Biotic has developed a method that uses algae and seawater as raw materials to modify the properties of plastic. The resulting material has the potential to replace several available fossil-based components and packaging in the automotive industry. "For Continental, sustainability in automotive development is a strategic imperative," says Gilles Mabire, CTO at Continental Automotive. "Part of our complex approach to finding innovative sustainable solutions is working with young, particularly agile and innovative companies. We were therefore very impressed by Biotic's idea of complete recycling throughout the entire material life cycle."

In 2023, Continental started the partnership with SNC for the Climate Solutions Prize. SNC is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) from Israel that consists of a team of business and technology experts and aims to drive innovation processes through unique technologies. The annual competition includes several different technology competitions. Continental's 'Pioneering Sustainable Material' competition focused on start-ups developing innovative sustainable material technologies for the automotive industry.

Bio-based alternative for automotive plastics

Founded in 2020, the winner Biotic dreams of a world in which plastic no longer plays a role. Polymers and other plastics make up 12 to 16% of the total weight of a car. It is therefore important to find sustainable and recyclable alternative solutions. To meet this challenge, Biotic has developed a process that uses algae and seawater as a starting material for precision fermentation, which can change the properties of the polymers. The synthesized bio-based polymer has the potential to replace several existing fossil-based components and packaging in the automotive industry. Continental and Biotic are currently working on a proof of concept with the intention of entering into a long-term collaboration.

"We are very proud to have been awarded the Climate Solutions Prize," says Adi Goldman, CEO and co-founder, "and we look forward to working with Continental to further develop our solution towards future scalability." Plastics are one of the most important materials used extensively at Continental Automotive. A wide range of plastics, from standard to engineering plastics, are used to meet the complex technical requirements of the broad product portfolio. These applications range from housings and packaging to displays.