Sustainable bio-based materials: opportunities and challenges

Research in the area of bio-based materials aims to achieve breakthroughs in bio-based materials development. A novel way is presented to organise bio-based materials research with a value chain approach in which sustainability research is integrated in the research program. This research approach has been implemented in the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials, a collaboration of Maastricht University and RWTH Aachen University. The institute is located on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, The Netherlands. Furthermore, a gap analysis was performed to evaluate the possibilities and challenges for sustainability assessments of bio-based materials. Sustainability
assessments are needed to quantify and compare the level of sustainability of bio-based and fossil based materials solutions and to identify the sustainability challenges and opportunities of bio-based materials.