Terms like 'circular economy' and 'biobased products' have nowadays become buzz words, but how far are we truly in the transition to a biobased economy? Though the chemical and packaging industry were initially reluctant to this change due to the technical challenges given by biobased ingredients, a change in public perception has pushed many industries to take action and develop fossil fuel free solutions. To achieve this, many companies have joined forces with experts and scientist from research institutes.

In the transition to a circular, biobased economy, the worlds of chemistry and biotechnology are increasingly converging. Microbiology is therefore given a permanent position in the Research Centre Biobased Economy (RCBBE) of Hanze University Groningen. There, Janneke Krooneman was recently installed as professor in Bioconversion and Fermentation Technology.

Biobased materials and consumer goods have long been a part of our daily lives. From the wood traditionally used to build houses to the wool and leather used for garments. However, the rise of synthetic polymers made from petroleum and other fossil fuels changed the rules of the game. Plastics challenged traditional materials and opened the doors to “endless” possibilities. Manufacturing was no longer limited by the availability of natural resources. Today, over a century after the invention of the first synthetic plastic (1907) and with climate change knocking at our door, tables have turned yet again, and biobased materials are making their comeback.