Japanese industrial automation firm launches biomass materials subsidiary

In Tokyo, Yokogawa Electric Corporation has launched Yokogawa Bio Frontier Inc. to develop businesses related to the production and sales of biomass materials, as well as associated licensing and consulting activities. 

Yokogawa Bio Frontier will focus on developing and commercializing value-added, plant-based biomass materials, such as nanocellulose and lignin monomer, that can be used to substitute chemicals and materials currently derived from fossil resources. The company will apply Yokogawa’s experience in industrial automation to develop efficient extraction and production processes and facilities, and will market biomass materials to a wide range of customers in the chemical, food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and other industries.

To obtain technologies and expertise in this field, Yokogawa has already taken steps such as investing in and partnering with AlgaEnergy, a Spanish company that is a technology leader in the production and application of microalgae, and Bloom Biorenewables SA, a Swiss startup focusing on the utilization of biomass with its highly efficient lignin extraction technology. Yokogawa Bio Frontier will work with these and other strategic partners to contribute to the development of a circular economy.