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INDRESMAT

INDRESMAT

Developing game-changing processes and materials for a more sustainable building sector

INDRESMAT

With over a decade of expertise in the chemical and innovation fields, Pablo founded INDRESMAT with the goal of implementing sustainable technologies in the construction sector. Through its materials research and process innovation, INDRESMAT develops polyurethane resins that are versatile, durable, recyclable, and sourced from renewable raw materials, mainly vegetable oils and lignin. This enabled Pablo to bring to market sustainable building materials, such as frames for windows and doors and insulating foam coatings, that have high resilience and insulation levels, ultimately conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions. For these reasons, INDRESMAT has been chosen as the ISC3 Start-up of the Month for January 2020.

Year of Foundation:

2017

Addresses the following SDGs:

SDG 9 (industry innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action)

https://www.indresmat.com/

The INDRESMAT Team
a window at a fair stand
An EXTRU-PUR window
Pablo R. Outón, founder of INDRESMAT

Not Only an Opportunity, but a Responsibility

While working with European chemical companies, Pablo grew frustrated with the lack of marketable action taken with developments in the lab – he saw the companies as moving too slowly in implementing the sustainable technologies that are desperately needed. An expert in polymers with two Masters degrees, Pablo determined there was a market opportunity for bio-based polyurethane plastics in the construction sector, where these materials were hardly being used, despite their high potential. Motivated by this opportunity, but also a keen sense of responsibility to offer high performance and sustainable solutions, Pablo founded INDRESMAT in 2017.

A Game-Changer in Construction

Indeed, Pablo sees sustainability as a core element of Europe’s future, stating, “
We need the highest standards for sustainability, and Europe needs to lead. In the future, sound business will be based on sustainability and it’s time to react now
”. With its unique combination of engineering and chemical know-how, mission-driven business model, and innovative processes and materials being supported by the European Commission through Horizon 2020 funding, INDRESMAT is set to become a game-changer towards this sustainable future.

A Dual Understanding

INDRESMAT is unique because of its dual approach; if offers an engineer-like understanding of mechanical processes, as well as a chemist’s expertise in materials. INDRESMAT has demonstrated the Proof of Principle of a new patented extrusion process for thermoset polyurethane resins (EXTRU-PUR) that is energy efficient and based on renewable resources. This not only serves as a procedural improvement over traditional construction plastic commodities, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polystyrene (PS), but also produces recyclable materials that have greater thermal, mechanical, and chemical resilience, and thus are better insulating. Using this process, Pablo aims to establish EXTRU-PUR as a highly productive process to deliver sustainable products into the market, starting with a series of highly energy efficient PUR windows and doors that have passed CE certification and will soon be available for early-adopters through a Kickstarter campaign. Additionally, INDRESMAT has recently developed SAFE-PUR, a new type of insulating polyurethane foams with reduced flammability and fire toxicity that replace or remove harmful additives in order to reduce the impact on human and environmental health.

Finally, Pablo is currently developing a new reactive injection-moulding system (sRIM) that can transform wider industrial processes in the construction sector. This new process involves the use of a new mould concept that allows for a less complex, more time efficient, cheaper, and large-scale production method for producing polyurethane materials on demand within an Industry 4.0 environment.

Advancing the SDGs through Sustainable Chemistry

INDRESMAT facilitates the achievement of a circular economy and advances several of the SDGs. First, by offering a recyclable, bio-based material derived from renewable resources as an alternative to conventional fossil-based construction plastic commodities, INDRESMAT promotes sustainable consumption and production patterns in the construction sector (SDG 12). Second, by innovating more resilient and insulating windows, doors, and foam coatings, INDRESMAT contributes to sustainable infrastructure and communities (SDG 9 & 11). Finally, by limiting the amount of CO2 that is produced as a result of activities in the construction sector, INDRESMAT makes a substantial contribution to combating climate change (SDG 13) by limiting greenhouse gas emissions.INDRESMAT took part in the New Plastics Economy Investor Forum 2018, co-organized by the ISC3, and has subsequently been on-boarded into the ISC3 Global Start-up Service. Pablo was later invited to present INDRESMAT during the Start-up session organized by the ISC3 at the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference 2019 in Dresden, Germany. It is currently incubated in the international “Redefining Chemistry” incubation program in Limburg, the Netherlands, and they will implement the first manufacturing EXTRU-PUR demo pilot plant in Barcelona in 2020.