Insulation boards made of hemp by Austrian startup NAPORO have contributed to Capatect triumphing at the Austrian energy efficiency fair 2015 in Wels (Upper Austria) last week. NAPORO co-founders and CEOs Robert Schwemmer and Frank Reiche and the team around Hermann Baschinger, head of Capatect Baustoffindustrie GmbH, received the “Energy Genius” award from Reinhold Mitterlehner, Minister of Science, Research and Economy, and Andrä Rupprechter, Minister of Environment.
Efficient energy
Photo credit: Naporo
Every year, a renowned jury of business executives from the Upper Austrian Energy Efficiency Association (OÖ Energiesparverband) selects the most innovative project in the field of energy technologies. This year, 39 product applications, which had been submitted by 36 businesses, were ranked according to their degree of innovation, energy efficiency and novelty – with NAPORO & Capatect earning the highest score.
“This award is a great acknowledgement of our work,” Robert Schwemmer, CEO of NAPORO Klima Dämmstoff GmbH, tells inventures. “It shows us that our way is the right way.”
Insulation without Styrofoam
This award is a great acknowledgement of our work. It shows us that our way is the right way.
Natural, environmentally friendly and contaminant-free building materials have played a central role for the startup from Perg since the launch in 2009. The hemp-made insulation board, to be used in Capatect’s eco line, was developed specifically for porous brick walls, thus constituting a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional systems. The hemp is grown locally and does not require any fertilizers.
“Brick houses are widespread in Austria. For those, insulation is needed to reach the proper energy values – one possibility for such insulation is hemp,” says Schwemmer. “The advantage to other method is that we don’t have to use Styrofoam.”
Growing – not just hemp
Currently a team of ten, NAPORO plans to grow to 25 employees in the next two months, according to Schwemmer. The additional manpower will be needed to meet their ambitious goals for this year: expanding the product portfolio while penetrating the market in the German-speaking world.
This story is brought to you in partnership with AplusB, a programme funded by FFG.
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