LSIWC nominated for the Plastics Industry Awards 2025 final

The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and its Scientific Director, Dr. Uģis Cābulis, have been shortlisted for the Plastics Industry Awards 2025 in the category Polyurethane Innovation. This is an important international recognition that highlights the institute’s competence and contribution to advanced materials research and development.

The Plastics Industry Awards, established in 2001 and held annually in London, are among Europe’s most prestigious events, bringing together companies and researchers from across the sector to celebrate excellence in innovation, sustainability, and technological achievement. This year, the awards will be presented for the 24th time.

The LSIWC nomination was granted for the development of polyurethane cryogenic insulation used in the fuel tanks of Europe’s next-generation Ariane-6 launch vehicle. This material can withstand extreme conditions — temperatures as low as –253 °C and high mechanical loads — ensuring the safe storage of liquid hydrogen and oxygen during flight.

The innovation was developed in close cooperation with ArianeGroup GmbH, the European Space Agency (ESA, ESTEC) and MT Aerospace, covering the full technology development cycle from TRL3 to TRL9. The long-term collaboration culminated on 9 July 2024, when the maiden flight of Ariane-6 successfully took place with cryogenic insulation created by LSIWC. This achievement also marks the institute’s return to the space industry after several decades.

In the Polyurethane Innovation category, LSIWC is joined in the finals by Covestro and Evonik.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 21 November 2025 at the InterContinental London Park Lane.

Related articles

Launch of the Ariane 6 space rocket

The European Space Agency launched the newest space rocket "Ariane 6" on the evening of July 9. Researchers of the Polymer Laboratory of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry in cooperation with the company ArianeGroup GmbH, based in Bremen, have developed cryogenic insulation materials used in the upper stage of the "Ariane 6" rocket.

LSIWC achievement featured in the leading international polymer industry journal Urethanes Technology International

The Summer 2025 issue of Urethanes Technology International includes a comprehensive article highlighting the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry’s contribution to the development of Europe’s latest space launch vehicle – Ariane 6. “Since 2005, the LSIWC’s Polymer Laboratory, in cooperation with ArianeGroup and the European Space Agency (ESA), has developed polyurethane cryogenic insulation capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -253 °C. This insulation was designed, tested, and validated across all Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 3–9), and was successfully used in the inaugural...

Researchers from the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry Receive the Latvian Academy of Sciences Award for the Most Significant Scientific Achievements of 2024

We are delighted to announce that today, February 28, 2025, our researchers were honored at the Latvian Academy of Sciences’ ceremony recognizing the most significant scientific achievements of 2024. Our Polymer Laboratory, led by Academician Dr. sc. ing. Ugis Cabulis, was acknowledged for developing an advanced cryogenic insulation material, which has been successfully used for the thermal insulation of fuel tanks in the European Space Agency - ESA latest launch vehicle, Ariane6. The construction of space rockets requires special innovations in materials science, as liquid hydrogen and oxygen...