2021-11-01
Last updated: 2022-01-10 11:42
- "Some people have a garage, others have a lab with caterpillars," says Nathalie Berezina, who doesn't think studying insects at home in Stockholm is any more remarkable than other hobbies.
Originally from France, Nathalie is a chemist by training and has worked for many years in the industrial biotechnology field, focusing on the production of bioplastics. It was there that she came up with the idea that insects, such as the wax moth, could be used to break down plastics - so-called 'polymeric materials'. At the other end of the chain, the wax moth can be used as a fertilizer, but also as a source of nutrition for humans. This is the kind of sustainable cycle Nathalie is passionate about.
- My main interest is the harmony between human development and nature. We are becoming more and more individuals on Earth and we cannot allow ourselves so much waste. We need to implement circularity," she says.
Since entering the insect industry in 2014, Nathalie has worked in several different sectors, the most recent being space. But why does a woman of science, passionate about sustainability on Earth, go into space? It all started in 2020 when she saw an advertisement for the Venture Cup business idea competition with a new category: the Space Prize. The purpose of the award was to draw attention to the national space program ESA-BIC Sweden, where Innovatum Science Park is one of four incubators helping space-related startups.
- "I thought our solution was quite original and interesting because it could offer high quality fresh food to astronauts, while the larvae take care of waste," says Nathalie.
Norbite's starting and ending point is Earth, but the journey is via space. The circularity that is desirable on Earth is essential for space travel. By demonstrating that it works in space, Nathalie hopes to make it easier for us earthlings to embrace the idea.
- "It can be difficult to introduce leftovers and garbage into the food chain," she says, referring to the fact that most people frown upon munching on plastic-eating larvae.
Norbite won the Venture Cup award for the best space idea and was inspired. The same year, they participated in the Act in space hackathon, where different teams tackle contemporary challenges using new space solutions. The competitions attracted the attention of ESA-BIC and Nathalie was contacted by Innovatum Science Park, which saw Norbite's potential in the space sector. She describes the contact as a "game changer".
- "Entrepreneurship is quite a lonely path and sometimes you feel like a small animal surrounded by wolves. There are all sorts of traps, like people wanting to get your idea for free. That makes you start closing yourself off, which becomes counterproductive because innovation does not come from a closed loop. The team at Innovatum Science Park is like a family, which has been great. They are very competent and eager to help.
In early 2021, Norbite applied to the ESA-BIC space incubator - a process Nathalie describes as complicated, but educational.
- It makes you think about the development of your company and write down in detail the business model, priorities, strengths and weaknesses. It made the roadmap clear. Even if we hadn't managed to get into ESA-BIC, it would have been a very positive exercise," says Nathalie, who has reused parts of the application on several occasions.
Entering the space sector has been beneficial in a number of ways. Nathalie talks with great enthusiasm about how space forces us to shift our perspectives and open up to new ways of thinking.
- The conditions we have here on Earth, such as gravity and wind, are so integral to us that we don't think about them when we work. Starting to imagine that these constraints don't exist is a challenge that frees the senses.
At the same time, there are other conditions to consider in space. How will the wax moth lay eggs without gravity? How much space do insects need to fly? Having to deal with the space context has provided knowledge about the wax moth that will be useful on Earth too.
Nathalie also describes the space sector as more open to big dreams and long shots - something she thinks favors deep tech startups like Norbite, whose innovation requires research, time and big investments.
- No one expects quick payoffs.
Although knowledge of space technology is increasing and progress is being made in research and innovation, space is still shrouded in mystery. Many start-ups perceive the space sector as inaccessible and reserved for more high-tech companies. Nathalie hopes that more startups will dare to aim for the stars.
- "All of us space startups are very technological, but we are also big dreamers. That's important, because only then can the impossible become possible. The space sector is perhaps the last place on earth where we can be 'crazy scientists' and allow ourselves to dream so big.
