Ontario BioAuto Council goes Green Inside[TM].

GreenCore Composites Inc. is a natural fibre composite company spun off from research at the University of Toronto (U of T). It has received an investment of $755,000 from the Ontario BioAuto Council Commercialization Fund. The Ontario BioAuto Council is a not-for-profit organization working to link auto parts manufacturers, automotive assemblers, and the chemical and plastics industry with agricultural and forestry companies to produce materials and chemicals from biological feedstocks. The organization targets commercialization and market development of biomaterials for Ontario's automotive sector.

GreenCore was started through the U of T's commercialization arm, the Innovations Group, by forestry and applied chemistry professor Mohini Sain, MCIC. The company has developed proprietary technologies to manufacture natural fibre-reinforced composites for use in products such as auto parts. One technology in particular, Green Inside[TM] pellets, caught the eye of the Ontario Bio-Council. By replacing petroleum-based materials with sustainable natural fibres, Green Inside compounds can more than double the strength of the base polymer while offering added environmental benefits.

"'Green Inside[TM] made our decision to invest very easy," said Bernard West, MCIC, chair of the Ontario BioAuto Council. "We are excited to support the commercialization of this world class technology in an Ontario enterprise."

Biomaterials are experiencing strong growth around the globe, charged in part by environmental concerns as well as the shift in petroleum prices. The resulting market for materials derived from biological feedstocks is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2015.