nova-Institut: Michael Carus Steps Down from Management – Lars Börger Takes Over Renewable Carbon Division

Michael Carus - (Photo: nova-Institut).

As of March 1, 2026, Michael Carus, founder and long-standing Managing Director of the nova-Institute, will step down from his leadership role in the Renewable Carbon business division. Lars Börger will assume his successor as CEO, together with COO Linda Engel. Carus will remain with the company as a shareholder and Senior Advisor. The leadership transition follows a one-year handover phase.

The transition marks the end of Carus’s more than 30 years in operational leadership at the research and consulting institute. Since its founding in 1994, the nova-Institute has developed from a six-person start-up into an internationally active organization with around 50 employees. Its core focus is the transformation of the chemicals, plastics, and materials industries toward renewable carbon sources.

Carus, who holds a PhD in physics from Cologne, worked in IT, science journalism, solar technology, and at an environmental institute—where he headed the Resources Department—prior to founding the institute. Early on, he advocated for the industrial use of biomass in the construction and automotive sectors as well as in the plastics and chemicals industries. Later, concepts for CO₂ utilization (Carbon Capture and Utilisation, CCU) and recycling were integrated into the institute’s work. In this context, the institute coined the terms “Renewable Carbon” and “defossilisation,” which describe the replacement of fossil raw materials with biogenic, CO₂-based, or recycled carbon sources.

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In addition to his work at the nova-Institute, Carus has been active in various roles at the European level. He served as Managing Director of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) and was a member of numerous European Commission working groups in the field of bioeconomy. In 2020, he initiated the Renewable Carbon Initiative, a network that now comprises around 80 companies committed to shifting from fossil to renewable carbon. Since 2021, he has also been responsible for the Renewable Materials Conference, which annually attracts 400 to 500 international participants and will take place in Siegburg from September 22 to 24, 2026.

With Lars Börger, a manager with extensive international industry experience takes over leadership of the Renewable Carbon division. Börger previously held senior positions at BASF in Germany and China as well as at Neste in Finland, and served on the board of European Bioplastics. Together with COO Linda Engel, he will be responsible for the strategic and operational development of the division.

The nova-Institute is structured into three business divisions, which have so far been managed by four Managing Directors: Michael Carus, Lars Börger, Linda Engel, and Dirk Schubert. With Carus stepping down from management, the number of operational Managing Directors will be reduced accordingly. Carus will remain a shareholder of the company and will take on advisory responsibilities in the newly reoriented Renewable Feedstock division.

With its interdisciplinary team, the institute supports international research and innovation projects as well as companies, associations, and policymakers. Its work focuses on analyses of technological options, raw material availability, sustainability, regulatory frameworks, market potential, and economic viability. The aim is to develop strategies for the transition from fossil to renewable carbon sources in industrial practice.

More information: nova-institut.de, renewable-carbon.eu

nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH, Hürth, Germany

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