"We have created our own European biobased polymer supply chain" (V. Roux, Michelin)

"Michelin Engineered Polymers, which is a subsidiary of the Michelin Group, manufactures polymers", explains Virginie Roux, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Public Affairs for Michelin Engineered Polymers. "In particular, we produce non-toxic, bio-based resins that replace resins historically manufactured using industrial substances derived from fossil fuels."

Virginie Roux answered News Tank's questions at the Forum 2026 organised by Circular Bio-based Europe in Brussels.

"The difficulty with bio-based products or molecules in general is that we are competing with historical fossil-based products. They offer unbeatable costs with ultra-optimised processes, and the producers are very well established on the market. It's not so much the technology that's complicated: it's then managing to sell it and get the market on board when the molecule doesn't exist at all", she continues.

"By finding a solution that replaced carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting compounds, and that had the possibility of being bio-based, we discovered that we weren't the only manufacturers wanting to replace…