Institute for Sustainable Process Technology

What Institute for Sustainable Process Technology does

ISPT (Institute for Sustainable Process Technology) is an independent, non-profit collaborative research institute headquartered in Amersfoort, Netherlands, founded in 2006. It operates as a neutral platform that initiates and coordinates industry-driven sustainability programmes for the Dutch and Northwest European process industry, with a stated mission of enabling a circular and CO2-neutral process industry by 2050. ISPT convenes 150+ partner organizations — including majors such as Shell, Dow, Tata Steel, ArcelorMittal, Port of Rotterdam, FrieslandCampina, Tejin Aramid, Nobian, Cosun, and Recell, alongside knowledge institutions (TNO, Wageningen University & Research, Dutch Polymer Institute, University of Ghent) and Dutch government ministries — around three interconnected transitions: energy, raw materials, and agrifood.

Its core delivery is organized into five thematic programmes: the Circular Plastics Initiative (mechanical and chemical recycling, sorting, chemical recycling of polyolefins/PET via pyrolysis and gasification, packaging films through CaRP, and circular aramids via the Aramazing project), the Circular Carbon Program (gasification, electrochemical CO2 conversion, renewable methanol via the PROVE IT project, and bio-carbon pathways including Bio4Steel with Tata Steel), the Clean Ammonia Platform (ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for maritime, power, and steel sectors, with an associated roadmap published January 2024), the Industry 4.0 Digitalisation Programme (AI, sensors, IoT, predictive maintenance, advanced process control), and Drying & Dewatering (heat-pump integration under PINcHED, mild fractionation for food under ECONEXT). Cross-industry symbiosis is exemplified by Steel2Chemicals, which routes CO from steel production into chemical feedstocks.

ISPT's business model is non-profit: revenue is sourced from Dutch government subsidies (Topsector Energy, TKI-E&I, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, National Growth Fund), industry-partner membership contributions from 150+ organizations, and programme co-funding. Major 2023–2025 commitments include a €1.43B FutureCarbonNL proposal to the National Growth Fund, €220M government funding (matched to €540M with 150 partners) for Circular Plastics NL, a €23M Circular Aromatics pilot, and CaRP TKI-Energy co-funding. Public outputs — reports, whitepapers, roadmaps, events, webinars, and a LinkedIn community — are freely accessible, and the institute's GTM is event-driven and partnership-mediated rather than transactional.

Name

Institute for Sustainable Process Technology

Legal name

Institute for Sustainable Process Technology

Website

https://ispt.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISPT is an independent, non-profit Dutch research institute that coordinates industry-driven programmes to make the process industry circular and CO2-neutral by 2050, serving 150+ industrial, academic, and government partners across plastics, carbon, ammonia, agrifood, and digitalization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Process Industry Sustainability Research

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audit-Ready Controls, Assurance & Compliance Workflow Tools (CSRD/SEC/ISSB) (EUABAEAG), Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable process technology
• Circular plastics recycling
• Clean ammonia energy
• Carbon capture utilization
• Industrial decarbonization research

Headquarters

HQ city

Amersfoort

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Institute Funding: ISPT is an independent, non-profit organization based in the Netherlands. Revenue comes from government subsidies (Topsector Energy, TKI-E&I, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy), industry partnerships, and membership contributions from 150+ partner organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISPT is an independent, non-profit research institute that initiates and coordinates multi-stakeholder sustainability projects for the Dutch process industry. The organization convenes 150+ partner companies, knowledge institutions, and government bodies around collaborative programs covering circular plastics, circular carbon, clean ammonia, industrial digitalisation, drying and dewatering, and agrifood processing. It develops and shares pre-competitive research outcomes publicly through reports, roadmaps, whitepapers, events, and webinars, while securing public and private funding to deliver large-scale innovation programs.

Product overview

ISPT (Institute for Sustainable Process Technology) is a non-profit research institute leading industry-focused sustainability solutions. Rather than a single commercial product, ISPT operates as a collaborative innovation platform organizing sector-spanning programs and projects. The core programs include the Circular Plastics Initiative for plastic recycling technologies, the Digitalisation (Industry 4.0) Program for AI and sensor technologies in industry, the Circular Carbon Program for carbon capture and utilization, and the Clean Ammonia Platform for hydrogen economy solutions. These programs bring together industrial partners, knowledge institutions, and companies to develop and implement sustainable process technologies through pre-competitive collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Circular Plastics Initiative (CPI): A program initiative focused on boosting circularity in plastics on an industrial scale, addressing technological, logistic, and societal challenges across the entire value chain.
• Circular Carbon Program
• Industry 4.0 (Digitalisation Program)
• Clean Ammonia Platform

Products and services

• Circular Plastics Initiative (CPI) A collaborative initiative to boost circularity in plastics on an industrial scale, addressing the entire plastics value chain from technological, logistic, and societal perspectives. Develops technologies for chemical recycling (pyrolysis, gasification for polyolefins, PET), sorting innovations, and cascade recycling routes for plastic packaging films. For industrial companies, knowledge institutions, and government partners across the plastics value chain.
• Circular Carbon Program Develops viable pathways for circular carbon use in carbon-intensive industries, exploring carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies, gasification routes for syngas production, electrochemical CO2 conversion (E3C), renewable methanol strategies (PROVE IT), and bio carbon pathways. Underpins the Steel2Chemicals consortium using CO from steel production as chemical feedstock. For chemical, petrochemical, and steel industries.
• Clean Ammonia Platform Explores clean ammonia as a low-carbon energy and hydrogen carrier, addressing value chains for import, storage, and utilization of ammonia across maritime shipping, power generation, and industrial sectors (steel, chemicals). Includes the NH3 Event annual conference in Rotterdam. For energy-intensive industries, port infrastructure operators (Port of Rotterdam), and maritime fuel stakeholders.
• Digitalisation (Industry 4.0) Program Supports the application of digital technologies in research, operations, and maintenance for industrial plants, including artificial intelligence, sensors, predictive maintenance, predictive quality, energy efficiency, the industrial internet of things, and advanced process control. For industrial plant operators and process industry companies seeking digital transformation.
• PINcHED (Process Integrated Heat Pump Drying) Process Integrated Heat Pump Drying technology developed within the Drying & Dewatering program to integrate heat pumps into drying processes, recover latent heat, and reduce industrial energy consumption by 15-70%. For food processing, paper, chemical, and other energy-intensive drying operators.
• ECONEXT (Dry Fractionation for Plant-Based Proteins) ECONEXT project enabling dry fractionation technology for plant-based protein production. For food producers and agricultural sector stakeholders pursuing sustainable protein extraction.
• Bio4Steel (Biochar for Steel Production) Bio4Steel project testing biochar as a replacement for fossil coal in blast furnace steel production, led with Tata Steel. For the steel industry pursuing fossil-free primary steelmaking.
• Circular Aromatics Project €23 million initiative aimed at scaling up innovative chemical recycling technology to convert plastic waste to aromatic compounds. For the chemical and plastics industries seeking high-value chemical recycling at scale.
• Steel2Chemicals Project Steel2Chemicals consortium developing a closed carbon value chain using CO from steel production as feedstock for the chemical industry. For steel producers (Tata Steel, ArcelorMittal) and chemical industry partners (Dow).

Quantifiable outcome

• Dutch process industry responsible for 35-40% of national CO2 emissions; transition to circular CO2-neutral by 2050 is central goal
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tata SteelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2025Project leader in Bio4Steel project testing biochar as replacement for fossil coal in blast furnace steel production.
• DPI (Dutch Polymer Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with DPI, the Eindhoven-based industry-driven international collaboration platform for pre-competitive research in polymers. DPI works with ISPT on the Circular Plastics Initiative.
• FutureCarbonNL ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of universities, knowledge institutions, startups, SMEs, industry and Ministry EZK and IenW. Submitted €1.43 billion proposal to National Growth Fund for carbon tech development.
• Circular Plastics NL PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner150 industrial partners collaborating on €540 million circular plastics program. Dutch government invested €220 million, more than doubled with private contributions.
• Steel2Chemicals ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of Dow Benelux, ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, University of Ghent, TNO and ISPT working on closed carbon chain using CO from steel production as chemical industry feedstock.
• ShellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in hydrogen, carbon, and ammonia projects. Only company building large-scale green hydrogen plant in Rotterdam.
• Port of RotterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ammonia infrastructure development, bunkering hub for maritime fuel transition, and clean energy initiatives.
• TNOcoreTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner in multiple projects including Steel2Chemicals, E3C electrochemical conversion, and various sustainability initiatives.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)coreTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner in food processing, protein extraction, circular food chains, and sustainable agriculture research.
• DowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Steel2Chemicals and circular carbon projects; co-initiator of FutureCarbonNL.
• ArcelorMittalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint emitter of 20+ million tonnes CO2 per year with Tata Steel and Dow; partner in Steel2Chemicals for circular carbon.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied research organization that partners with ISPT on multiple projects (Steel2Chemicals, E3C, PINcHED). TNO is a much larger, broader applied science institute with similar pre-competitive research collaboration models across the process industry, making it both a partner and a comparable for ISPT's coordination role.
• Fraunhofer Institute (Germany): Germany's largest applied research organization with institutes covering process engineering, energy, and circular economy. Comparable to ISPT in its pre-competitive research coordination model, but operates at much larger scale and with broader mandate across multiple industries and technologies.
• VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research): Belgian applied research organization with strong clean tech, sustainable chemistry, and energy transition programs. Comparable to ISPT in its role as a national applied research platform serving industrial sustainability, but broader in scope (including environmental monitoring and materials).
• EIT Climate-KIC: EU-backed knowledge and innovation community focused on climate innovation, operating a consortium model similar to ISPT's across Europe. Comparable in its systems-level approach to industrial decarbonization and multi-stakeholder coordination, but with broader scope (including finance, cities, land use) and stronger European-level positioning.

Direct peers

• SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency): European public-private partnership representing the European process industry with members across sectors (chemicals, steel, cement, water, ceramics). Comparable to ISPT in its mission to coordinate cross-industry sustainability research at scale, but operating at the EU level rather than the Dutch national level.
• Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI): Eindhoven-based pre-competitive polymer research platform that is an actual ISPT partner on the Circular Plastics Initiative. Mission and operating model (industry-driven, multi-stakeholder polymer R&D) are highly comparable, and the two organizations are co-running the CPI program.
• Catalisti (Flemish spearhead cluster for the chemical and plastics industry): Belgian innovation cluster for sustainable chemistry and plastics, directly comparable in mission: coordinating industry-driven pre-competitive research in the process industry across Flanders with a similar consortium and government funding model. Operates as a direct regional peer in the ARRRA region.
• DECHEMA (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology): German non-profit that coordinates pre-competitive research in chemical engineering and biotechnology, including industrial sustainability, circular economy, and process technology. Comparable in its role as an industry-driven research coordinator for the European process industry, with a longer history and German-led membership base.

Emerging players

• Wuppertal Institut: German research institute focused on sustainability, climate, and resource efficiency with strong work on industrial transformation pathways. Comparable to ISPT in its research and policy advisory role for the European process industry transition, particularly in Germany and Northwest Europe.

Regional players

• New Energy Coalition: Dutch foundation that convenes industry, government, and academia around energy transition, including hydrogen and industrial decarbonization. Comparable to ISPT in its Northern Netherlands/Dutch coordination role for the energy transition, though with a broader energy focus and less process-industry specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-sustainable-process-technology

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Sustainable Process Technology