At the 8th International BIOPOLYMER Congress in June 2026, the 7th annual Biopolymer Innovation Award was officially presented at a gala dinner in Halle an der Saale (Germany). Organised by the non-profit development association POLYKUM e.V. and the trade journal plastverarbeiter, this prestigious award honours significant international advances in the field of bio-based and biodegradable plastics and highlights solutions that actively drive the transition to a circular materials economy.

The independent jury selected three outstanding winners from a competitive pool of global entries, assessing them on the basis of technological innovation, environmental compatibility and market readiness.

And first place was awarded to our NaKura project: the groundbreaking development of a microplastic-free artificial turf sports pitch. Through the use of an advanced bio-based material blend, NaKura offers a sustainable, high-performance solution for the sports and landscaping sectors, aimed at reducing the release of primary microplastics into the environment.

GREEN BRANDS is an international, independent and autonomous brand assessment organisation that recognises environmentally sustainable brands and awards the GREEN BRANDS quality mark. The GREEN BRANDS quality mark is a registered and protected EU certification mark for environmentally sustainable brands, based on a neutral, transparent and independent assessment process.

Award-winning GREEN BRANDS comprise brands from all sectors and of all sizes in both the B2B and B2C sectors, which demonstrably practise environmental sustainability and thereby make a significant contribution to the environment, the climate and nature.
GREEN BRANDS operate and produce in an environmentally friendly manner, always act in accordance with their shared responsibility for preserving natural resources, and are deeply committed to the conservation and balance of nature as well as to sustainability.

The certification process is unique worldwide and is carried out every two years in collaboration with international, scientific sustainability institutes and high-ranking, highly competent experts.
At the heart of the process is a comprehensive validation based on scientifically developed criteria catalogues. The assessments are carried out independently by a neutral body and are also overseen by expert panels.
Transparency regarding the validation results is ensured by means of an individualised reference number on the quality seal and disclosure on the website. The quality seal is valid for a maximum of two years. As the seventh two-year process has now been completed in Germany, those brands that have successfully undergone the re-validation(s) have been awarded the quality seal with the corresponding number of stars.

Since the launch of GREEN BRANDS Germany in 2013, we have been awarded the seal seven times in a row at all events.

High recognition for sustainable material innovations: the ‘FormLig – Knitted Wood’ project, in which Tecnaro GmbH is involved as the key material partner, was honoured with the ‘Techtextil Innovation Award 2026’ in the ‘New Material’ category at Techtextil – the world’s leading trade fair for textiles.

‘FormLig’ represents a new approach to material development: from wood, through lignin and bio-based ARBOFORM materials, to coated cellulose yarns, knitted textiles and innovative design products, a fully bio-based material cycle is created.

Lignin is the second most abundant renewable raw material on Earth after cellulose and is specifically utilised as a valuable feedstock. Building on this, TECNARO has been developing materials such as ARBOFORM for three decades – a lignin-based bioplastic that replaces fossil-based plastics. For this pioneering achievement, TECNARO was honoured with the European Inventor Award 2010 by, amongst others, the European Patent Office.

In the ‘FormLig’ project, cellulose yarns are coated with a lignin-based ARBOFORM material, processed into textiles and then transformed into stable, three-dimensional structures through thermal moulding. This results in innovative design and functional products made from renewable raw materials.

The project was carried out as part of an innovation research project by Bioökonomie Baden-Württemberg and funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection. The project is managed by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH.

Back in 2019, TECNARO was awarded the Innovation Prize at Techtextil in Frankfurt as part of the EU ‘Bio4Self’ project.

Techtextil is one of the leading international trade fairs for technical textiles and nonwovens, as well as their applications in industry, mobility and design.

We received the award for our bio-based materials, which can be used as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics in textile and industrial applications. The materials can be processed industrially using standard manufacturing methods such as injection moulding, extrusion and 3D printing.

The award confirmed our position as a technology and innovation leader in the field of sustainable biopolymers and underlined the relevance of our material developments for industry and design.

In 2025, we at TECNARO were awarded the title ‘Zukunfts.Länd.Macher’ by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Energy. With this honour, the state recognises companies that actively contribute to solving global climate, environmental and resource issues through innovation, technological expertise and a sense of responsibility.

The award was presented in person by Environment Minister Thekla Walker. She emphasised the special role that innovative companies play in the future of Baden-Württemberg as a business location:
“Those who combine innovation with responsibility make a difference – for Baden-Württemberg and far beyond. Creativity and ingenuity drive our state forward. Not just planning for the future, but shaping it – companies like TECNARO show how this can be achieved.”

As an internationally recognised technology leader in the bioplastics industry, TECNARO develops bio-based and biodegradable materials such as ARBOFORM®, ARBOBLEND® and ARBOFILL®, which are based on renewable raw materials and offer sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. The company thus exemplifies sustainable industry ‘Made in The Länd’.

The initiative is part of the ‘The Länd’ location campaign run by the State of Baden-Württemberg, which aims to raise the profile of innovative companies whose technologies are opening up new avenues for a sustainable economy.

For us, this award is both a recognition and an incentive. Managing Director Jürgen Pfitzer emphasises:
“For us, sustainability is not an option, but a fundamental principle. We do not see this award as a pat on the back, but as a clear mandate: to continue leading the way, to think ahead and to take responsibility – through innovation, science and firm conviction. Because sustainability, climate protection and environmental protection mean protecting people.”

With our bio-based materials, we are impressively demonstrating how forward-looking technologies from Ilsfeld can provide impetus for a sustainable industry worldwide.

TECNARO, together with the German Institute for Textile and Fibre Research in Denkendorf (DITF), was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Bioeconomy Innovation Prize 2024. The prize recognises outstanding innovations that make an important contribution to the sustainable use of biological resources and to the further development of the bioeconomy.

The award was presented by Peter Hauk, Minister for Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection for the State of Baden-Württemberg. The joint research team was honoured for its pioneering project ‘Lignin-based coating system for sustainable geotextiles’, which opens up new possibilities for environmentally friendly materials in technical applications.

The award went to the project team comprising Çiğdem Kaya and Dr Thomas Stegmeier (DITF), as well as Dr Georgios Mourgas, Dr Michael Schweizer and Dr Dirk Schawaller from TECNARO GmbH.

This award recognises the successful collaboration between research and industry, which develops innovative solutions for sustainable materials and thus provides important impetus for a resource-efficient future.

In 2024, TECNARO was honoured with the Golden Planet Award for “Innovation and pioneering spirit in putting sustainability into practice”. The awards ceremony took place at the exclusive Skyline Studios, high above the rooftops of Frankfurt am Main, and honours companies and individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable action.

The prize is presented by D.I.P.E.S.H., the Voice-Aid Association and Radio Frankfurt, and honours individuals and organisations whose commitment drives sustainable change. This year, Astrid Arens, Stephan Schwenk, Dr Ina Knobloch and Raoul Helmer presented the awards to a total of 15 individuals and institutions from the worlds of business, culture and society.

Alongside TECNARO, the honourees included music stars Julia Neigel and Marianne Rosenberg, GLS Bank, Deutsche Telekom AG, Henry Lambertz GmbH (represented by Hermann Bühlbecker), Mindatorium Inc., Marion Mewis and Fattoria La Vialla. International award winners also included Uripi Kahorongo-Kauta from Namibia, Dr Angela Harris from the United States, Alisha P. Abeywickrama from Sri Lanka, Dr Manfred Florian Welker from Thailand, and the Republic of Costa Rica, represented by Ambassador Antonio Lehmann.

This award recognises our commitment to sustainable innovation and forward-looking materials – another milestone on our journey towards resource-efficient and responsible materials management.

For us, this prize is an important recognition of our commitment to a petroleum-free world, which has now spanned 26 years.

ESG Best Case Award from the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China and the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry for bioplastics pioneer TECNARO GmbH from Ilsfeld. A call to action for greater ESG, sustainability, and environmental and climate protection in global cooperation between Chinese and European companies: Dr Walter Döring, Consul-General Yiyang Huang and Yi Wu, Chair of the German-Chinese Business Association, presented the Best ESG Case Awards to 11 companies during the formal ceremony, including major corporations such as CATL, China Mobile, Global New Material International, ECE, Red Flag Automotive, Hongqi Motors and eSmart, as well as the world’s fifth-largest company, the Chinese chemical giant Sinopec – with its 350,000 employees – AND the German bioplastics specialist TECNARO GmbH from Ilsfeld in the Heilbronn region.

The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China, based in Frankfurt, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export, the DEZ German-European Centre, the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry, KPMG as a knowledge partner, and the Frankfurt Automechanika trade fair organised the first Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference for Chinese and European companies at Messe Frankfurt in September 2024, attended by 500 invited guests.

In his impassioned opening address, Consul-General Yiyang Huang called for trust-based Sino-German cooperation that extends beyond bilateral projects to foster the joint development of the global market.

“Europe is the cradle of the ESG concept, and Germany is a world leader in ESG practice. ESG is also taking root in China and has been sealed with a solemn pledge by the government, led by President Xi Jinping, to achieve carbon neutrality for China’s sustainable development.”

“The motto of today’s event is – Joining forces to shape the future together – . However, the future here refers not only to the future of China, Germany and Europe, but also to the sustainable future of all humanity,” said Yiyang Huang, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China.

Dr Walter Döring (former Minister for Economic Affairs) and Prof. Ming Yang (DEZ and Vice-President of the Senate of Economy Europe) emphasised the importance of strong mutual trade relations between Germany and China and the significant impact this has on ESG, environmental protection and climate action.

Last year, goods worth more than 250 billion euros were traded between the two countries. 5,700 Chinese companies have created over 100,000 jobs in Germany. According to estimates, German companies with approximately 1.4 million employees benefit from their exports to China.

Jürgen Pfitzer has been emphasising his companies’ commitment since 1998: “Sustainability and ESG are in the DNA of our companies, TECNARO GmbH and ARBOTRADE GmbH. The whole world must get involved in these issues as much as possible. That is why I am particularly delighted about this significant European-Chinese ESG conference as a fantastic start to even better joint global action in the future! I am very proud of this honourable accolade, the Chinese-European ESG Best Case Award, which we at TECNARO accept with humility.”

At the summit of global market leaders in Schwäbisch Hall in 2020, TECNARO was awarded second place in the inaugural Innovation Champions Award.

The jury particularly commended our pioneering development of the biomaterials ARBOFORM®, ARBOBLEND® and ARBOFILL®, with which we are creating sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. These materials are based on renewable raw materials and open up new possibilities for environmentally friendly, high-performance products across numerous industries.

The award confirms our commitment to combining innovation and sustainability and to setting new standards for a resource-efficient future of materials with our biomaterials.

In 2019, TECNARO, together with its partners in the EU Bio4Self project, was awarded the international JEC World Innovation Award for Sustainability. The award is one of the most prestigious international accolades in the composites and plastics industry and recognises particularly innovative and sustainable developments.

The jury highlighted in particular:
- the combination of innovative materials and sustainable production processes
- the use of renewable raw materials to reduce reliance on fossil resources
- the great potential for industrial applications in the field of composites

The award underscored our role as a leading international company in sustainable material innovation and confirmed the relevance of the technologies we have developed for a future-oriented bioeconomy.

In 2019, TECNARO was awarded the Innovation Prize at the European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin. The conference is one of the most important international events for bio-based and biodegradable plastics and brings together scientists, companies and industry representatives from all over the world every year.

We received the award for our developments in the field of sustainable bioplastics, in particular for the ARBOFORM®, ARBOBLEND® and ARBOFILL® material families.

The jury particularly commended:
- the innovative development of bio-based plastic materials
- the contribution to reducing the use of fossil raw materials
- the promotion of a circular economy and sustainable plastics production
- the materials’ significant potential for industrial applications

The award confirmed our position as a technology and innovation leader in the field of biopolymers and underlined the international significance of these material developments for the bioeconomy.

In 2011, TECNARO was awarded the Diesel Medal by the German Institute for Inventions. The Diesel Medal is regarded as Germany’s oldest innovation prize and honours outstanding inventive achievements as well as the successful transfer of technical innovations into industrial practice.

The prize is awarded by the German Institute for Inventions and commemorates the engineer and inventor Rudolf Diesel. It honours individuals and companies whose developments make a significant contribution to the technological advancement of industry. The prize has been awarded since 1953.

We were awarded the medal in the ‘Most Sustainable Innovation’ category for our pioneering contribution to establishing bio-based materials as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.

The jury particularly commended:
- the innovative use of renewable raw materials as the basis for industrially processable materials
- technological progress in the field of bio-based plastics
- the great potential of the materials for sustainable industrial applications
- the successful transfer of material innovation into practical product applications

The awarding of the Diesel Medal underlined the importance of our bioplastic granules for a resource-efficient and forward-looking industry and recognised our contribution to the further development of sustainable materials technologies.

In 2010, TECNARO was awarded the European Inventor Award in the SME category. The prize is awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO) and is one of the most prestigious European awards for technical inventions. It recognises outstanding innovations that make a significant contribution to technological progress, economic development and societal benefit.

The European Inventor Award honours inventors whose developments set new standards in science, industry and sustainability. An international jury assesses the nominated innovations on the basis of, amongst other things, their degree of innovation, their economic significance and their contribution to the environment and society.

The jury particularly commended the innovative approach of developing an industrially processable material based on renewable raw materials, which can be used as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The ‘ ’ award underlined the international significance of our materials development and confirmed the great potential of bio-based materials for a resource-efficient and future-oriented industry.

In 2009, TECNARO was awarded the German Industry Award. The prize is awarded annually by Huber Verlag für Neue Medien and recognises particularly innovative industrial products and technologies in Germany.

The award honours companies whose developments make a significant contribution to technological progress, economic performance and industrial innovation. The assessment focuses in particular on the economic, social, environmental and technological benefits of the respective solution.

In 2009, we were named category winner in the ‘Suppliers’ category. The jury recognised our development of innovative biomaterials based on renewable raw materials, as well as their potential to provide sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics in industrial applications.

In 2008, TECNARO was awarded the Werkbund Label by the Deutscher Werkbund. The label is a quality and design award for products that combine good design, innovative materials, sustainable manufacturing and high usability in a distinctive way.

The aim of the award is to highlight products that adhere to the principles of the Deutscher Werkbund – quality, functionality and social responsibility.

The jury particularly commended us for:
- the innovative development of materials based on renewable raw materials
- the potential to replace petroleum-based plastics with bio-based materials
- the high design quality and versatile applications in product design
- the ability to be processed industrially using standard plastics manufacturing methods, such as injection moulding

The Werkbund label is regarded as a mark of quality for the particularly successful combination of design, technology and sustainability. For us, the award meant:
- recognition of material innovation in the context of design and architecture
- increased attention from designers, architects and product developers
- confirmation of the ecological and design potential of biomaterials

“We are proud to count such an innovative company amongst our clients,” said Jürgen Hornung, Managing Director of Ellwanger VR-Bank.

In 2007, TECNARO was awarded the main prize of the VR Innovation Award for SMEs. The prize is awarded annually by the Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken to particularly innovative small and medium-sized enterprises.

We received the award for our thermoplastic wood-based material made from 100% renewable raw materials, ARBOFORM® (“liquid wood”), because we succeeded in developing a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics that can also be processed industrially using established plastics manufacturing methods.

The award specifically recognised the combination of technological innovation, a sustainable raw material base and the material’s significant market potential.

In 2002, TECNARO was honoured with the “Best Product” award by Material ConneXion in New York. The prize is awarded to particularly innovative materials that are included in the organisation’s renowned materials library and are characterised by exceptional properties.

Material ConneXion was founded in New York in 1997 and operates one of the world’s largest archives of innovative materials. Designers, architects and engineers use this collection to discover new materials for products, architecture and industrial applications.

As part of the materials library, an international jury of experts in design, materials and technology regularly assesses newly submitted materials. The ‘Best Product’ award – also known as ‘Material Excellence’ – is presented to materials that particularly stand out for:
- technological innovation
- new or improved material properties
- sustainability and environmental benefits
- high design and functional quality
- a wide range of applications in design and industry

In 2002, our biomaterial ARBOFORM® (‘liquid wood’) was named the best material at the exhibition in the ‘Naturals’ category. The jury particularly commended the innovative approach of developing an industrially processable material based on renewable raw materials.

In 2001, TECNARO was awarded the ‘Simply Brilliant’ award. The award originates from the innovation and invention programme “Einfach Genial” broadcast by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), which showcases particularly creative and technically innovative developments from the worlds of science, technology and everyday life.

Since the late 1990s, the programme has been showcasing new inventions and evaluating them according to various criteria, including:
- the degree of innovation in the development
- practical utility and marketability
- technical implementation
- Contribution to the environment or society

Particularly outstanding developments are honoured with the ‘Einfach Genial’ award.

We received the award for the development of the biomaterial ARBOFORM®. The jury particularly commended:
- the use of renewable raw materials, in particular lignin from wood
- the potential to replace petroleum-based plastics with sustainable materials
- the ability to be processed industrially using standard plastics manufacturing methods such as injection moulding
- the material’s high potential for innovation and environmental benefits

The award brought us a great deal of public attention, as the innovation was presented to a wide audience as part of a popular television programme.

In 2000, TECNARO was awarded the EuroMold Award in Gold – a prestigious innovation award from the international trade fair EuroMold. The fair is one of the most important events for tool and mould making, design and product development. The prize is awarded to particularly innovative materials, technologies and products.

The award recognised the development of novel bioplastics made from renewable raw materials, in particular the material ARBOFORM® developed by us.

The EuroMold jury honoured us because the material combines several forward-looking properties:
- natural raw material base: ARBOFORM® is based on lignin, a natural component of wood.
- an alternative to petroleum-based plastics: The material can be processed in a similar way to conventional plastics, but reduces the use of fossil raw materials.
- Industrial processability: The material can be processed using standard plastics manufacturing methods such as injection moulding or extrusion.
- Sustainability: The use of renewable raw materials significantly reduces the environmental impact.

The EuroMold Gold Award is regarded as a major innovation prize in the plastics and manufacturing industry. For us, the award meant:
- early international recognition of our material development
- proof of technological progress in the field of bioplastics
- an important step towards raising awareness of sustainable materials within the industry

In 1999, we were awarded the WISO Start-up Award by TECNARO. This was a television start-up prize presented by the ZDF business programme WISO, which honoured particularly innovative and forward-looking start-ups.

The WISO Start-up Award recognises young companies that impress through innovative business ideas, technological progress and entrepreneurial courage. The aim of the award is to raise the public profile of successful start-ups and highlight their economic and social significance.

The jury recognised TECNARO in particular for:
- the development of innovative bioplastics from renewable raw materials
- its consistent approach to replacing petroleum-based plastics with sustainable materials
- the high level of innovation in materials such as ARBOFORM® (‘liquid wood’)
- the technology’s significant market and future potential

The WISO Start-up Award was one of the first major public accolades we received. The honour brought us significant media attention and provided early confirmation of the economic and technological relevance of our sustainable materials development.