Interview with Theo van de Poll, our Principal Scientist Processing
Meet Theo van de Poll, NoPalm Ingredients’ Principal Scientist Processing. With nearly three decades of experience at Unilever and his out-of-the-box thinking, Theo knows exactly what steps to take to innovate production processes. In this interview, he shares important lessons from his career, how this is going to push NoPalm Ingredients forward, and some exciting next steps.
What does the term ‘processing’ in your title mean?
“Processing refers to our production process, from pretreating feedstock to ways to unlock valuable ingredients such as oil, our ‘gold’, and spent biomass. My focus begins specifically when the fermentation period ends. I explore ways to maximize the efficiency of the steps that follow fermentation, particularly to enable oil extraction. This includes finding methods to reduce energy and water consumption while achieving the highest possible yield and quality of oil.”
How does your professional background contribute to the mission of NoPalm Ingredients?
“I worked for nearly 30 years as an engineer, researcher, and innovator at Unilever. I was given the freedom to explore production processes from start to finish to discover innovative processes for next-generation products. I learned that innovation doesn’t come from quick fixes. It requires fundamental changes in the process.”
“I visualize this as a 3-step stairs (keukentrapje). The first step is identifying a new technique that holds real promise. Next, that technique must be tested, made repeatable, and become fully reliable. Finally, it needs to be optimized, for example, by reducing costs or energy consumption. I strongly believe that the order of these steps is critical to success and will bring NoPalm Ingredients very, very far.”
At what step do you think NoPalm Ingredients is currently at?
“The steps never perfectly go one by one, but I see Nopalm Ingredients mainly working on the second step, while having one foot already in the third. Our process proved to be reliable and delivers on an industrial scale. We work incredibly hard to make our process even more reliable at this scale, while continuously testing our process with diverse feedstocks. We are also thinking about how to lower our costs and are testing an alternative production process that could be relevant for other potential partners.”
“I enjoy thinking out of the box. That's what fuels my work and me as a person. We don't stop with the first good idea but keep looking for more improvement, becoming the most efficient and most sustainable.”
What potential do you see in NoPalm Ingredients’ processing strategy?
“Our oil compound is brilliant as it closely mimics the functionality of palm oil, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. What sets us apart is our circular approach: we upcycle side streams into high-value ingredients. Thanks to our biotechnology, we can ferment an exceptionally broad spectrum of feedstocks. An advantage that positions us for significant growth.”
“Our management team has a true vision and a real drive to push forward. As a startup, we sometimes must “roeien met de riemen de we hebben”, as the Dutch would say, which means we must work with the available resources. But even where we lack resources, we still know exactly where we’re headed: towards delivering more sustainable ingredients.”
What exciting steps lie ahead for NoPalm Ingredients?
“This year, one of the most exciting milestones will be launching our demo factory. Starting with an empty building gives us the freedom to design a facility that truly reflects our innovative approach. Our focus remains on producing high-quality oil. But in the future, we aim to valorize our own side stream: spent biomass, which holds significant promise.”
“Imagine the possibilities: placing our factory next to companies to upcycle their side streams into both sustainable oil and valuable biomass. Who would say no?”
“With our demo factory we can showcase the potential of our circular solution that benefits businesses, people, and the planet. And hopefully inspire more people to build on this together.”