Correspondence: Avrath Chadha, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zurich, Kreuzplatz 5, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland E-mail: achadha@ethz.ch

¹holds diplomas in polymer engineering and business administration from RWTH Aachen, Germany. In 2009 he completed his PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland. His research interests include environmental technologies, especially polymers made from renewable resources and the management of radical innovation processes. His research work has been presented at the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) as well as the Academy of Management conference. Since 2008, he works as the executive assistant to the CEO of Hoerbiger Holding, Zug, Switzerland.

Received 29 September 2009; Revised 29 September 2009; Published online 27 October 2009.

Abstract

Since a few years the worldwide demand for biopolymers is increasing significantly. Many firms are trying to avoid the price spiral of fossil fuels by utilising renewable resources and simultaneously aim to contribute to the fight against climate change. Although market reports on biopolymer technology propose that with technological progress, economies of scale in manufacturing and hence lower costs the potential to substitute petrobased polymers by biopolymers will grow in the coming years, the extent of corporate strategies for industry-wide development of biopolymer technology are not well understood. This article evaluates the chances and risks of biopolymers by presenting results of a case study conducted with 10 German and Swiss firms active in the polymer industry. On the one hand the article demonstrates which importance biopolymers have gained meanwhile in the industry. On the other hand it also shows the different strategies firms apply in order to develop biopolymer technology successfully.