What ARC CBBC does

ARC CBBC (Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium) is a non-profit research consortium founded on May 10, 2016 and headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands. It coordinates circular and sustainable chemistry research across three Dutch universities — Utrecht University, University of Groningen, and Eindhoven University of Technology — and is supported by founding industrial partners including Shell, BASF, and AkzoNobel.

The consortium organizes its research around three transition themes: energy transition, feedstock transition, and materials transition. Its work is underpinned by shared research infrastructure, including a recently funded national X-ray Characterisation Platform backed by a €15.8 million grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) awarded in July 2026. Scientific direction is led by Bert Weckhuysen, with affiliated researchers such as Nong Artrith applying predictive analytics to materials discovery.

ARC CBBC does not operate a commercial revenue model. Its activities are funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. The consortium employs approximately 11 people in its core entity and plans to scale to roughly 100 researchers across its partner universities. Its principal stakeholders are the participating universities, the Dutch government, and its industrial partners.

Name

ARC CBBC

Legal name

Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium

Website

https://arc-cbbc.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ARC CBBC is a non-profit Dutch research consortium coordinating circular chemistry research across Utrecht University, University of Groningen, and Eindhoven University of Technology, funded by NWO and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supplier Engagement & Value-Chain Decarbonization Programs (EUABAKAE), Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable chemistry research
• Circular chemistry
• Chemical building blocks
• Catalysis research
• Green chemistry

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ARC CBBC is a non-profit research consortium that runs multilateral and bilateral collaborative research programs in sustainable circular chemistry, organized around three themes: energy transition, feedstock transition, and materials transition. It connects researchers from three Dutch hub universities (Utrecht University, University of Groningen, Technical University of Eindhoven) with industrial partners (Shell, BASF, AkzoNobel) to develop novel catalytic processes, bio-based coatings, hydrogen production methods, and CO2 conversion technologies. Research is co-funded by NWO and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy; no commercial products are sold.

Product overview

ARC CBBC is a national research consortium (not a commercial product company) that operates collaborative research programs in sustainable and circular chemistry. The consortium is organized around three main research themes: energy transition, feedstock transition, and materials transition. It connects academic researchers from Utrecht University, University of Groningen, and TU Eindhoven with industry partners Shell, BASF, and AkzoNobel. The Lab To People initiative communicates research findings through various media channels including articles, videos, podcasts, and vlogs. ARC CBBC's primary offerings are its multilateral and bilateral research programs, the media hub featuring content from researchers, and outreach initiatives that translate complex chemistry research for public understanding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ARC CBBC Collaborative Research Programs Multilateral and bilateral research programs in sustainable and circular chemistry for industry partners and academic researchers across three themes (energy, feedstock, materials transition).
• Energy Transition Research Research theme focused on transitioning chemical industry energy systems to renewable and sustainable sources, including hydrogen production from methane and solar fuel research.
• Feedstock Transition Research Research theme focused on transitioning from fossil-based feedstocks to sustainable, renewable raw materials for chemical production, including CO2 conversion and methanol-to-aromatics research.
• Materials Transition Research Research theme focused on developing sustainable materials and coatings, including bio-based polymers, polyelectrolyte barrier coatings, and recyclable materials.
• Lab to People Communication Platform Communication platform that explains ARC CBBC research in everyday language, featuring articles, videos, podcasts, and blogs from researchers about sustainable chemistry challenges and solutions for public audiences.
• Media Hub Digital platform providing access to various media content including articles, blogs, infographics, podcasts, vlogs, and videos about ARC CBBC research and sustainable chemistry for public and scientific audiences.
• Eye Openers Video Series Short video series where ARC CBBC researchers explain their work on sustainable chemistry in everyday language, covering topics like AI for materials discovery, catalyst development, and methane conversion.
• Chemistry from the Lab to the People Podcast Podcast series hosted by PhD candidate Morteza Hadian exploring methane-related research projects within ARC CBBC, featuring conversations with fellow researchers about catalysis and sustainable chemistry.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered founding, core and secondary.

• ShellfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three founding industrial partners of ARC CBBC. Shell collaborates on research projects including methane conversion, hydrogen production, and low-carbon fuels. Projects include methane to hydrogen conversion research at TU/e and solar fuel research at University of Twente.
• BASFfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three founding industrial partners. Collaborates on methanol-to-aromatics research with Utrecht University and Delft University of Technology, polyelectrolyte coating development, and various catalyst research programs.
• AkzoNobelfoundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three founding industrial partners. Collaborates on sustainable coatings research, waterborne coatings with bio-based materials, and various research projects involving University of Groningen and other institutions.
• Utrecht UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three hub universities hosting ARC CBBC research facilities. Home to the Utrecht hub and main headquarters. Multiple PhD candidates and researchers conduct work across all three research themes.
• University of GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three hub universities hosting ARC CBBC research facilities. Home to ARC CBBC Groningen hub. Conducts research on coatings, biomass, and sustainable materials.
• Technical University of EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three hub universities hosting ARC CBBC research facilities. Home to ARC CBBC Eindhoven hub. Conducts research on methane conversion, hydrogen production, and catalyst development.
• NouryonsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemical industry partner collaborating on coatings and functional materials research, exploring possibilities for sustainable coating development alongside AkzoNobel, BASF, and academic partners.
• Wageningen University & ResearchsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on polyelectrolyte coating research with University of Twente, BASF, and AkzoNobel. Contributes expertise in sustainable materials and bio-based feedstocks.
• University of TwentesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner conducting photocatalysis research, polyelectrolyte coating development, and CO2 conversion projects. Home to Photocatalytic Synthesis Group working with Shell funding.
• Delft University of TechnologysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on methanol-to-aromatics research alongside BASF and Utrecht University within the bilateral project framework.
• University of AmsterdamsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing researchers to ARC CBBC including PhD candidates working on biomass utilization and sustainable paint research.
• DIFFER (Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy research institute collaborating with ARC CBBC on fundamental energy research as part of broader sustainable chemistry initiatives.
• ChemistryNLsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch chemistry industry initiative that partners with ARC CBBC to advance sustainable chemistry research and innovation in the Netherlands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SINTEF: One of Europe's largest independent research organizations, headquartered in Norway with strong focus on sustainable energy, materials, and process chemistry. Comparable as a European public-private applied research institute with similar consortium-style industrial partnerships and similar scientific themes (catalysis, bioeconomy, hydrogen).
• VITO: Flemish Institute for Technological Research; a Belgian public R&D organization conducting applied research in sustainable chemistry, energy, and circular materials. Directly comparable as a publicly funded, multi-stakeholder research organization operating in overlapping sustainability domains (CO2 valorization, hydrogen, bio-based materials).
• Spanish National Research Council (CSIC): Spain's largest public research institution, with extensive chemistry, materials, and catalysis institutes. Comparable as a publicly funded, multi-institute European research organization conducting fundamental and applied chemistry research with industrial application.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's national applied research organization with active programs in industrial biotechnology, biomass conversion, and circular chemistry. Comparable as a publicly funded European research institute delivering pre-competitive science with industrial co-funding.

Emerging players

• Sunfire: German company developing high-temperature electrolysis (SOEC) and hydrothermal CO2 conversion to e-fuels and chemical building blocks. Comparable due to direct overlap with ARC CBBC's energy-transition and CO2-conversion research themes, but operates commercially rather than as a research consortium.
• Twelve (formerly Opus 12): US-based company that converts captured CO2 into chemicals and fuels via electrochemistry. Comparable as a commercial counterpart to ARC CBBC's photoelectrochemical and electrochemical CO2-conversion research, though smaller and venture-funded rather than consortium-led.
• Avantium: Dutch listed company commercializing bio-based chemicals (e.g., plantMEG, Ray Technology furandicarboxylic acid). Comparable as a Netherlands-based sustainable-chemistry player operating in the feedstock transition space, but is a commercial venture rather than a research consortium.
• LanzaTech: US/NZ-based company using gas-fermentation to convert CO and CO2 into fuels and chemical building blocks. Comparable as a leading commercial player in ARC CBBC's feedstock and energy transition themes, but a venture-backed business rather than a research consortium.

Broad incumbents

• TNO: Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research; the dominant Dutch applied-research organization with a much broader mandate. Comparable as a Dutch public-private applied-research counterpart, but TNO is significantly larger and spans many sectors beyond chemistry.
• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's largest application-oriented research organization, with institutes (e.g., IKTS, UMSICHT) covering catalysis, coatings, and process engineering. Comparable as a publicly funded applied-research network partnering with industry on pre-competitive innovation, but operates at far greater scale and across many more domains.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arc-cbbc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ARC CBBC