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Many people know the feeling – when opening a bottle of a fine beverage, the aroma evokes notes of vanilla, caramel, or smoke. Behind these nuances, however, lies a complex interaction between wood and the beverage, a process that traditionally takes years. For this reason, global interest is growing in technologies that would make the process more intelligent and predictable ( de Souza et.al, 2025; Krüger et.al. 2022; Ma et.al. 2022). The solution developed in Latvia has already attracted the attention of producers outside Europe, particularly in Asia and Latin America ( Latvian Investment...

On 14 January, a seminar dedicated to polyurethane chemistry and technologies was held at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC). The seminar focused on sustainable, functional, and environmentally friendly materials, offering insights into the latest research at the intersection of polymer science, construction, energy efficiency, transport, and cultural heritage preservation. The seminar featured presentations by researchers from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy’s largest public research organisation, which conducts interdisciplinary research spanning both...

Fish processing generates a large volume of biological by-products which, depending on the species and processing method, can account for 30–70% of the total fish mass, and the effective use of these streams remains a significant challenge for the sector (EUMOFA, 2025*). At the same time, the need to replace plastic packaging with more environmentally friendly alternatives is becoming increasingly urgent. The idea behind the project “Extraction of Fish Protein Hydrolysate and Its Condensation with Plant-Derived Catechol Derivatives for the Development of Improved Starch/Protein-Based Food...

The Latvian Academy of Sciences has announced the most significant scientific achievements in Latvia for 2025. A total of 55 submissions were evaluated across all major fields of science, and 12 works were selected as winners. Among them is a study carried out by researchers of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC), demonstrating a strong interplay between high-level fundamental and applied research, as well as close cooperation with industry. One of the most significant achievements of 2025 is the study “From Birch Bark to Sustainable Wood Materials: Suberinic Acid Innovations...

When our researcher PhD Edgars Kuka is featured in the Research Latvia 2026 calendar, it is not only a personal achievement. It is also a story of quiet, dedicated, and consistent work that has helped shape the quality of Latvian wood science and its international recognition. Edgar’s work spans both the study of wood properties and product life cycle assessment, allowing wood to be viewed not merely as a raw material, but as a fully developed product with an environmental impact throughout its entire life span. This ability to combine experimental research with an analytical perspective on...

The scope of research carried out within the National Research Programme Forest4LV extends beyond forest ecosystem protection to include the processing and conversion of forest resources into higher value-added products. This second article in the series focuses on three studies that examine forest biomass as a multifunctional feedstock in wood chemistry, biorefining, and the development of new materials. The studies highlight different stages of forest resource utilisation, ranging from the chemical transformation of birch bark and lignocellulosic fractions to the development of bio-based...