Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry submits an innovative solution to the BIC Open Innovation Challenge

On March 31, 2025, researchers from our institute demonstrated their innovation potential by submitting a proposal to the BIC Open Innovation Challenge, organized by the Biobased Industries Consortium (BIC) in collaboration with Metsä Group.

The challenge topic – Bioproducts from softwood bark – inspired our lignin chemistry laboratory researcher Māris Lauberts to develop and submit a high-potential solution: The transformation of softwood bark into value-added biochemical products that serve as raw materials for the production of widely used biologically derived products.

The proposed solution builds upon our accumulated expertise and technological capabilities:

• complex bark processing,
• accelerated solvent extraction,
• organosolv lignin filtration,
• delignification process.

These steps enable the extraction of valuable biochemical compounds with strong potential for application across various bio-based industries.

Transformation of softwood wastes (bark) into value-added bio-chemicals (as raw materials) for the production of widely used products of biological origin.

Softwood bark before complex processing.

Accelerated solvent extraction to obtain value added extractives.

Pine bark organosolv lignin filtration. Preliminary studies, on which everything is built and needs to be developed.

Bark transformation during the delignification process.

We now look forward with anticipation to feedback from the BIC consortium and Metsä Group – to see whether our solution will be selected for further development and presentation in the next stage.