The University of Maine Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) will upgrade its Technology Research Center (TRC) in Old Town and Process Development Center (PDC) in Jenness Hall to bolster ongoing efforts to create new bioproducts, increase production and find uses for woody biomass materials typically considered waste.

NCC and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden have commenced collaboration to test the renewable raw material lignin as a binding agent in asphalt. The project is part of the efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and dependence on fossil products.

UPM and the US-based pulp and paper producer Domtar Paper Company LLC have signed an agreement for UPM to acquire the total annual kraft lignin production of Domtar’s Plymouth Mill in North Carolina, USA as of January 2021.

Swedish forest industry group Södra has launched Liquid Forest™, a pioneering range of bioproducts: biomethanol, tall oil and turpentine.

A collaborative effort between Sappi, MaBe and Kegelmann Technik GmbH from Rodgau-Jügesheim has culminated in the development of a biobased alternative for an injection moulding birdfeed-adapter.

Hemicelluloses are already used in food packaging, hydrogels, and more

Swedish road and infrastructure operator Svevia has decided to collaborate with Stora Enso in testing lignin in asphalt. Through this collaboration, Svevia aims to replace part of the oil-based binder with nature’s own binder – lignin, Lineo ™ by Stora Enso. The lignin containing asphalt is currently being tested out on Swedish roads.

UPM Biocomposites and Finnish Mysoda have collaborated to create a range of sparkling water makers made almost entirely out of renewable materials.

October 15, 2020 - Toronto, Ontario - The Government of Canada is building a clean energy future and supporting the natural resource sectors. Forestry is an important source of jobs for Canadians, and the industry continues to find innovative ways to create new markets for Canadian wood.

Contrary to popular belief, decomposing dinosaurs are not what formed the world’s oil and gas deposits.

September 29, 2020 - CelluForce is pleased to announce the signature of a commercial agreement that will generate multi-million-dollar sales over 10 years.

Elkem has decided to invest in a new biocarbon pilot plant in Canada. The project aims to secure industrial verification of Elkem’s technology for renewable biocarbon, with a long-term goal of contributing to climate-neutral metal production. The technology also has potential for application in other industry sectors, contributing to reduced CO2 emissions.

Furbish your stage with 3D-printed wood fiber composites. It’s a climate smart product portfolio, that can be re-designed and re-used many times over.

The wood-based bio and circular economy is already here. Uusi puu – The New Wood is a communication project whose goal is to tell what a tree can do.

Wood chips, it must be admitted, are not the most glamorous material around. Scattered in gardens or lining the cages of household pets, it is a commodity that attracts little attention. Luckily, a team of researchers in McGill’s Department of Chemistry developed a method to create carboxylated crystalline nano-cellulose using this often-ignored by-product of the pulp and paper industry.

Stora Enso will build a pilot facility for producing Cellufoam™ by Stora Enso, a lightweight, fiber-based foam material for protective packaging and cushioning.

(UPM, Helsinki, 20.8.2020 at 10:00 EET) FibDex^® wound dressing – made from nanofibrillar cellulose by UPM Biomedicals – has taken a significant step in its path to market, as leading medical device distributor Steripolar Oy now sells the product in Finland. FibDex is the first clinical product of renowned forest-based bioindustry company UPM and shows promising signs for future developments, such as cell therapy.

July 31, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - As we begin to reopen the economy and plan our recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, the Government of Canada is committed to building a clean energy future and supporting the natural resource sectors.

Fortum and Metsä Group join forces with Business Finland to create a world-class R&D programme with pulp fibre from renewable and sustainable sources as its node.

Wood to wear? Yes, it’s possible! For its Winter Collection 20/21, the outdoor specialist Vaude is once again offering textiles made from biodegradable fleece fabrics with wood cellulose.

As the world emerges from various states of COVID-19 lockdown and the ‘new normal’ still presents many unknowns, one thing we know for sure is that it is imperative to adhere to stringent hygienic measures.