In its first five years the research centre FibRe engaged around 150 people in its activities, has had more than 20 PhD students and postdocs on 25 different projects. The centre’s research has led to around 40 publications and contributed to the recruitment of research specialists at both Chalmers University of Technology and The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). Now the centre has been granted an extension and Phase II begins.
One of the cornerstones of success in Phase I was the close collaboration between KTH and Chalmers as well as all the partners involved. Because of the extensive meeting structure FibRe has developed a solid network and effective scientific collaborations.
Catarina Vannfält, material and Innovation Developer at IKEA, who have been a partner in Phase I shares IKEAS view on Phase II:
”IKEA’s hope on the next five years is that we will continue to gain new insights and knowledge through collaboration between industry and academia. To work together towards a common goal and ultimately have a bio-based material as an alternative to conventional plastic. The challenge will be finding a cost-effective solution that can be used in large-scale production.”
Following Phase I, which enhanced fibre deformability through plasticisation and chemical modification, Phase II aims to achieve higher technical readiness levels (TRL 3-4) and rigorously consider techno-economic aspects. To fully realise the societal benefits of FibRe’s research, it is essential to drive innovation. Phase II will combine fundamental research with initiatives that facilitate innovations. Key objectives include developing modifications that aid thermoprocessing of lignocellulose-based materials, structure-property models, methods with spatial resolution on nm to µm scale to detect effects of modifications, a comprehensive material library, and recycling techniques.
Read more about FibRe research centre on the centre´s webpage
- Centrumföreståndare, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering