MINNETONKA and PLYMOUTH, Minn., February 16, 2012 — NatureWorks,
the bio-plastics market leader with its commercial range of Ingeo™ biopolymers, and
BioAmber, a next-generation chemicals company and a market leader in the
commercialization of bio-succinic acid, have announced the creation of AmberWorks, a
joint venture to bring new performance bio-based polymer compositions to market.
The joint venture builds on the natural synergy that exists between NatureWorks
and BioAmber. Beyond its Ingeo PLA technology platform, NatureWorks brings to the
joint venture a global commercial presence, established customer relationships,
developed applications across a breadth of industries and deep experience in
commercializing new-to-the-world polymers. BioAmber owns PLA/PBS compounding
intellectual property and applies award-winning biotechnology and chemical processing
to produce renewable chemicals. These renewable chemicals deliver high-performance,
low-carbon-footprint building blocks that are cost competitive with their petrochemical
equivalents. The joint venture combines the best of both companies into an entity
tasked with developing a new family of bio-based compounded polymer solutions.
With the formation of the joint venture, NatureWorks plans to commercialize a
new family of compounded Ingeo resin grades, and is immediately offering samples of
developmental grades aimed at thermoforming and injection-molding processes. This new family of developmental Ingeo compounded resins is designed for food service
ware applications, expanding the Ingeo property range in terms of flexibility, toughness,
heat resistance, and drop-in processability on existing manufacturing equipment. Based
on market interest, further formulated solutions optimized for a number of different
applications beyond food service will be assessed over the coming 12 to 24 months.
Compounded PLA/PBS resin grades, developed and manufactured by
AmberWorks, will be marketed exclusively through the NatureWorks global commercial
organization as new and distinct solutions within the company’s Ingeo portfolio of
products.
“The new product range being developed by the joint venture enables
NatureWorks to broaden its existing product portfolio, allowing for bio-based product
solutions in applications that were previously difficult to address,” said Marc
Verbruggen, president and chief executive officer, NatureWorks. “The properties of PLA
and PBS are complementary and making Ingeo compounds using both materials will
result in a broad and attractive property profile for a number of different applications.”
“The AmberWorks JV builds on BioAmber’s core business: the production of cost
competitive, renewable chemicals that include succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol,” said
Jean-Francois Huc, president and chief executive officer, BioAmber. “Our novel PBS
compounding technology has enabled us to forward integrate into polymers and our
partnership with NatureWorks, the global market leader in biopolymers, will strengthen
and accelerate market access for our growing portfolio of renewable solutions.”
In the USA, developmental samples of the new Ingeo injection molding and
thermoforming solutions for the food service industry are available from NatureWorks, www.natureworksllc.com, 800-664-6436, info@natureworksllc.com. While an
assessment of the European Union chemical regulation REACH status is underway,
research and development samples are available in Europe at NatureWorks Europe,
+31 (35) 694 5056. The regulatory status of these grades in other geographies is under
review.
About NatureWorks
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today
without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks
LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-
footprint Ingeo biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources
with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers. In
October 2011, Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Chemical Public Company
Limited, entered into an agreement to make a $150 million equity investment in
NatureWorks. The transaction remains subject to regulatory clearances. For more
information on NatureWorks and Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com.
Ingeo™ and the Ingeo™ logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of
NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.
About BioAmber
BioAmber is a next generation chemicals company. Its proprietary technology platform
combines industrial biotechnology, an innovative purification process and chemical
catalysis to convert renewable feedstocks into chemicals for use in a wide variety of
everyday products, including plastics, food additives and personal care products.
BioAmber produces bio-succinic acid in what it believes to be one of the world’s largest
bio-based chemical fermenters. For more information visit the company’s web site at
www.bio-amber.com.
NatureWorks:
Europe
GB Network, Milano
Contact: Nicoletta Secondi
Email: press@gbnetwork.eu
Tel: +39 02 76018402
USA
Contact: Steve Sterling
Email: steve@sterlingpr.net
Tel: +1 952-935-0078
Asia Pacific & Japan
Contact: Pauline Ning
Email: pauline_ning@natureworkspla.com
Tel: +86-138 1650 1881
BioAmber:
Investor Contact:
Mike Hartmann
Executive Vice President
Tel: +1 514 844-8000 extension 120
mike.hartmann@bio-amber.com