Renewable chemicals company Avantium N.V. and specialty chemicals distributor Will & Co B.V. have taken a significant step towards commercialising bio-based furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA).
This, by signing a capacity reservation agreement aimed at securing future supplies for the coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE) markets.
The agreement marks a new phase in the companies' collaboration, moving beyond application development towards securing future commercial supply of FDCA, a renewable chemical building block with potential applications across a wide range of industrial materials.
Under the arrangement, Will & Co has expressed interest in reserving future FDCA production capacity from plants operated by licensees of Avantium's YXY Technology. Avantium will introduce Will & Co to prospective licensees and facilitate discussions on capacity reservations, with any final agreement to be concluded directly between Will & Co and the relevant licensee.
The move could also help address one of the key challenges facing the scale-up of bio-based chemicals: securing customer demand before production facilities are built.
By establishing commercial interest ahead of new plant development, Avantium aims to give prospective licensees greater visibility on future demand, strengthen investment cases and reduce the commercial risks associated with developing new FDCA production capacity.
The latest agreement builds on a collaboration announced in February 2026, when the two companies joined forces to accelerate FDCA development and adoption in the CASE industry.
FDCA is a versatile, bio-based alternative building block for synthetic materials, including alkyd resins, surfactants and polyester polyols. Its potential applications span paints, adhesives, flooring, roofing, tubing, automotive components and construction materials.
Alongside the capacity reservation, the companies will continue joint development activities to advance FDCA-based applications in the CASE market. Avantium will supply FDCA for these activities and provide technical expertise and other support.
Jacques van Lindonk, Managing Director at Will & Co, comments: “This capacity reservation reflects our confidence in the potential of FDCA in the CASE markets. Since starting our collaboration with Avantium, we have continued to explore promising applications for this renewable building block. Reserving future capacity is a logical next step as we work towards bringing FDCA-based solutions to our customers and the wider market.”
Marco Jansen, Chief Commercial Officer at Avantium, added: “This capacity reservation shows how Avantium’s collaboration with Will & Co is progressing from application development toward commercialization.
"It demonstrates tangible market interest in FDCA for CASE applications, while supporting our strategy to license our YXY Technology to partners around the world. Building visibility on commercial demand helps strengthen the investment case for prospective licensees and, ultimately, supports the development of new FDCA production capacity.”
