The future of leather: Mycelium

Mycelium Materials Europe (MME) develops bio-based materials to support a circular economy. It grows sustainable mycelium using mushroom technology. Mycelium is the network of threads that usually stays hidden underground, and the mushroom is its reproductive fruiting body. With years of experience in the mushroom industry and a pioneering mindset, MME chose a bold path. Instead of focusing on harvesting mushrooms, they started exploring mycelium in 2018.

In 2019, MME travelled to San Francisco with experts from Wageningen University. There, they saw how mycelium could be grown above ground. The processes worked well in a lab, but scaling up was a big challenge. Back in the Netherlands, MME began experimenting with the traditional Dutch Shelves System (DSS), commonly used in mushroom farming. After taking the first successful steps, they needed to scale up production. MME looked for a strong technical partner and found one in Mart Christiaens of Christiaens Group.

From testing to large-scale production
MME and Christiaens built a test facility in Horst to grow mycelium as an alternative to animal leather. “About 80-90% of the process is like mushroom growing,” says Simon Hoenderop, one of the founders of MME. “But the last 10% is completely different. That’s where innovation comes in.”

After 18 months of testing and improvements, the results were promising. MME and Christiaens converted a mushroom R&D farm near Horst into a dedicated mycelium R&D farm. Christiaens Group designed and supplied the entire setup, including shelves and custom cutting machines based on the principles of mechanical harvesting. The experienced mushroom grower Leon van den Oord was added to the team as the R&D farm manager.

Sustainable and circular: mycelium as leather alternative
Turning mycelium into leather is also much more sustainable than traditional leather production. Animal hides need extensive cleaning and processing. Mycelium does not. The process also fits easily into existing tannery systems without major adjustments to their processes.

The partnership between MME and Christiaens kept growing. They retrofitted an existing mushroom farm into the largest mycelium materials farm in Europe. Production capacity increased, and now MME supplies major fashion and lifestyle brands around the world.

Innovation through collaboration
The partnership between MME and Christiaens feels like a family business. Constructive discussions and working closely together. They have agreements but no complex contracts. “We know each other for a long time and fully trust each other,” Simon explains. “That makes us strong and flexible.”

Their own family members are also partly involved in the business. The sons of both founders MME, Bert Rademakers and Simon Hoenderop, joined the team, each bringing different skills. “Different perspectives lead to innovation,” Simon says. “My son, who studied design, solves problems that a traditional grower might not even see.” Also Leon van den Oord’s son is active in the R&D and works weekly with the American partner.
Mart Christiaens’ daughter lives in Paris and designs bags made from leather waste. Where before their business worlds were far apart, they were now coming together.

Looking ahead
The ambitions are big. MME can already produce enough leather alternatives for 750,000 pairs of sneakers every year. Their goal? To scale up further in Europe and the Far East where most of the shoe manufacturers are located. Christiaens Group is key to making this possible. Their expertise in scalable systems and automation is essential for growth.

“When fully developed, mycelium could become a bigger industry than mushroom farming,” Simon says. “This is only the beginning. With Christiaens as our partner, we have the knowledge and tools to succeed.”

This is just a (sustainable) beginning
The partnership between MME and Christiaens Group shows that innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. They focus on efficiency, scalability, and reducing labour dependency.

Together, MME and Christiaens are building a sustainable future. And this is just the start.

"Our mycelium solutions aren't just business; they're our way of rolling up our sleeves for a growing industry. We're all about offering practical solutions that work for a variety of sustainable products. At Christiaens, we're big believers in the circular economy – where we innovate with sustainability in mind, creating a better tomorrow."

Mart Christiaens - Owner at Christiaens Group