03 Nov 2023

Gary's Goal Is to Change the World from His Lab in Örnsköldsvik

North Sweden Cleantech gathers innovators who go to great lengths in pursuit of solutions that can lead to significant environmental improvements. Gary Cass has gone further than most. He gave up his family life in Australia and moved to the other side of the world to fulfil his dream of transforming the packaging industry from Örnsköldsvik. And it all started with a mistake.

It is Friday, and Gary has his traditional "playday." Playday is perhaps the most important day of the week, according to Gary's view of his mission as a creative scientist. It is the day that should follow no patterns.

- I work hard in the lab during the week to develop my product, but I also try new things. On my Fridays, I play around, test the material in new ways, dare to make mistakes, and only check the results on Monday, says Gary.

He carries this approach from the time when everything started. In 2006, the year of the mistake, and essentially the reason he moved from Perth in southwestern Australia to northern Sweden. With a bachelor's degree in viticulture, he had a crazy idea to use a biological bacterial process to ferment a dress out of red wine.

The Beginning of Fermented Fashion

- I was actually really good at growing grapes but terrible at making red wine, he jokes.

The mistake that led to him having to discard several thousand litres of wine was the discovery of a cotton-like layer that had formed from the undrinkable red wine. So why not make a dress, thought Gary, and fermented fashion was born for the first time.

Over the next decade, he travelled the world with the wine dress, invited to fashion shows and the World Expo in Milan in 2015, where he took the opportunity to create a debate about sustainability in the fashion industry. Textile production requires the overconsumption of natural resources, especially water, and Gary wanted to highlight this. The wine dress was followed by a dress made of beer and then champagne.

- The first dress changed my life and was a perfect way to start this movement where I want to change the way we think. Creativity is one of the most important qualities we have as humans. We hear that we should learn from our mistakes, but it is important to observe them too. Do not throw away your mistakes; play and investigate the results. That is what got me here," says Gary, who gave a TEDx talk on the topic.

Resources in Örnsköldsvik

In 2020, he founded Cass Materials, where he focuses on creating bio-based materials using his environmentally friendly technology. Creating something without a negative impact on the environment, using sustainable energy and non-toxic measures, became Gary's green business idea.

From Perth, he contacted RISE Processum in Örnsköldsvik, which he considers the world-leading biorefinery cluster.

- ­I understood that I could never take my technology further from Perth or Australia, for that matter. Strangely, sustainability is not talked about in the same way as it is here in Sweden. Everyone knows that Europe is committed to it, and the Nordic countries have enormous potential to drive this movement forward, especially the pulp and paper industry, which is significant in Sweden and Finland, says Gary.

Said and done. 1.5 years ago, Gary said goodbye to his family, consisting of a wife and children aged 21 and 24, before he took his ideas to Örnsköldsvik to make his visions a reality.

- Family life is what I have sacrificed now to move the world forward. We have not seen each other in person since April this year, although, of course, we see each other on the phone, but it is what I have to live with to make this happen. My family and I are in a phase of life where I can invest everything in my technology. The opportunities I get here in Örnsköldsvik make all the sacrifices worth it, he says.

"Several Big Companies Interested"

Today, Gary has taken his innovation to the next level and focused on producing the next generation of bio-based foam, thanks to a revolutionary foam technology consisting of nanocellulose. It can be used in textiles and, due to its low weight, good mechanical strength, and insulating properties, it is also perfect for the packaging industry.

This versatile bio-based material is based on waste material from the forest industry that comes from Domsjö factories. The fact that Gary can make even more out of the tree makes the whole process more sustainable.

- I can also take back the packaging and reuse everything to make new packaging, says Gary.

He is in the phase of developing prototypes and looking for customers who use packaging in their business. The whole industry is crying out for new sustainable materials like bio-based foam. In parts of the EU, there is already a ban on non-biodegradable polystyrene foam in packaging, and companies using this have a deadline to work towards.

- This makes Cass Materials a highly interesting solution, and we already have some large Swedish companies interested. They understand where the future lies, and we hope for more private investors because we need capital, even from the public sector. I am at the end of this bio-innovation, but I hope to take the next step as soon as possible, says Gary.

Cass Materials sustainable packaging generates interest.

"I Want to Succeed"

In North Sweden Cleantech, he has found a context to commercialize his product. He is also part of the BizMaker’s startup program, which has given him the opportunity to develop the concept, and with RISE Processum, he has access to a whole team in and around the lab.

- I really have to thank RISE Processum for giving me this opportunity with experts in cellulose, carbon footprint, and investment forecasts all in one place. It has gone much faster than if I had stayed in Australia. You should not forget the human resources aspect; it is easy to focus only on the lab, equipment, and buildings, but it is the people who make it happen, he says.

- In the long term, of course, I want to grow and be able to hire when the economy allows it. I really love the mission this involves; it has become a lifestyle, and I wake up every morning wanting to succeed, says Gary.

 

Click here to read more about Cass Materials!