Dubai, UAE, March 12, 2026 – UAE Biotechnology Company has officially joined the CIRCLE consortium, a flagship project funded by the European Circular Bio-based Industries Consortium under the EU's Horizon Europe program.
This four-year project, supported by €27 million in funding, brings together 17 partners across the industry chain. Its core objective is to build the world's first industrialized biorefinery, converting organic food waste into high-value-added bio-based chemicals, including polylactic acid (PLA).
In this project, UAE Biotechnology Company will be responsible for polymerizing lactic acid extracted from food waste to produce high-purity PLA, which will be supplied to other consortium partners for product testing and application development. The project also plans to develop PLA products in different specifications for end markets such as automotive, cosmetics, and food packaging, while verifying the feasibility of producing lactic acid and PLA within waste treatment facilities, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the entire material production process.
François de Bie, Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates Biotechnology, stated, "Proving that high-performance biopolymers can be extracted directly from food waste is a significant breakthrough for the industry. The demand for sustainable materials in sectors such as automotive and cosmetics is growing rapidly. Our core task in the CIRCLE project is to convert the polymer-grade lactic acid produced by our partners into commercial-grade polylactic acid that meets industry standards and is compatible with existing production processes."
The CIRCLE alliance brings together partners across the entire value chain, including waste treatment companies, chemical technology service providers, and international consumer brands. Led by TripleW, members include Volkswagen, FrieslandCampina, Davidney, Sulzer, and Supachai.
The alliance has already achieved a key milestone: in September 2025, the world's first laboratory-grade polylactic acid produced entirely from food waste was successfully developed. The participation of Emirates Biotechnology will drive this technological breakthrough towards industrial mass production and commercial application, aligning with the company's planned 80,000-ton/year polylactic acid production base scheduled to begin operation in 2028. For the UAE biotechnology company, this kind of innovative research and development is the core support of its long-term development vision – to make sustainable materials the preferred business solution in the market, rather than a second-best option.
