Cambium, a leading innovator in advanced materials leveraging bio-engineering, chemistry, materials science, and a proprietary computational platform, has announced a collaboration with Checkerspot, a biotechnology company and Certified B Corporation™ known for biomanufacturing unique oils to develop performance materials and products. The partnership aims to discover, develop, and commercialize bio-based, impact-resistant, high-temperature, and flame-retardant foam products and composite-foam systems.

This collaboration highlights the commitment of both Cambium and Checkerspot to address critical capability and supply chain gaps, supporting high-performance hardware needs across a broad spectrum of applications, including land, air, sea, and space, for both defense and commercial sectors.

Cambium has already made strides in developing high and extreme temperature-resistant composite systems through molecular redesign of resins, converting them into advanced composites. These range from prepregs to foams to carbon-carbon thermal protection systems, all designed to protect high-performance hardware under extreme conditions such as heat, fire, and rapid-heating impacts. Cambium's products are engineered for rapid production through a resilient and stable domestic supply chain, incorporating multiple critical material inputs.

Simon Waddington, Cambium’s co-founder and CEO, emphasized the strategic significance of the partnership: "With our vertically-integrated development approach, from computational material discovery through to production of advanced composite solutions, Cambium is redefining rapid innovation, production and deployment. We see a unique opportunity with Checkerspot to seamlessly leverage all of it to rapidly advance bio-based, impact-resistant, high-temperature and flame-retardant foam products and composite-foam systems. This is a great opportunity to showcase the complementarity that exists between us."

Checkerspot’s WING® Platform, which focuses on delivering innovative biomaterials with distinct performance properties derived from a superior source of oil, plays a central role in this partnership. The WING® Platform integrates four key capabilities: the molecular foundry, materials science and polymer chemistry, fabrication and formulation, and consumer engagement. This allows companies across various industries to collaborate with Checkerspot in developing, testing, and commercializing new materials. Checkerspot’s Design Lab in Salt Lake City, Utah, serves as the hub for materials science, prototyping, formulations development, product manufacturing, and large-scale delivery to commercial partners.

“We see advanced biomaterials offering a new palette of PFAS-free material solutions that deliver high performance, and are excited to be expanding our materials development and commercialization partnership with Cambium. Biotechnology is unlocking performance capabilities for materials at an increasing rate. As new biomolecules and materials are discovered, we believe that the combination of technologies and approaches will accelerate the creation and adoption of the solutions we will need as a planet,” said Scott Franklin, Checkerspot CSO and Co-founder.

This partnership is poised to push the boundaries of material science, bringing advanced, sustainable solutions to industries that demand the highest performance standards.

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