Green Chemistry Ventures

The chemical industry is responsible for a growing share of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is largely due to its heavy reliance on fossil resources—not only for energy, but also as feedstock for many production processes. To meet goals like the Net Zero Scenario and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), scalable, efficient, and circular innovations are urgently needed.

Start-ups with technological solutions play a key role in this transition but often struggle to survive the so-called "Valley of Death"—the difficult phase between development and market acceptance. This period is long, costly, and full of uncertainty. In the chemical sector especially, bio-based and fossil-free innovations require close collaboration between actors with very different interests and goals.

This project develops an ecosystem-based approach to accelerate the green and circular transition in the chemical industry. By combining elements from design thinking, lean start-up methodology, and the theory of complex adaptive systems, it proposes a new framework for jointly coordinating, financing, developing, and managing sustainable value chains. Central to this approach is the iterative creation of value for all stakeholders involved—from producers to investors.

€50,000 will be used as a PPP program grant.