by Carlo SANTULLI*, Cristiano FRAGASSA**, Hyun-Jae SHIN***
The introduction of bio-based materials is radically transforming the concept of sustainability in the materials industry. The use of fungal mycelium structures, integrated with bio-based matrices, generates solutions that combine lightness and strength, insulating capacity and thermal stability, controlled biodegradability and long-term durability.
What distinguishes them from conventional materials is not only their ability to sometimes match performance, but also their potential to deliver measurable environmental advantages across the entire life cycle, by converting agricultural residues and low-value by-products into resources of high technological value.
From an industrial perspective, the benefits are manifold. First, weight reduction compared to fiberglass or conventional polymer composites can reach around 20%, leading to significant energy savings in sectors where mass is a critical factor. This can have direct implications in the automotive, aeronautical, and broader transport fields, where lightness immediately translates into lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions. Second, the use of renewable and recyclable resources makes it possible to respond both to increasingly strict regulatory demands and to market needs focused on ESG and green economy criteria.
The acoustic and thermal aspects are equally relevant: the internal structure of mycelium-based materials provides natural vibration damping and controlled heat dispersion, making them ideal for applications in construction, interior design, and insulation systems. Their fire resistance, adjustable through bio-compatible additives, further broadens their fields of application, enabling compliance with safety standards even in highly regulated sectors.
On the environmental side, the advantages already emerge upstream, through the valorization of agricultural residues such as hemp, mulberry leaves, rice husks, or olive by-products, used to “feed” fast-growing fungi. This reduces pressure on landfills, limits open-field burning of agricultural waste, and creates new local value chains. The efficiency of valorizing such residues can reach levels close to 80%, demonstrating how seemingly marginal waste can be turned into strategic resources.
In terms of market opportunities, the diffusion potential is enormous. In the sustainable mobility sector, replacing internal components with lighter and biodegradable versions provides a concrete response to automotive manufacturers’ needs to reduce weight, fuel use, and environmental impact. In construction, panels and modules made with these biocomposites can offer healthier and more sustainable solutions, strengthening building resilience and reducing the ecological footprint of the built environment. In the furniture and design sector, the possibility of shaping complex and customized forms with natural finishes represents an opportunity to innovate aesthetic and functional languages while meeting the growing demand for eco-friendly products.
The international scale of the biomaterials market confirms this trajectory: the sector is expected to grow at double-digit annual rates, driven by public policy support and private investment in green technologies. The progressive introduction of regulations on recycling, emissions, and reduction of single-use plastics makes the adoption of high-performance bio-based solutions increasingly relevant. The prospect of cutting the carbon footprint by 25% compared to equivalent conventional materials provides an immediate competitive advantage for producers that adopt them.
Another distinctive element lies in end-of-life options. Compostability, reuse, and material recovery ensure the possibility of reinserting biocomposites into subsequent production cycles, drastically reducing costs and the environmental burden of disposal. In an industrial context where disposal costs and environmental responsibilities are increasingly impactful, this feature becomes a strategic asset for companies.
On the social and economic level, the spread of such materials can generate new supply chains, supporting local employment and the creation of specialized professional skills. The demand for cross-disciplinary expertise—ranging from biotechnology to materials science, from green chemistry to industrial design—stimulates the training of a new generation of experts able to work at the intersection of sustainability and technology. This educational and occupational impact is an integral part of the added value generated, as it strengthens a fabric of knowledge and skills transferable to other emerging sectors.
Finally, the communicative and symbolic dimension should not be overlooked. The adoption of materials derived from fungal mycelium and local agricultural resources becomes a vehicle for a message of strong cultural significance: overcoming the dichotomy between nature and technology. Bringing to market products that incorporate plant residues or agro-industrial by-products demonstrates how innovation can draw strength from recovery and valorization of existing resources, guiding public opinion towards more conscious and sustainable consumption choices.
* University of Camerino
** University of Bologna
*** Chosun University (South Korea)
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02 September 2025
