Sustainable composite

It all started with an old T-shirt. Michael Schäpers soaked the material in resin, alternately pressing in balls from above and below and sticking the undulating structure he had fashioned between two panels. His creation was lightweight, while also being stable and resilient. “I showed my professor the results, and he advised me to get my idea patented as soon as possible,” the engineer recalls, adding: “Initially, I could hardly believe that this wasn’t already out there.” The idea came to him in a statics lecture at Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences, where he was studying Wood Technology as a 27-year-old. Eight weeks later, the patent application for an innovative building material was filed, and the skilled carpenter became a start-up entrepreneur – all while still being a student.

In fact, Michael Schäpers had not at all been planning to build his own business. “But what else was I supposed to do with my idea?” he asks, his previously serious expression making way for laughter-lines. Today, the 40-year-old manufactures lightweight construction panels branded as lisocore, which are made from natural fibres, weigh little, and are highly stable and recyclable. He hopes that these provide the market with a sustainable alternative to conventional wooden composites. The material is assembled according to the sandwich principle: a three-dimensional, wave-shaped core structure is wedged between two layers of wood. The whole thing looks like a carton of eggs stuck between two boards.

Lightweight Solutions won the Schweighofer Innovation Prize with lisocore in 2009. This is akin to a Nobel Prize in the wood industry. It was a turning point for Michael Schäpers. “This made big names in the industry aware of us,” he recounts. One example was Walter Schatt, a well-known decor printing entrepreneur in the region. Schäpers’ situation reminded Schatt of his own time as a start-up founder. After many discussions, he joined the company as its second equity holder “He had the forward-looking approach that was necessary, he had a large number of contacts and he’s an important mentor to me,” Schäpers says of the experienced businessman.

Large production lines were needed to mass-produce the lightweight construction material. However, this equipment costs millions of euros. “We put a lot of thought into the location and developed an environmental master plan,” Schäpers explains. To this end, he received a commitment from the Environmental Innovation Programme of KfW, and Germany’s Environment Agency and Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.. This programme supports environmentally-sound processes adopted in Germany for the first time. In total, Lightweight Solutions received around EUR 2.3 million in support between 2010 and 2015.

However, the product has been difficult for the market to accept, according to Schäpers. “Many people in the wood industry consider lightweight material tacky,” he explains: “But they are making a big mistake. Lightweight construction is a top-tier discipline in the automotive, aviation and aerospace industries.” He wishes to make it plain to his customers that the lightweight design provides other advantages aside from its low weight. For example, he partnered with a furniture maker to develop a slender and highly resilient tabletop, with the table going on to win an international design award. In addition, the company invented a height-adjustable, sit-to-stand table together with another manufacturer, which also won prizes. All its technical equipment, such as its wires, motor and control unit, were concealed inside the wooden top’s cavities. lightweight solutions took on the job of providing the entire set of interior fixtures and fittings for a series of caravans. Their light weight will ensure a reduction in CO₂ emissions while on the road.