Dow and Adient introduce a next-generation polyurethane seating solution

Midland, MI – Dow together with Adient, a global manufacturing leader in automotive seating, commercially launched SPECFLEX™ REN, a next-generation polyurethane seating solution now available with ISCC PLUS certified bio-attributed feedstocks enabled via a mass balance approach.

“This collaboration underscores Dow’s commitment to advancing sustainable mobility through materials science innovation. By launching SPECFLEX™ REN, we are enabling our partners to integrate renewable feedstocks into the polyurethane seating value chain through an ISCC PLUS certified mass balance approach without compromising performance, supporting their decarbonization goals,” said Selamawit Belli, MobilityScience™ marketing manager.

Polyurethane foams have historically been designed for long-term durability. Through this collaboration, Dow and Adient are working together to enable seating solutions while utilizing bio-circular attributed feedstocks, which have a lower carbon footprint compared to conventional fossil-based feedstocks while maintaining premium performance standards.

“Collaborations like this are critical to translating innovation into scalable impact. At Adient, partnering with leaders like Dow enables us to incorporate renewable and bio-circular attributed feedstocks into advanced seating solutions—without compromising performance—helping advance sustainability objectives within the automotive industry,” said Brooke Bowers, executive director of Global Sustainability for Adient.

SPECFLEX™ REN uses ISCC PLUS certified bio-circular attributed feedstocks, displacing fossil-based raw materials through a mass balance approach to help contribute to reductions in product carbon footprint when compared to fossil-based alternatives and support major automakers’ sustainability and decarbonization goals.

The solution is designed to deliver:
Comfort and resilience performance comparable to conventional seating foam
Sustainability objectives through ISCC PLUS certified bio-circular attributed feedstocks allocated via a mass balance approach 

This innovation aligns with broader industry efforts to transition to low-carbon, resource-efficient mobility systems, especially as EV production scales.

This achievement is the result of close collaboration across the value chain, combining:
Dow’s expertise in material science and circular chemistry
Adient’s leadership in seating design and manufacturing

Together, the companies are working to scale the adoption of polyurethane solutions associated with renewable feedstock inputs across automotive applications, demonstrating that these innovations can be both technically feasible and commercially viable.

SPECFLEX™ REN is associated with ISCC PLUS certified bio-circular attributed feedstocks through a mass balance approach. Any references to renewable content, carbon footprint, emissions reductions, or sustainability benefits are subject to applicable methodologies, assumptions, system boundaries, and reporting approaches, and may vary accordingly.