Australian biotech company Samsara Eco has appointed Dr Lars Kissau as its first general manager of Asia.
Based in Singapore, Dr Kissau will lead the company's expansion across Asia as it scales operations and sprints towards the opening of its first commercial nylon 6,6 facility in 2028.
Kissau joins from BASF, where he spent the last two decades leading operations for the global chemicals company.
Samsara Eco founder and CEO Paul Riley said his company is scaling to meet market demand for low-carbon, circular materials.
“We've just opened our first plant in regional Australia and have our eyes firmly set on our first nylon 6,6 plant in Asia,” Riley said.
“Lars brings unmatched expertise to help us scale rapidly, and places us at the centre of the plastics supply chain. We're transforming century-old economic models. Having the best team with deep expertise like Lars will help us rapidly accelerate our path to commercialisation.”
Various reports indicate that only 10 per cent of plastics are recycled globally, with less than 1 per cent of textiles being recycled into new textiles.
In a bid to change these numbers, Samsara Eco uses AI-crafted enzymes to recycle particular plastics, with successes in nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, both are which are used heavily in the fashion industry.
In Asia, Samsara Eco is preparing to open its first 20,000-tonne commercial nylon 6,6 plant in 2028, currently being designed in partnership with KBR. Dr Kissau is expected to lead on this build, which is set to be the first of a fleet of international facilities using the company's EosEco technology to turn waste into virgin-identical raw materials.
The plan is to build out the regional team to half a dozen over the next 12 months to support operations in the region.
"Samsara Eco's technology is not a niche solution but one that can scale and create real-world change,” Dr Kissau said. “Nylon and mixed plastics have historically been a challenge to recycle, which is why Samsara Eco's potential is so promising.
“The technology has the power to change the whole value chain of plastics, and with it, change industries.”
Samsara Eco believes Dr Kissau’s appointment further strengthens the textile recycler’s network in the region, with lead investor Temasek also based in Singapore, as well as a growing local biotech ecosystem.
While Singapore will serve as the hub for its regional expansion, the company's innovation engine will remain anchored in Samsara Eco's recently opened facility in Jerrabomberra, Australia.
The news follows a number of recent milestones for the company, including the opening of its first plant in regional Australia, and a 10-year offtake plan with activewear brand Lululemon to supply approximately 20 per cent of the company's overall fibre portfolio.