa | Production and development of sustainable building materials such as additives, chrome reducers, and biological protective paints |
Biological Materials
| Country | Company | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | BioBuildingBlock | Production of building blocks – construction stones |
| Italy | Bio Build Technologies | Production of building materials |
| USA | BamCore | Production of bamboo-based building materials |
| USA | Biomason | Production of bio-based cement for construction uses |
| USA | DTE materials | Converting aggregates made from agricultural and forestry waste into green concrete and cement building materials |
| USA | MOGU | Growing limestone using microalgae |
| USA | Poreshield | Production of soy-based concrete for road, bridge, and industrial building applications |
| USA | Prometheus Materials | Development of zero carbon emission bio-cement |
| UK | Biohm | Production of bio-based building materials from food waste |
| UK | Biozeroc | Biotechnology, nanotech, and chemistry for the construction industries |
| UK | IndiNature | Production of bio-based building materials and products |
| Germany | Covestro | Development of sustainable, bio-based materials for use in construction |
| Germany | ecoLocked | Converting carbon captured from local biomass residues into functional building materials |
| Netherlands | StoneCycling | Production of sustainable construction products from waste building materials |
| Japan | Toyobo | Production of bio-based materials for use in construction |
| Israel | CRIATERRA | Green production of tiles and blocks for building |
| Israel | Daika Ltd. | Digital production of wood using existing mass-production technologies |
| Israel | KENAF | Production of bio-blends for the construction industry containing ~80% natural fibers |
| Israel | Maicelium | Development of bio-polymer technology derived from mycelium, the fungal root structure |
| Israel | UBQ Materials | Converting unsorted household waste into thermoplastic material |
| Israel | Seevix | Biotechnology company producing high-strength, biocompatible spider silk fibers identical to natural fibers |
| Norway | Borregaard ASA | Sustainable bio-refinery producing environmentally friendly biochemicals |
| Canada | Just BioFiber | Production of building blocks from bio-based materials, mainly hemp |
Biology-Based Infrastructure
| Country | Company | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | Gigola & Riccardi | Production of cellulose cooling ribs |
| Italy | Tere Group | Water filtration systems and microalgae-based products |
| Italy | Wte | Supply of wastewater treatment systems for domestic and institutional scales |
| USA | Airbuild | Biological solar panels for buildings |
| USA | AlgenAir | Natural air purifier designed to reduce carbon dioxide using algae |
| USA | BioAir Solutions | Household and institutional air purifiers based on biological filters |
| USA | Ecologix Environmental Systems | Design and production of wastewater treatment systems for the oil, food, gas, and automotive industries |
| Israel | HomeBiogas | Production of anaerobic digester converting kitchen waste and animal manure to cooking gas and liquid fertilizer |
| Luxembourg | Biorock | Wastewater treatment for residential and commercial applications |
| Mexico | Greenfluidics | Microalgae-integrated solar panels |
* All information provided in this article is correct as of the date of writing and according to the data available to the author. The Innovation Authority or anyone on its behalf is not responsible for the accuracy, truthfulness, and precision of the data, in whole or in part. The article is published for the public’s benefit, and no commercial use should be made of it, including for its sale, distribution, or presentation.