Germany's WACKER & Amyris expand bio-based partnership

WACKER and Amyris have already been collaborating in the field of biotechnology for several years. Amyris is a leader in biomanufacturing with more than 20 years of expertise in the development and manufacturing of biological chemistry. As a leading manufacturer of silicone specialties and biotech products, WACKER has decades of experience in the formulation of silicone-based ingredients and in the fermentation of cyclodextrin and cysteine products for the personal-care and life-science industries.

The collaboration of both companies reflects current trends in the personal care and consumer goods sectors. According to current studies, the market for bio-based cosmetics will grow faster going forward than for conventional, purely chemically produced counterparts.

WACKER has already responded to this trend by introducing a new product line. Under the brand name BELNEXT, the company will, for the first time, be presenting products based exclusively on renewable raw materials at in-cosmetics in Paris. “This allows us to offer manufacturers and formulators of personal-care products a wide range of ingredients, from proven silicone-based solutions to plant-derived products that offer similar properties but are completely bio-based,” says Ian Moore, head of WACKER’s Consumer & Healthcare unit.

The company is also collaborating with Amyris, a pioneer in the production of renewable biological chemistry. The California-based company uses precision-engineered microorganisms to transform abundantly available renewable feedstocks into high-performing molecules, enabling access to chemistries that would otherwise be too rare to source from nature. Amyris’s ingredients, produced using advanced precision fermentation, have been widely adopted across diverse end-markets including flavors and fragrances, beauty and personal care and specialty chemicals for industrial applications.

The high availability and scalability of biological chemistry is of interest to WACKER as well. The focus of the collaboration is on bio-based molecules whose functional potential is unlocked through targeted processing and formulation capabilities at WACKER. “At the moment, we are investigating how we can use certain Amyris ingredients to specifically expand and supplement our personal-care portfolio,” says personal-care expert Ian Moore.

WACKER is also examining the extent to which selected bio-based raw materials produced using Amyris’s technology can be integrated into existing production structures in the future. “The development of market-ready solutions and the formulation and application compatibility of such solutions at the customer’s site are largely shaped by WACKER’s expertise in development, formulation, and production,” Moore emphasizes.

For Amyris, WACKER’s market expertise and global sales and technical service network are an important asset. “WACKER is a global leader in the development of functional ingredients for the cosmetics and personal care industries. WACKER also brings deep insights into product performance expectations from global customers through its technical application and testing centers”, says Lisa Roessler, Chief Commercial Officer at Amyris.

The cooperation will enable both companies to significantly accelerate the development of new bio-based ingredients for personal care applications. WACKER contributes its extensive expertise in formulation and application, while Amyris brings its know-how in biotechnology and biomanufacturing. “Combining these strengths creates synergies and a strong foundation for developing innovative, high-performance, and resource-efficient

solutions”, says Roessler. “By bringing together WACKER’s deep formulation and application expertise with Amyris’s leadership in producing biological chemistry, we have a uniquely complementary partnership to translate renewable innovation into high performing cosmetic ingredients at scale.”

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the ALCHEMPro staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (JP)