Australian biotech company Circa Group has appointed Dr. Jeff Eaves as GM to run subsidiary Circa Sustainable Chemicals UK - a $6.6 million biosolvent joint venture at Norske Skog’s Bayer paper mill site in Tasmania.
“Jeff will be focused on promoting our biosolvent Cyrene, a non-toxic solvent produced in Tasmania from renewable, non-food biomass,” says Tony Duncan, CEO and co-founder, Circa Group.
Cyrene can be used as an ‘green chemical’ alternative to solvents derived from petroleum in a range of pharmaceutical and agricultural products.
Eaves will be joining Circa Group [5 June] from the University of York, where he was industrial liaison manager, leading a £2.5 million European-funded contract to deliver 60 science-based projects to SMEs.
Previously CEO of tech start-up Chamelic Ltd., Eaves has worked in a variety of commercial, technical and academic roles, including for IP Group PLC, KPMG and ICI Performance Chemicals.
“With Jeff’s strong technical and commercial background, we are confident he will help us open up new markets,” says Duncan.
Established in 2006, Circa converts waste biomass into bio-based chemicals. Its products include biosolvents, flavours and biopolymers.
In 2015, Circa entered into a joint venture with Norwegian pulp and paper company Norske Skog to produce Cyrene at its plant in Tasmania. Cyrene is created through the conversion of platform chemical Levoglucosenone, which is also manufactured by Circa.