Derek Atkinson, CEO of ADBioplastics: “We are working to overcome the limitations of bioplastics and expand their applications thanks to the support of CDTI Innovation and FEDER funds”
In many markets, compostable materials remain a minority alternative to fossil-based plastic, due to a gap between technical properties and cost that the industry has not yet fully resolved. ADBioplastics, a company born in 2016 in Paterna, has developed a proprietary additive, ADBio PLA+, which improves the performance of polylactic acid (PLA) to expand its use in new applications. The project now addresses the scaling of its production and the development of new PLA-Premium grades for sectors such as food and cosmetic packaging or 3D printing.ADbioMAT is supported by the CDTI Innovation and the European ERDF funds, in line with the Centre’s priority of promoting growth based on R+D+I oriented to environmental sustainability
ADBioplastics was born in 2016 as a company derived from ITENE, the Technological Institute of Packaging, Transport and Logistics, to bring to the market the R&D results developed by the center. At that time, part of the research was aimed at improving the performance of biopolymers and expanding their application possibilities.
"Initially, we observed that the current supply of biopolymers presented performance limitations that made them unsuitable for many applications. We understood then that the work that was being carried out in ITENE on additives that could modify the performance of these polymers, could offer a solution to these deficiencies. And this was the starting point of this adventure," explains Derek Atkinson, CEO of the company.
The flexibility that the PLA lacked
Polylactic acid (PLA) stands out for its rigidity and transparency, two properties useful in numerous applications, but which also limit its use when a more flexible material is needed. To overcome this barrier, ITENE developed ADBio PLA+, an additive designed to improve the flexibility of PLA while maintaining its original characteristics.
ADBioplastics uses advanced technology to guide and cool bioplastic filaments during their manufacture
As Derek Atkinson explains, “ADBio PLA+ is a shaped diblock copolymer of polycaprolactone and polylactic acid.” The first provides flexibility, while the PLA block facilitates the integration of the additive into the starting material and allows working with reduced concentrations.
This formulation also seeks to avoid some of the drawbacks of other modifiers, whose lower compatibility with the PLA can cause opacity or require greater amounts to achieve the desired effect. In this way, ADBio PLA+ expands the possibilities of application of the material without significantly altering its characteristics.
The leap to an industrial scale
Once the formulation is developed, the next step is to increase production without losing the conditions that determine the quality of the additive. In chemical processes, this leap involves controlling phenomena that do not appear in the same way on a small scale. “As in all chemical processes, scaling up brings with it numerous challenges. Wall effects, mixing, heat transfer, separations, material handling and process control are factors that must be well understood," says the CEO of the Valencian company.
ADBioplastics has taken the process to a pilot production of 100 litres per lot and has designed and manufactured a 600 litre plant. The goal is to have a capacity up to ten times higher and raise the technological maturity level of the development from TRL 6 to TRL 8.
The expansion makes it possible to detect problems that do not appear at a lower volume and adjust the process to optimize aspects such as purity, costs and control of the reaction before further increasing production. "The need to scale up lies in validating the assumptions of the previous enlargement, uncovering the unknowns and then looking for alternative solutions or integrating them into the process," he says.
Bringing the PLA to new applications
The scaling will address a second objective of the ADbioMAT project that includes the development of new PLA-Premium grades to cover different formats, such as flexible films, certain non-woven fabrics and 3D printing. “The priority areas are those applications where the PLA is close to the limit of its operational capacity, since that is where our additive can undoubtedly bring the greatest value.”
These are areas where PLA can be used in large volumes, but its rigidity can limit certain formulations and products. Hence the need to improve its properties and expand that margin of use and incorporation into new applications.
ADBioplastics’ facilities in the Paterna Technology Park (Valencia)
The project also aims to improve the purity of the manufacturing process in order to develop formulations aimed at a greater number of uses in contact with food. The combination of new formulations and a more controlled production will progressively expand the range of products.
A backup to reduce the risk of scaling
For a technological SME, moving from a pilot production to an industrial manufacturing requires significant investments and requires resolving uncertainties that affect both the process and its future commercialization. In this tour, ADBioplastics has been supported by CDTI Innovation through the Seal of Excellence support line, co-financed with European FEDER funds.
"The support of CDTI Innovation is fundamental for us. It is essential to be able to develop the best industrial practices, use modern machinery and have the most dynamic equipment to achieve it”, says the CEO of the company.
For the Valencian company, beyond the installation of new equipment, the objective is to reduce the uncertainty that accompanies the jump in scale and verify that the process can respond to the technical and commercial requirements of a larger production. "This support has helped us minimise the risks in the transition from the pilot phase to production, both from a technical and commercial perspective," he adds.
Towards the reduction of fossil plastic
The replacement of fossil plastics poses a challenge that transcends a single company or technology. Today, the compostable materials market still represents a small part of the plastic industry, so expanding the use of PLA is one of the ways to increase the space available for these alternatives.
In this regard, Derek Atkinson maintains a cautious view of the scope of the initiative and believes that improving the performance of the PLA can facilitate its use in more sectors, although its adoption will also depend on factors such as costs, production and demand. "Given the scale of the fossil-fuel-based plastic industry, any solution we develop will have a limited impact," he said.
The reduction of the environmental impact associated with each application will also depend on the material it replaces and the specific production conditions. “Every kilogram of PLA used will result in a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to fossil fuel-derived alternatives,” he explains. The project is thus aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals related to responsible production and consumption (SDG 12) and climate action (SDG 13).
Taking the PLA to more markets
The next two years will be marked by the consolidation of the production of the additive and the development of new PLA-Premium grades. ADBioplastics is working to expand the range of formulations and bring them to new products where PLA still finds technical limitations.
The ADBioplastics team, led by its CEO, at an Interpack sectoral event held in Düsseldorf
The new plant will make it possible to advance this route and to check the behavior of the process on a larger scale, while optimizing aspects such as purity, costs and control of the reaction. The objective is to raise the level of technological maturity and to have an industrial base that accompanies the incorporation of the additive into new products.
The development of the market will also be conditioned by factors beyond the control of the company, especially the regulation, costs and production capacity of compostable bioplastics, whose evolution will mark the rate of growth of the PLA. In this scenario, Derek Atkinson points to the need to expand the industrial infrastructure to accompany that growth. "Our additive will facilitate the construction of new PLA plants to meet the growing demand it will generate," he concludes.
CDTI Innovation
The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.
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