Altroconsumo and Euroconsumers Head of EU Fundraising Luisa Crisigiovanni have been members of the FUTURENZYME project advisory board, an innovative partnership to promote the use of enzyme technology as a sustainable alternative to the harmful chemicals used in household products and industrial production.

At a final learning event on April 9th 2025 in Madrid called Enzyme Solutions for Greener Consumer Products industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and consumers will come together to explore how the latest innovations in biotechnology including enzyme technology can drive the next wave of sustainable innovation.

Follow this link to join: https://radicalz.eu/enzymes-info-day/

FUTURENZYME: making enzyme solutions a viable option

But to date, despite the enormous potential of the tech, enzymes have been underutilized in many industries – with efficiency, scalability and affordability challenges holding back adoption.

So since 2021, the FUTURENZYME consortium of leading scientists, industry partners, and sustainability specialists has been researching and developing enzyme-based innovations that can be applied in real-world production.

By making the technology an easy, accessible option for businesses committed to adopting eco-friendly practices, consumers can also gain by having a choice of sustainable products.

Groundbreaking enzyme developments   

The project’s research has introduced groundbreaking enzymes designed to boost efficiency in various industries:

• In detergents and cleaning, to break down and remove stains at lower temperatures, cutting energy and water consumption and minimizing chemical waste
• In textiles and fashion, to provide a sustainable alternative to polluting chemicals that are introduced during fabric production
• In cosmetics and personal care, to produce innovative hyaluronic acid ingredients with lower energy costs and no chemical ingredients.

These innovations not only help to reduce the intensive use of water, energy, and chemicals, but also pave the way for more sustainable consumer goods that can meet the rising demand for environmentally friendly options.

However, for these breakthroughs to make an impact, collaboration across the discovery and production system is a must.

For example, governments can use policy levers to incentivise and support sustainable practices, businesses can embrace enzyme technology in their production methods, and consumers need transparent information to support them to make eco-friendly choices.

To make this effective, we need clear information on the safety benefits of enzymes, explaining why they are safe and how they improve these products.

The future is enzymatic

The final event in Madrid will share the lessons learned from FUTURENZYME which will give industries and policy makers powerful tools to make sustainability a reality for all.

By embracing enzyme technology, we can build a world where industrial progress goes hand in hand with environmental responsibility—leading to cleaner products, more efficient processes, and a healthier planet for all.

Register to join the learning event in Madrid here: https://radicalz.eu/enzymes-info-day

FUTURENZYME project partners:

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DEINVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS (CSIC); BARCELONA SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER – CENTRO NACIONAL DE SUPERCOMPUTACION (BSC); BANGOR UNIVERSITY (BANGOR); UNIVERSITAET HAMBURG (UHAM); HEINRICH-HEINE-UNIVERSITAET DUESSELDORF (UDUS);  ASSOCIACAO DO INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TECNICO PARA A INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO (IST-ID); CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR); CONSORZIO ITALBIOTEC (ITB); FACHHOCHSCHULE NORDWESTSCHWEIZ (FHNW); CLUSTER INDUSTRIELLE BIOTECHNOLOGIE E.V. (CLIB); INOFEA AG (INOFEA AG); BIOC-CHEM SOLUTIONS SRL (Bio Ch); SCHOELLER TEXTIL AG (SCHOELLER); HENKEL KGaA (HENKEL); EVONIK OPERATIONS GMBH (EVO);  BIOSYNTH BIOSCIENCE GMBH (BIOSYNTH).