February 24th, 2025
These three companies are joining forces to revolutionize the automobile industry with the support of the Région Normandie.
The consortium is embarking on an ambitious research and development project to design a component made of natural fiber composite and biosourced thermoplastic, addressing key challenges in innovation, sustainability and recyclability.
In a context where the automotive industry faces the urgent need to reduce its environmental footprint, this project offers an innovative solution by leveraging natural fibers such as linen and hemp. These materials present promising opportunities to replace traditional plastics while meeting the industry’s high technical requirements, including:
– Dimensional stability,
– Mechanical strength,
– UV resistance,
– Industrial reproducibility.
A recycling solution, soon to be implemented, complements the design and manufacturing of an innovative demonstrator co-developed by NaturePlast, Terre de Lin, and Novares. The goal is to incorporate recycled materials. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will be conducted to compare the environmental impact of linen, hemp and traditional plastic components.
With financial support from the Région Normandie, this project also helps strengthen the local industrial ecosystem and promotes the region’s natural resources, such as linen and hemp – emblematic materials of the area.
ABOUT NATUREPLAST:
NaturePlast, a French company specializing in bioplastic materials since 2007, supports manufacturers in the transfer of technology to these new materials.
Through its subsidiary BiopolyNov, an R&D center dedicated to bioplastic materials (the only center in Europe), the Natureplast group develops a wide range of compounds integrating various co-products from French industries (shells, agri-food residues, etc.). These new materials make it possible to obtain atypical natural aspects while working towards a more circular economy and reducing the environmental footprint of plastic materials.
ABOUT TERRE DE LIN:
As a cooperative agro-industrial group, TERRE DE LIN is the world leading producer of textile flax and integrates all upstream activities from breeding to flax fiber production.
With 6 production sites located in Normandy (France), 750 farms, and 350 employees, the group represents €409 million, 22% of the global supply of long flax fibers, 70% of European flax seed varieties, and produces 40% of the flax seeds needs in Europe.
Terre de Lin was the first company to launch the Thermosem process in France in 2018, which consists of disinfecting seeds with hot steam. Terre de Lin implements 20 hectares of agronomic and varietal trial platforms each year aimed at innovating on flax culture through alternative culture itineraries.
Its subsidiary TDL Technique develops, produces, and markets flax fiber-based solutions for technical and composite markets and supports projects from the design to the the industrialization of composite flax.
ABOUT NOVARES:
Based in France, Novares is a global supplier of plastic solutions that designs and manufactures complex components and systems that serve the future of the automotive industry.
The company creates and produces advanced automotive solutions with technical plastic injection for greener, lighter and connected cars with intelligent and intuitive interfaces for all passengers.
Novares co-develops and provides engineering and manufacturing expertise to virtually every OEM in the world and many Tier 1 companies in the automotive market. Novares, which is behind the construction of one in three vehicles in the world, achieved a turnover of 1.1 billion euros in 2024, thanks to its presence in 22 countries, its 37 manufacturing plants, its 6 centers of expertise, its 7 technical centers and 17 customer service centers around the world to partner with customer
