Michael Carus

Managing Director, Nova-Institut GmbH

Michael Carus, physicist, is one of the leading European experts, market researchers and policy advisers of the renewable carbon economy—including bio-based, CO2-based and recycling. At the end of 1994, he and five other scientists founded the private and independent Nova-Institute for Ecology and Innovation.

Ever since the beginning, Carus has been involved in the company as owner and one of two Managing Directors. He has worked for over 20 years in the field of bioeconomy, specifically on biomass and CO2 feedstock, processes, chemical building blocks, polymers, plastics, fibres and composites. The focus of his work is market analysis, techno-economic and sustainability assessments, as well as the political and economic framework for bio- and CO2-based processes and applications.

Today nova-Institute has nearly 50 scientists from a wide range of disciplines, covering markets, technologies, sustainability, communication and policy.
In 2020, Carus founded the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), which has nearly 60 members from the chemical and other industries today. Carus is today one of the two executive managers of RCI.