#Research & Development

2025-02-27

Joint forces for renewable carbon: Lars Börger appointed as new CEO of nova-Institute

In these challenging times for the sustainable transformation of the chemicals and materials sector, collaboration is more necessary than ever. That is why nova-Institute is proud to welcome Dr. Lars Börger as the new Co-CEO alongside with Michael Carus, the current CEO of nova-Institute. As a team, they will join forces to drive progress towards a greener and fossil-free future for these industries.

CEO and founder Michael Carus and COO Linda Engel (left and middle) welcome Lars Börger (right) as the new Co-CEO of the nova-Institute, excited to start this new chapter together © 2025 nova-Institute

Starting 1 March 2025, Lars Börger will join nova-Institute as new CEO. Together with Michael Carus, current CEO of nova-Institute, they will drive sustainable change in the chemical and materials industry forward. With his proven track record in brands’ perspectives on renewable carbon and defossilisation, Lars Börger will be the perfect fit to strengthen nova-Institute’s position in the market.

nova-Institute has been driving the transition away from fossil resources in the chemicals, plastics and other materials industries for 30 years. Through extensive research and consultancy services to companies, NGOs and policy makers, the institute has produced numerous studies, reports and graphics on renewable carbon and defossilisation. But the chemical sector is facing a new and challenging period. Although alternatives based on biomass, CO2 use and recycling are well developed, proven and ready for scale-up and implementation, the main work still lies ahead: How to design an appropriate policy framework that allows companies to transform sustainably and to remain competitive? What role can brand owners play in driving demand for new solutions?

"In these challenging and dynamic times," says physicist Michael Carus, founder and CEO of nova-Institute, "I am very happy that Lars Börger, with his profound expertise and network in renewable carbon, will strengthen nova's leadership as new Co-CEO. I am looking forward to a successful cooperation for the sake of a sustainable transformation".

Lars Börger holds a PhD in Chemistry and an Executive Master in General Management. He worked for BASF (Germany) for almost 20 years, many of them as Head of Global Marketing Biopolymers. For another seven years he worked for Neste (Finland) as Vice President Renewable Polymers & Chemicals, Brand Owner and in the Value Chain Management. He represented Neste in the founding process of the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) and was a member of the RCI Board, as well as a board member of European Bioplastics for several years.

“nova-Institute is the leading think tank for the circular economy with great impact on industry transformation. Accelerating this transformation is now more important than ever, as the challenges facing the chemical and materials sector continue growing. I look forward to joining the great team of dedicated professionals at nova-Institute and helping to shape a more sustainable future.”, says Lars Börger.

In shared leadership with COO Linda Engel, the two CEOs Lars Börger and Michael Carus will navigate nova-Institute in the future, supporting companies, associations and policy makers with research and consultancy in the fields of Technology & Markets, Sustainability, Economy & Policy and Communications.

“Throughout its 30 years in business, nova-Institute has always been at the forefront of its field. Our mission is to support companies as a science-based consultancy and to open up new pathways for a sustainable future for the chemical industry. With Lars, we are confident that we will continue to live up to this goal. We have known him for many years as a driving force in the industry and look forward to work with him.”, adds Linda Engel, COO, nova-Institute.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.

Fraunhofer CCPE presents the “Monomaterial Design Set” – Innovative solutions for circular product design

Composite materials made from different types of plastic often extend the lifetime of products but make recycling more difficult in the circular economy. That is why Fraunhofer CCPE has developed the “Monomaterial Design Set”. This new approach helps to reduce the variety of plastics used in durable products and offers circular solutions for designers and product developers.

How innovations drive BASF’s success

“Innovation has always been part of BASF’s DNA. Especially in these volatile times, it is crucial to leverage our innovative strength to develop competitive solutions that differentiate us as a company in our markets and give us a competitive edge,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and Chief Technology Officer, at the company’s Research Press Briefing held today. To achieve this, BASF implemented its “Winning Ways” strategy about a year ago with the clear goal of becoming the preferred chemical company to enable its customers’ green transformation.

Small tolerances, big impact and a recyclable alternative to elastane

ITA Master's student Janne Warnecke investigated tension differences over the fabric width in the weaving process and thereby contributed to quality assurance; ITA Bachelor's student Jasmin Roos found a basis for the development of recyclable yarns and textiles. For these developments, they were awarded the Walter Reiners Foundation's Promotion and Sustainability Prizes on 27 November. Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation, presented the awards at the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) in Aachen, Germany.

Mimaki demonstrates versatile, simple TRAPIS textile printing at Heimtextil 2026

Mimaki’s textile pigment transfer printing system, TRAPIS, is able to print on a diverse range of fabrics - unlike traditional processes - including natural fibres and synthetic fabrics. The full solution will be shown on Mimaki’s booth (Hall 3.0 Stand A97), as the company returns to Heimtextil to showcase its advancements in sustainable, high quality and efficient textile printing.

The Technology Hub for global denim trends: ITM 2026

The ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition, to be held at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul from June 9–13, 2026, brings together groundbreaking technologies in denim production. From smart production systems to eco-friendly raw materials, from digital washing solutions to laser effect technologies, innovations that will shape the future of denim will be showcased for the first time at ITM 2026.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen: Let´s Talk about Cotton!

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, to be held on 25-27 March 2026 in Bremen’s parliament building on market square, once again sends a powerful signal for professional excellence and international dialogue. The focus is on the latest market trends and technical innovations throughout the entire value chain – from agriculture and quality assurance to processing and the circular economy. With its high-calibre speakers, the conference remains an indispensable forum for anyone involved in shaping the cotton industry scientifically, technically, or economically.