Biochemicals move for former head of textile coatings at Covestro
The former head of textile coatings at polymer manufacturer Covestro, Nick Smith, is to leave the group at the start of 2023. Mr Smith had run the textile coatings business since Covestro was spun off from Bayer MaterialScience in 2015 before taking up a new role in Covestro’s strategy and portfolio development group at the start of 2019.
After leaving Covestro altogether at the end of this year, he will join Norway-based sustainable biochemicals company Circa Group as its head of development and commercialisation.
On making the announcement, Nick Smith described Circa as a renewable biochemicals company with “elegant technology for turning waste biomass into a chemical building block with myriad potential applications in essential products”.
One of Circa’s products, Cyrene, is a bio-solvent that can be used in coatings, polymers, textiles and textile recycling. The company also produces levoglucosenone, which has applications in bio-polymers.
“Fossil fuel-based polymers products have become essential to our modern life despite their environmental impact,” Circa has said. “There is strong demand for more sustainable, bio-based alternatives that have equal or better performance than their oil-based equivalents, as well as being biodegradable and recyclable.”
