11. Aug 2021
Nils Björkman nominated as a new member of Avantium’s Supervisory Board
Avantium N.V, a leading technology company in renewable chemistry, announces that Nils Björkman has been nominated for appointment to its Supervisory Board for a term of four years. The Supervisory Board will propose this appointment to an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM), to be scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Mr. Nils Björkman, a Swedish national, worked for over 33 years at food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak Group in a variety of senior positions around the world (Sweden, Canada, USA, United Kingdom and Switzerland). His last position was Executive Vice President of all commercial operations of the Tetra Pak Group, which he held until his retirement in March 2015. He has worked as a non-executive board member for several companies. Nils holds an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Edwin Moses, Chairman of Avantium’s Supervisory Board commented: “We are delighted to nominate Nils Björkman for appointment to the Supervisory Board. He brings extensive expertise in the international packaging innovations business through his longstanding, senior career at Tetra Pak. We believe that Nils will be an important addition to our Supervisory Board and we look forward to working with him to help deliver on Avantium’s strategic goals.”
A leading technology development company and a forerunner in renewable chemistry. Avantium develops novel technologies based on renewable carbon sources as an alternative to fossil- based chemicals and plastics. The company currently has three technologies at pilot and demonstration phase. The most advanced technology is the YXY plant-to-plastics–technology that catalytically converts plant-based sugars into a wide range of chemicals and plastics, such as PEF (polyethylene furanoate). Avantium has successfully demonstrated the YXY Technology at its pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands.
The company has also developed what it calls its Dawn Technology, enabling non-food biomass to be converted into industrial sugars and lignin in order to transition the chemicals and materials industries to non-fossil resources. The company's third technology is called Ray Technology. This technology catalytically converts industrial sugars to plant-based MEG (mono-ethylene glycol): plantMEG. Next to developing and commercialising renewable chemistry technologies, the company also provides advanced catalysis R&D services and systems to customers in the refinery and chemical industries.