Vinnova’s BioGlue Centre is Up to Speed

Centre Director Stergios Adamopoulos presented a summary of centre’s operations during the year, and announced that three new fellows will soon join the current eleven.

Fellows presented their work

PhDs and postdocs from the three work packages presented their progress in the different projects. After the short research updates by the fellows and round-table discussions, participants engaged in a team-building activity before dinner: a poster session where BioGlue experts could dive deeper into the projects with the fellows, such as Mahesh Kuniyil.

On the second day, a member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Johannes Konnerth from BOKU, Vienna, highlighted the importance of adhesives in wood products, noting that about 10% by weight of a wood-based panel consists of glue — and 99 times out of 100, that glue is fossil-based today.

The Ikea example

Following up, Catarina Vannfält, Svante Nordänger, and Venla Hemmilä from IKEA presented how the company works with sustainability. They pointed out that more than 50 percent of the climate footprint of wood-based panels comes from chemicals, mostly adhesives.

IKEA has already been testing some adhesives based on lignin, tannins, proteins, and starch —both in smaller and industrial scale. One adhesive concept including bio materials has been implemented in one factory. 

One of the biggest challenges is cost including output from the factories — IKEA products need to remain affordable for the many people.

Still, there is hope. IKEA sees great potential towards finding available, cost-effective, and non-controversial raw materials for highly reactive bio-adhesives.