American agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) entered into an agreement with Japanese firm Spiber Inc. to boost the capacity of Spiber’s Brewed Protein brand of biobased polymers, the companies announced in a joint release Monday.

ADM will manufacture the Brewed Protein polymers in the US by processing dextrose feedstock with Spiber’s structural protein fermentation technology. The products will be shipped to a Spiber facility for processing into fibers and other materials that are used in automotive, apparel, high performance foams and other applications.

“Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable innovation in the products they purchase, and we’re excited to partner with Spiber to help bring this leading-edge technology to market,” Ian Pinner, chief strategy and innovation officer for ADM and president of the firm’s Health & Wellness division, said in a statement.

“From our partnerships with farmers and our efficient origination network, to our ability to provide sustainably sourced feedstocks from nature, to our expertise in fermentation and ability to scale technology to commercial production, our end-to-end capabilities give us a substantial leadership in this fast-growing market,” Pinner said.

ADM and Spiber started collaborating on biobased polymers in 2019. During the first phase of the relationship, the companies developed and tested Spiber’s process at scale. The announcement this week marks the start of the second phase, during which the firms will work toward reaching commercial-scale production.

“This collaboration takes us to a new phase in the commercialization of Spiber’s materials – one in which Brewed Protein will be more widely available and at costs suitable for broader markets,” said Spiber Co-Founder, Director and Representative Executive Officer Kazuhide Sekiyama in the release.