Todays Global Intelligence: 13 October 2026

Biobased plastics: Germany. Furanova is planning to build a pilot plant for the production of bio-based plastics feedstocks at Gendorf Chemical Park in Burgkirchen, Germany. According to site operator InfraServ Gendorf, the company will gradually relocate its current activities from Raubling to the chemical park. Start-up of the pilot facility is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. Furanova’s technology is the production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a key building block for bio-based polymers such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF). PEF is regarded as a potential alternative to petrochemically derived PET in a range of applications.  The process uses sugar as a feedstock and renewable electricity as its energy source. In an electrochemical process, a furan intermediate is first produced and subsequently oxidized to FDCA. Green hydrogen is generated as a co-product, enabling the production of two industrially relevant products within a single process. Link 13/10/2026.

Bioeconomy: Singapore. The Bioeconomy Funding Initiativ is a S$118 million initiative under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 Plan. It will support industry-aligned research by public sector research performers in bio-based solutions for specialty chemicals, as well as in drop- in biomolecules that integrate into Singapore’s existing Energy and Chemicals (E&C) industry. This is the largest funding initiative dedicated to developing the bioeconomy sector in Singapore to date, and together with other programmes, contributes to a cumulative commitment of approximately S$200m that will support various bioeconomy-related initiatives over the next five years. https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/announcement-of-bioeconomy-funding-initiative-fi/ 13/10/2026.

Biomaterials: Japan. Sumitomo Chemical has achieved production-scale manufacturing of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) that contains a portion of monomer derived from biomass feedstock. The company is preparing a mass production system for bio-based LCP leveraging biomanufacturing technology. It also plans to begin providing customers with samples obtained from this production-scale manufacturing. The Japanese firm said that LCP is a type of super engineering plastic that offers excellent heat resistance and flame retardancy. Its outstanding fluidity, in particular, makes it well-suited to a wide range of applications, from electronic devices such as smartphones to automotive components and office automation equipment. Link 13/10/2026.

Hydrogen: France. France Hydrogène is welcoming three measures in France’s draft 2027 budget: a double-sided auction mechanism to support synthetic aviation fuel (e-SAF), the entry into force of the IRICC fuel-carbon-intensity incentive, and $1.4 billion for the second tranche of its low-carbon hydrogen production support. France Hydrogène says the measures could trigger more than $5.9 billion in private hydrogen investment, as France works to turn its project pipeline into final investment decisions in 2027. France has Europe’s largest e-SAF project pipeline and the world’s second-largest after China, with 12 projects that could come online between 2030 and 2035, representing over 800,000 tons of annual capacity and more than $16.4 billion in potential investment. Link 13/10/2026.

Hydrogen: Sweden. Metacon AB’s Greek subsidiary, Metacon SA, has secured EUR 188,018 (USD 210,138) in European Union funding for its role in a 36-month project to produce high-purity hydrogen from biogas. The project involves developing an integrated system that lets biogas producers add hydrogen production to existing operations while capturing carbon dioxide on site. Researchers are targeting fuel cell-grade hydrogen with a purity above 99.97%. Metacon said thousands of sites across Europe already produce biogas from organic waste. Upgrading that gas to hydrogen could give operators an additional product and extend the use of local renewable energy beyond electricity and biomethane. Link 13/10/2026.