LSIWC Researchers Participate in RRB 2026 Conference in Belgium

From 2 to 4 June, the 22nd International Conference on Renewable Resources & Biorefineries (RRB) took place in Leuven, Belgium, bringing together leading researchers, industry representatives, and innovation developers working in the fields of bioeconomy and biorefining.

The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry was represented at the conference by Scientific Director and Leading Researcher Dr. Uģis Cābulis, Leading Researcher Dr. Anda Fridrihsone, Researcher Ralfs Pomilovskis, and Research Assistant Kalvis Liepiņš.

Dr. Uģis Cābulis presented the results of the Latvian Council of Science-funded project PUR4LH2 (No. LZP-2024/1-0652), introducing the international audience to research carried out at the Institute on the sustainable use of bio-based resources. The PUR4LH2 project aims to develop novel cryogenic insulation materials for liquid hydrogen storage in future zero-emission aircraft.

In addition, Dr. Uģis Cābulis was invited to chair the conference session “Pretreatment and Transformation of Lignocellulosics”, which featured the latest research on the pretreatment and conversion of lignocellulosic materials. The session included presentations by internationally recognized scientists from research institutions around the world.

Dr. Anda Fridrihsone delivered a presentation on the life cycle assessment of bio-polyols derived from used cooking oil, carried out within the framework of the Biodesign4Insulation project. The results demonstrated that used cooking oil is a promising feedstock for polyol production, as the properties of the resulting products are comparable to those of polyols derived from virgin vegetable oils, while their carbon footprint is 58% lower than that of petrochemical polyols. Biodesign4Insulation (No. ES RTD/2024/09) is an international Eurostars-3 project. In Latvia, the project is funded by the Latvian Council of Science.

Research results were also presented during the poster sessions by Ralfs Pomilovskis from the Polymer Laboratory and Kalvis Liepiņš from the Biorefinery Laboratory. Ralfs Pomilovskis presented research on bio-based thermoset resins conducted within the project SuReComp (No. 1.1.1.9/LZP/1/24/031), while Kalvis Liepiņš presented a study on the synthesis of nitrogen-containing carbon microspheres from pyrolysis bio-oil and its fractions conducted within the project LIGsp (No. LZP-2024/1-0525).

During the conference, Dr. Anda Fridrihsone also served on the jury evaluating poster presentations and PhD student presentations submitted to the competition.

The Renewable Resources & Biorefineries conference is one of the leading international forums in the fields of bioeconomy and biorefining. It promotes knowledge exchange, the development of new collaborations, and innovation for the sustainable utilization of biomass.

Particular attention in the conference programme was devoted to circular economy solutions, renewable resources, and the development of bio-based products.

Participation in the conference provided an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the field, present LSIWC research results to an international audience, and strengthen collaboration with bioeconomy researchers from around the world.