Brightlands Circular Space opens: TNO helps companies scale up plastic innovations faster

Testing before investing

Before investing in scale-up, companies need to understand how a new material will perform in their production process, what level of quality can be achieved, and what scaling up will require in terms of technology and costs. A material, process or product must prove reliable, reproducible and economically viable at a larger scale. Demonstrating this is often the greatest challenge.

The research, pilot and demonstration facilities at BCS provide answers to these questions under realistic conditions. The facilities include equipment for extrusion, plastic compounding and upgrading, as well as the production and processing of multilayer films at pilot and demonstration scale. Research focuses on how materials can be processed, how stable production processes are, and whether the desired product quality can be achieved.

This allows technical and commercial risks to be identified earlier, helping companies make better-informed investment decisions. TNO contributes technological expertise, materials knowledge and extensive experience in industrial scale-up.

llaborating on scalable solutions

Technology alone will not make plastics circular. Collaboration across the value chain is equally essential. Within BCS, TNO brings together producers, end users, recyclers, researchers and policymakers. This helps identify bottlenecks earlier and enables stakeholders to develop targeted solutions together.

TNO applies the principles of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD), ensuring that safety and sustainability are considered from the earliest stages of development. As a result, new materials and processes are not only technically feasible, but can also be successfully integrated into both existing and emerging value chains.

An open innovation hub with European ambitions

The ambition is to further develop Brightlands Circular Space into a leading European open innovation hub for circular plastics. Here, companies, knowledge institutes and public authorities collaborate to develop, validate and scale up circular solutions.

While the facilities initially focus on plastic packaging applications, they can also support innovation in sectors such as automotive, electronics, textiles and healthcare.