A production perspective

Willem Böttger is a Director of Innovation at NPSP composites, where he leads the development of biobased composite materials marketed under the Nabasco® range. With decades of experience in biobased materials, he focuses on sustainable, fiber-reinforced composites for construction, design, mobility, and other industries. Böttger also lectures on biobased building at Avans University of Applied Sciences, promoting practical innovation, testing, and education to integrate natural materials into real-world applications and support the transition to more sustainable building practices.

In this video, Willem discusses the making of bio-based facades products and the vehicles this sector is facing in terms of upscaling.

• Bio-composite materials are composed of three main ingredients: fibres, which provide stiffness and reinforcement; fillers, which improve the workability of the mixture during pressing; and resins, which bind the components together.
• Multiple material recipes can be developed by varying the proportions of these three components, as well as processing parameters such as temperature, mixing time, and pressing pressure.
• Upscaling can be supported through subsidies, but it also requires an enabling regulatory environment, including changes to legislation and taxation.
• Collaboration across the value chain is essential for biobased materials to compete with conventional, energy-intensive building materials.