Speaker

About the speaker: 

Kinge is a design strategist and circular economy expert dedicated to establishing the next frontier of biomaterial innovation. With a specialized focus on seaweed biorefinery, she facilitates the integration of regenerative technologies into global manufacturing. By prioritizing collaborative frameworks over 1:1 material replacement, Kinge accelerates the transition toward resilient, circular systems that deliver tangible value to both industry and the environment. Prior to Manatee Biomaterials, Kinge Gardien has experience in accelerating biomaterials (FL&P, Grow), circular economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Circle Economy) and industrial design engineering & strategy (TU Delft).

Company info:

Manatee makes ocean biomaterials available at scale, for product manufacturing and packaging solutions. Providing a regenerative alternative to finite material resources. Our material is stabilized seaweed from harvest sidestreams, responsibly grown and sourced from Nordic seas, transformed with energy & water efficient processes and 100% utilization of the seaweed composition. Manatee Biomaterials is a joint venture by Nordic Seafarm and FutureLab & Partners.

Presentation: 

Making ocean biomaterials available in everyday applications, Manatee has been working throughout 2025 together with value chain partners Snöhetta, Arkio & AxFoundation designing ceiling panels based on our seaweed raw material. During this presentation the speaker will discuss how the ocean represents a largely untapped biomass frontier that can shift industries, like the built industry, away from being one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions to one that is regenerative by design.