BPREG

BPREG, founded in 2017 by Burcu Karaca Uğural and Erhan Sessizoğlu, operates from Bornova, Turkey, as a manufacturer of natural fiber-based composite materials. The company is focused on developing and producing lightweight, high-performance composites derived from carbon-negative plant fibers like flax and hemp. This positions them as an alternative to synthetic materials such as plastics, glass fiber, and carbon fiber, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of industrial manufacturing.

The company's core product line, EcoRein®, consists of thermoplastic-based prepregs, which are sheets reinforced with aligned natural fibers. These materials offer a combination of recyclability and the use of carbon-neutral bio-based reinforcements. BPREG supplies these materials in various forms, including unidirectional (UD) prepregs, woven prepregs, dry fabrics, and slit tapes, available in rolls or plates. The technology behind EcoRein® is designed to make high-performance biocomposites more affordable and scalable. A key benefit of these prepregs is their processability; they can be shaped through thermoforming, vacuum forming, compression, and injection molding with short cycle times at low temperatures. Furthermore, production scraps and offcuts can be shredded and reused as raw material for other molding processes, minimizing waste.

BPREG targets a wide range of industrial manufacturing sectors, including automotive, sports and leisure, and consumer products. Applications range from interior trims for electric vehicles and body parts for micromobility vehicles to sports equipment like rackets, boards, and bikes. The business model centers on supplying these advanced materials to manufacturers looking for sustainable, cost-effective solutions without compromising on performance metrics like strength-to-weight ratios and impact resistance. The company has received recognition for its work, including being a finalist in the Startup Booster 2021 competition and receiving the Seal of Excellence from the European Commission. BPREG collaborates with research and technology organizations like the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and is a project partner in an H2020 project focused on natural fiber composites.

Keywords: natural fiber composites, thermoplastic prepregs, EcoRein, sustainable materials, lightweight materials, biocomposites, advanced manufacturing, automotive composites, flax fiber, hemp fiber, circular economy, green manufacturing, material science, industrial textiles, composite engineering, thermoforming, injection molding, sustainable mobility, bio-based materials, recyclable composites