Invista, one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers, and Ingenza, an industrial biotechnology and synthetic biology company, have formed a collaboration for the development of new technologies to enable bio-derived processes for the production of industrial chemicals.

The collaboration will leverage Invista’s capabilities in biotechnology and catalysis, and knowledge of the chemicals industry, and Ingenza’s synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology capabilities for the development of new, bio-derived routes to industrial chemicals.

“Invista believes biotechnology has the potential to significantly improve the cost and availability of several chemicals and raw materials that are used to produce its current products,” says Warren Primeaux, president of Invista Intermediates. “We see Ingenza’s capabilities as very complementary to our own and are pleased to announce this extended collaboration.”

According to Ian Fotheringham, president of Ingenza, “This exciting partnership with Invista brings together two innovative, global leading companies that could establish a new generation of transformational bio-manufacturing technologies for industrial chemicals and polymers.”

Ingenza Ltd. is an industrial biotechnology company based in Roslin, Edinburgh, UK. The company has a broad customer base within the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, feed and fuel industries where it applies its proprietary synthetic biology to manufacture industrial products.

With leading brands including Lycra, Coolmax, Cordura, Stainmaster and Antron, Invista is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers. The company’s technologies for nylon, spandex and polyester are used to produce clothing, carpet, car parts and countless other everyday products. Headquartered in the U.S., Invista operates in more than 20 countries and has about 10,000 employees.