Berlin is knorke: Show us what you are made of
25. September 2023 - In Berlin, innovative companies, startups and research institutions are developing new and sustainable materials as an alternative to plastics.
There are cases in which the use determines the material. This is the case, for example, with surgical gloves, which are designed to protect against infection. Because the gloves are prone to needle puncture, medical professionals often wear two sets of gloves on top of one another for safety, but of course this reduces dexterity. As a solution to this, Smarterials Technology is developing safe surgical gloves with higher puncture resistance and change of color where a needle pricks.
Mujolab is working on a material made from algae, more specifically kelp, which bio-degrades when thrown away. The idea being that durable materials need not be used for short-life use. Kelp grows incredibly fast in underwater ‘forests’ and is easily harvested.
Even more like science fiction is the product of MotorSkins. The Berlin-based company produces reactive textiles that "come to life". This refers to soft-robotic fabrics that can be used as active garments and that act like external muscles because they contain embedded fluids. The use cases here are manifold, from thermoregulating cooling vests and thrombosis-preventing socks to VR gloves.
Research at the Technical University Berlin is exploring the applications of mushrooms. A team of around 50 people in the applied and molecular microbiology research laboratories have already presented, among other things, organic fungus-based bricks, fire-resistant insulating materials, and substitutes for polystyrene in bicycle helmets.
The aim is to supplement the circular economy with fungal biotechnology.
The Berlin-based company Peelsphere is also looking at the opportunities offered by the circular economy. One way to create sustainable alternatives to plastic is to use waste materials effectively, such as orange peels. Through a process of grinding, blending and forming, Peelsphere recycles fruit peels into a soft and waterproof material that can be knitted, woven, embroidered or 3D printed. Unlike leather or synthetic leather, Peelsphere materials are durable, versatile and biodegradable.
Instead of incinerating non-food biowaste, Made of Air turns organic matter from agricultural and forestry waste - such as wood chips, leaf litter or dead plants - into biochar. This material can be used as filler, mixed with other binders to create carbon-negative compounds. This carbon capture method prevents re-emission of CO2. At end of life, products using Made of Air filler material – for instance in mobility, logistics, or consumer goods – can be “returned to the earth safely either directly or as biochar.”
At Ucaneo they are developing the world’s first biomimetic direct air capture technology to capture CO2 from the air. This process uses a biocatalytic membrane made of synthetic biological material. Next to an office in the heart of Berlin, they have two labs,
the main one at Campus Buch and one at IRIS Adlershof, one of the leading labs in Europe for hybrid materials with the Helmholtz Institute and HU Berlin.
Finally, nanotechnology startup Mimotype is developing novel material systems for bio-inspired organic semiconductor technology that will enable light generation modeled on bioluminescent marine life. Their advantage: In contrast to current LED light sources, whose production requires rare earths and heavy metals, so-called OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) are considered to be a more sustainable as well as a more health-friendly successor technology.
At the bleeding edge between science and commerce, Berlin researchers and startups are developing today the materials we’ll take for granted tomorrow. You can find more startups and innovative ideas from this field at Reason-Why.Berlin.