Bio-inspired, Sustainable Plant-based Effects and Colours To Replace All Harmful Colourants

Project Information

BIOSPECTRA

Grant agreement ID: 101206056

DOI

10.3030/101206056

EC signature date 27 May 2025

Start date 1 June 2025

End date 31 May 2027

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 1 948 834,72

Coordinated by

Sparxell UK Limited
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BIOSPECTRA (Bio-inspired, Sustainable Plant-based Effects and Colours To Replace All Harmful Colourants)

Reporting period: 2026-02-01 to 2026-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Sparxell spun out from the world-leading Bio-inspired Materials Group at the University of Cambridge (UK) in 2022 with a mission to promote a nature-inspired future by redesigning the way color is produced. Thanks to our multi-award-winning scientific foundations, Sparxell is now developing the world’s first fully plant-based, high-performance colorants to replace the harmful chemicals, metals and microplastics used by industry today.
Modern colorants (i.e. pigments and dyes) are ubiquitous, representing a multi-billion-euro industry which touches on an extraordinary variety of products, from cosmetics, textiles and food, to paints, coatings and packaging. These colorants can be entirely synthetic, metal or mineral-based, and are prized for their wide variety of vivid colors and lustrous effects. Unfortunately, these products also come with enormous environmental and social costs. Many synthetic dyes are now known to be toxic or carcinogenic, while mineral and metal-based pigments are the product of highly destructive, carbon-intensive extraction processes and, in some well-documented cases, child labor and modern slavery. These problems are not new, and there is now growing consumer and regulatory pressure to solve them. Industry, however, has found it impossible to move away from traditional colorants due to a lack of suitable replacements. While existing ‘state-of-the-art’ colorants lie at the root of the problem, emerging solutions have failed to fully address the industry’s requirements for safe, sustainable AND high-performance.
Sparxell takes inspiration from the vivid colors produced by many plants and animals. As in nature, we create photonic crystals using crystalline cellulose – a widely-available, non-toxic and renewable raw material which can be recycled from a range of potentially circular feedstocks (e.g. packaging, agricultural or textile waste). By controlling the self-assembly of this biomaterial, we can tune the color across the visible spectrum. Our innovation and early manufacturing process is patent protected, with feasibility demonstrated through the batch-scale production and evaluation of our pigments in small-scale deployments with global brands.
The goal of the BIOSPECTRA project is to overcome the remaining technical, manufacturing and product-development challenges that hold back the full commercialisation of our innovative colorant solution. This will be addressed through five objectives:
• Specify, design, and commission a pilot-scale manufacturing plant.
• Validate the product requirements and process design space for the fashion industry.
• Deliver near-to-market technical product samples for target product formats.
• Develop a complete understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements for market launch.
• Secure partnership(s) for European market introduction and complete manufacturing validation trials in preparation for launch of a full product line.
By realizing this project, we aim to become a key component of a new, circular European bioeconomy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Building upon the design conceptualization and product definitions created in the first period, the second period of the BIOSPECTRA project has focused upon (i) testing each individual process operation (from liquid preparation through to coating and drying and pigment processing) within the scaled pigment production pathway and (ii) specifying the product portfolio towards key commercial markets. This was guided by consumer engagement, independent performance testing and regulatory alignment and quality/certification activities. The data arising from these studies will support the commissioning of the manufacturing facility moving into the next period, unlocking the production throughput necessary to match the commercial push to launch our pigment on real products consumers can buy in 2027.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The BIOSPECTRA project has the potential to have real impact across a range of areas, including:

• Environmental. Sparxell's pigments are 100% plant-based and completely non-toxic to health and the environment, furthering the goal of eliminating destructive extraction process, toxic chemicals and bioaccumulating microplastics. Initial life cycle assessment also shows that Sparxell pigments have a significantly lower contribution to greenhouse gas emissions than traditional rivals (0-3 kg CO2e / kg vs. 8-27 kg CO2e / kg), leading to an average 85% reduction in GHG emissions. Furthermore, Sparxell’s colorants are microplastic-free, heavy-metal free and fully biodegradable (marine and freshwater) ensuring end-of life is not an issue. Alternatively they and can be easily decolorised at their end-of-life using mild processing conditions, greatly simplifying the harsh ‘de-inking’ and ‘de-coloring’ processes currently required for reuse of packaging and textiles.

• Societal. Traditional colorants are broadly harmful, ranging from skin irritants and allergens to toxins and carcinogens. For example, the most common white pigment (Titania) and many synthetic ‘azo dyes’, are known to be or are suspected to be carcinogens and are regulated under EU law. By displacing traditional colorants, we can protect human health by removing these chemicals from society. Furthermore, NGOs estimate that over 30,000 children are involved in mica production in India and Madagasca, where up to 90% of mining is performed illegally in dangerous conditions. By also displacing mica, we can eliminate this practice.

• Economic. Sparxell is projected to directly support the creation of 170 new skilled jobs by FY 2029. We aim to contribute to an emerging European circular biomaterial supply chain supplying sustainable cellulose feedstocks. This will support or safeguard up to 120 additional skilled manufacturing and biomaterial jobs, while providing resilient, secure and localized supply chains, reducing European reliance on imported materials.