Conti launches sustainable material challenge for startups

Hanover, Germany – Continental AG and Berlin-based innovation network for advanced materials (INAM) have joined forces for a second time this year to advance the development of sustainable materials.

Through the challenge, designed for startups and universities, Continental expects to generate new ideas for the manufacture and recycling of rubber and plastic products, to be used in the automotive and industrial sectors.

Part of the German group’s sustainability roadmap, unveiled earlier in the year, the challenge was first launched in spring, said Continental in a 1 Nov statement.

The first challenge, the technology group said, involved sustainable solutions for fluid management in vehicles, including cooling and air-conditioning lines in electric cars. 

“Continental experts are now continuing to work with the four selected finalists on concepts for emission-free mobility,” it added. 

The second challenge, which was launched in mid-October, now focuses on new energy-efficient recycling processes for breaking down polymer composites back into their individual components, such as monomers. 

The goal, Continental said, is to be able to completely "reuse these recycled raw materials." 

"By collaborating with young start-ups and university institutes, we hope to give a boost to the world of materials, both for the production and recycling of our products," said Ran Escher, responsible for industry-related partner management at Conti. 

Commenting on the project, Daniel Biensfeld who supervises the participants from Conti’s side said the start-up scene worldwide is “creative, innovative and agile.” 

"But what they often lack is the process know-how and technical equipment to translate their good ideas into a production environment and develop them into a marketable product," he said.

“Continental offers challenge winners this opportunity.”