Would you like to contribute to a sustainable planet and circular economy by creating new sustainable materials? Start a master’s in Biobased Materials.

Our planet is facing incredible challenges. Whole ecosystems are changing and collapsing because of the way we consume and the materials we use in our daily lives. The continuous use of fossil fuels and non-degradable materials is driving climate change at an accelerating rate. However, these challenges also offer tremendous opportunities to make our planet more sustainable and evolve as a society into a circular economy. With the master Biobased Materials, you can play a pioneering role in this green revolution. 

You’ll learn how biology provides the building blocks and processes to produce earth-friendly materials that are easily recycled after use, as part of a circular economy. We’ll teach you about advanced functional materials, and how we can develop these from biological resources. Our programme will prepare you for a fascinating career in the research, development, production, and application of earth-friendly materials made from various biological resources. 

Why this programme?

Find inspiration in nature. Learn from experts. Build a sustainable future.

The world urgently needs scientists who can design new fabrication methods and sustainable materials. Scientists need a solid understanding of different disciplines and the skills to develop solutions that will help us to facilitate the transition into a circular economy and society. Our interdisciplinary master Biobased Materials will fully prepare you to take on your expert role in this transition. The programme integrates biology, biotechnology, chemistry, materials science, engineering and sustainability, providing you with a solid knowledge basis.

In this programme you could explore questions such as:

• Can we use biobased building blocks to move away from fossil fuels? 
• How can we produce biodegradable plastics to halt microplastic pollution? 
• How can we  synthesize new biobased polymers and use them to engineer green materials from biological resources?
• Can we make advanced functional biobased materials that are easily recycled after use, as part of the circular economy?
• Can we mimic natural products like spider’s silk to create biocompatible wound dressings?

What will I learn during this master’s:

The programme offers a balanced combination of biology, chemistry and material science that delivers integrated fundamental knowledge and skills to enable you to design and manufacture the functional materials for a sustainable future of our high-tech society.

We will train you to: 

• Engineer green materials and biobased replacements from biomass
• Design and optimise material production methods at every step along the value chain, from biomass up to applications
• Use modern sustainable production technologies for a circular economy

You will start in your first year with our compulsory courses which will give you a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. Then it’s time to put your knowledge to the experiment with a research project. You’ll work on a real-life research project in a small group, often in collaboration with the industry.  After the first half of the year, you have the opportunity to tailor your curriculum to your own interests with electives. But no worries here, we will help you make these choices.  You’ll finish the year with an additional research project.  

Most of the second year will focus on the highlight of the programme: your thesis project. You will do your thesis project in collaboration with a research institute or company of your choice and we will guide you along the way.