Public Voting Opens for “RegioStars 2026” Finalists – Support the LSIWC Project!
Public voting for the finalists of the European Commission’s “RegioStars 2026” competition is now open! We invite you to support the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC) project “Birch Bark – Latvia’s Green Gold” and vote for it by 12:00 noon on 14 October this link, by selecting Category 2, “A GREEN EUROPE”.
The LSIWC project is one of five finalists in the “A GREEN EUROPE” category, which highlights solutions that contribute to the green transition and regional development. This year, the competition received 274 project applications from across Europe, with only 25 projects selected as finalists across five categories.
The competition final will take place on 13 October in Brussels, where the finalists will present their projects to the competition jury and an in-person audience. The LSIWC project will be presented in Brussels by Aigars Pāže, Leading Researcher and Scientific Project Lead, and Jānis Rižikovs, Leading Researcher and Head of the Biorefinery Laboratory. The category winners and the winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced on the evening of 14 October.
From Birch Bark to High-Value Products
The “Birch Bark – Latvia’s Green Gold” project focuses on harnessing the potential of birch bark. It is generated in large quantities as a by-product of plywood production and has traditionally been used mainly for heat generation. At the same time, birch bark contains valuable extractives, including triterpenes, the most significant representative of which is betulin.
As part of the project, LSIWC researchers developed a patented technology for obtaining valuable microparticles from birch bark extractives and using them in high-value products. The technology enables these microparticles to be used to create oleogels and Pickering emulsions, opening up opportunities for applications such as cosmetic product development.
An important project outcome is that the technology has not remained solely in the laboratory. LSIWC has granted AS “Latvijas Finieris” exclusive licence rights for the commercial use of the patented technology. BetulinLab, part of the “Latvijas Finieris” group, is continuing to develop the technology on an industrial scale, resulting in the creation of BETULINK oleogels – systems combining birch bark extractive microparticles and plant-based oils for cosmetic manufacturers.
Latvian Science Reaching Industry
This journey – from scientific research to a technology that is further developed by industry – is one of the project’s most significant outcomes. It demonstrates how science can create new, higher added value from a by-product of the wood industry and contribute to the development of circular bioeconomy solutions.
“In the RegioStars 2026 final, we want to show Europe that the green transition is not only about reducing resource waste. It can create new technologies, strengthen cooperation between science and industry, support export-oriented production and generate greater economic value right here in the region. What we used to burn yesterday is becoming Latvia’s green gold today,” says Aigars Pāže, Leading Researcher at LSIWC and Scientific Project Lead.
The project also demonstrates a broader approach that can be applied in other contexts – identifying an underutilised biological resource, using science to unlock its potential, developing a scalable technology, protecting intellectual property and transferring the innovation to industry.
The project was significantly contributed to by Aigars Pāže, Jānis Rižikovs, Karīna Orlova, Sanita Vītoliņa, Rūdolfs Bērziņš, Daniela Godiņa, Laura Andže, Artūrs Tereško and Zane Grigale-Soročina.
The project was implemented in close collaboration with Cēsis City Farm “DOKTUS”.
The total project cost was EUR 710,600, of which EUR 494,700 was EU funding. The project was implemented from January 2021 to November 2023.
About “RegioStars”
The REGIOSTARS Awards is a European Commission competition that annually highlights outstanding projects funded by European Union funds, demonstrating their contribution to regional development, innovation and improving the quality of life for citizens.
More information about the competition and all the 2026 finalists is available on the European Commission’s REGIOSTARS Awards website.
