Looking into the future with bio-resins, and more specifically bio-based epoxy.
As many of you may have heard of, dealt with firsthand or never even heard of, bio-resin is a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based resin, it is designed to reduce our carbon footprint while still maintaining similar strength and performance. It is becoming more present in the market, and there are new and emerging developments in 2026.
There is much more research going into bio-resins at the moment. For example, a university in Finland - University Oulu - has developed biomass-derived epoxy and polyester resins. Their research is targeting applications like boats and marine composites, making it very apparent in this industry. These new resins are made from biomass-derived chemicals such as furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural (also known as HMF), which come from forestry and agricultural side streams such as sawdust and straw. They are intended to replace conventional oil-based resins in high-performance composite applications, and even more so, they can match or even outperform traditional materials in strength and performance! February 2026 was when the first research findings from the epoxy resin side were published, very new and very exciting!
A statistic for you, the bio-based polyester resin from this work showed up to 76% higher tensile strength than fossil-based reference resin in tests, a very promising stat.
Composite panels made from new bio-resins exposed to weather conditions. Photo: Juha Heiskanen / University of Oulu
ResiCare is a Michelin Group division focused on developing high-performance, non-toxic, bio-based resin and adhesive technologies. Although it is not yet widely marketed specifically as a ‘marine resin’, the performance targets suggest future marine suitability. What are they actually doing? A large part of ResiCare’s innovation (part of the DragonFly project) is based on a bio-sourced platform molecule called 5-HMF. 5-HMF is produced from plant-derived sugars. The molecule is non-toxic, therefore it is compatible with green chemistry principles.
At JEC World 2026, which will take place on 10-12 March, Michelin is promoting its araminolic resin technology, which is a new class of bio-resins. These bio-resins are formaldehyde-free and not derived from traditional phenolic chemistries. They are designed for composites and high-performance applications such as carbon parts and materials that need to withstand high temperatures and could even lead toward 100% bio-based epoxy resins for premium industrial uses!
Whilst these are just two examples of the move towards a more sustainable future, the world of bio-resin and specifically bio-based epoxy is expanding quickly. Research and development of bio-resin is being driven by both scientific advances and commercial adoption and is moving beyond the basic ‘greener world’ and toward high-performance, recyclable and industrially scalable materials.
Amongst other articles we’ve read, below are the direct references relating to this article. We also appreciate there are lots of pros and cons around bio-based epoxy, and this article is simply highlighting a topic within our industry, so please do your own research as well! :)
Finally have a read of this really interesting article about glues and resins from Angie Richard who is self-building a 41-ft Wharram designed wooden catamaran with her husband Remy.
1) https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117412
3) https://resicare.michelin.com/about/
4) https://www.jec-world.events/jec-world-2026/composites-exchange-michelin-engineered-polymers