Exclusive agreement to advance R&D on bio plastics for
the automotive industry
SAILAUF, Germany,
Feb. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Magna
International Inc., a leading global automotive supplier, and
bio-on, an Italian intellectual property company, have signed a
cooperation agreement on December 13,
2013, to start exclusive R&D activities on the use of
bio plastics for the automotive industry.
bio-on has developed a new kind of bio plastic created through
the use of naturally occurring bacteria which feed off sugar beet
by-products. In the process of fermentation, the material is turned
into plastic (polyhydroxyalkanoate or PHA). The result is fully
biodegradable in water and soil, an environmentally friendly
product that does not rely on food as a natural resource and could
provide alternatives to conventional plastics for the automotive
industry.
Magna, through its Interiors operating unit, is pairing its
automotive know-how with bio-on's chemical expertise to research
how production of this natural polyester product can be elevated to
an industrial, cost-effective scale. Additionally, the two
companies will test and evaluate how bio-on bio plastics will
perform in different standard industry processes such as
thermoforming. Magna Interiors will utilize its facility in
Liberec, Czech Republic, for joint
testing.
"Our material has already demonstrated great potential in
diverse industries and we now want to apply it to the automotive
sector as well," says Marco Astorri,
CEO and co-founder of bio-on. "Through this partnership, bio-on
hopes to contribute significantly to meeting the global need for a
greener future mobility, with lower environmental impact."
"As a leading global automotive supplier, Magna is leveraging
its manufacturing expertise to partner with bio-on to deliver a
potential game-changing innovation to the industry," said Albert
Lidauer, President Magna Interiors Global. "We are excited
about the possibilities this cooperation offers us to further
support our customers in pursuit of environmentally friendly
vehicles."
About bio-on. Founded in 2007 bio-on has developed and
protect the world's first bio plastic PHAs that are 100% naturally
biodegradable in water and soil. An outstanding product that is
derived from the transformation of beet and cane sugar production
residues (in Italy in partnership
with Co.Pro.B.), using a natural production process with no organic
solvents. The product also biodegrades in river water in just a few
weeks, leaving no trace. The PHA bio plastic developed by bio-on
turns a waste product that would otherwise be discarded (a cost
therefore becomes a resource) and therefore has no impact on the
food chain, unlike other types of "organic" products such as
biofuels or other bio plastics that use cereals. The bio plastic
protect by bio-on has extraordinary features: high thermal and
mechanical resistance; can be worked using standard production
technologies used for common plastics from oil. It is therefore
possible to make an infinite variety of objects in all sectors
which currently use traditional plastics made from oil. The
biodegradability of bio-on bio plastic was certified in 2008 by
Vinçotte. Bio-on is an Intellectual Property Company and provides
technology for the production or use of PHAs based on a license
that restricts their use to a particular territory or to a specific
business area. More information: www.bio-on.it
About Magna Interiors. Magna Interiors, an operating unit
of Magna International Inc., is a global full-service supplier of
automotive interior systems. We design, engineer and manufacture
cockpit systems; door panels; overhead systems; soft trim and cargo
management; garnish and hard trim for the automotive and commercial
truck industries as well as for consumer markets.
About Magna International. We are a leading global
automotive supplier with 316 manufacturing operations and 84
product development, engineering and sales centres in 29 countries.
We have over 125,000 employees focused on delivering superior value
to our customers through innovative processes and World Class
Manufacturing. Our product capabilities include producing body,
chassis, interior, exterior, seating, powertrain, electronic,
vision, closure and roof systems and modules, as well as complete
vehicle engineering and contract manufacturing. Our common shares
trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MG) and the New York Stock
Exchange (MGA). For further information about Magna, visit our
website at www.magna.com.
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