News

On 24 February 2026, the Scientific Director of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC), Dr. sc. ing. Uģis Cābulis, participated in the Core Group meeting of the COST Action REINVENT ( Resource-Inclusive Renewable Materials: Leveraging Global Biomass for Sustainable Innovations), held at the University of Vienna. During the meeting, in-depth discussions focused on the strategic objectives of the Action and its key priorities for the next four years. REINVENT brings together expertise from diverse scientific fields with the aim to: systematise and integrate knowledge from...

In osteosynthesis – the fixation of bone fractures – metal implants, most commonly stainless steel or titanium, remain the gold standard. These materials are mechanically strong and clinically well established; however, they are not suitable for all patients. Approximately 2–5% of patients experience metal intolerance, allergic reactions, or chronic inflammation around the implant site. In such cases, revision surgery or alternative treatment solutions may be required. In addition to immunological risks, metal implants differ significantly from the mechanical properties of bone – they are...

On 11 February, the Scientific Director of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC), Dr. sc. ing. Uģis Cābulis, participated in the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) Matchmaking event in preparation for the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) 2026 open call. The event brought together more than 300 Industry Members (including 66 large companies and 96 small and medium-sized enterprises) and over 250 Associate Members — representatives of research and technology organisations, universities, clusters, public institutions and the financial sector. BIC is one of...

If hydrogen becomes the fuel of future aviation, the decisive question will not concern engine technology alone. Rather, it can be formulated as follows: how can liquid hydrogen (LH₂) be stored safely and efficiently at temperatures below –250 °C? Such cryogenic insulation systems will be required not only in next-generation aircraft, but also in airport storage terminals, refueling infrastructure, and potentially even in space-related cryogenic tanks. At the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC), this expertise is not being developed from scratch — researchers already have...

Abstract submission is now open for the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering (WSE 2026), , which will take place on 15–16 September 2026 in Riga, Latvia. One day prior to the conference, on 14 September, a training course for PhD students and early career researchers will be organised. The conference is organised by the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering, with the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and Riga Technical University serving as local organisers. The training school is organised in cooperation with, the...

PhD researcher Daniela Godiņa is one of those scientists who combines fundamental chemical research with active public engagement through the Latvian Association of Young Researchers (LJZA) and science communication. The interview with her—originally published on the LJZA’s website as part of the “Meet a Young Scientist” series—is republished here to invite readers to learn more about Daniela’s journey in science, her work on developing bio-based materials, the societal importance of research, and her involvement in building the young scientists’ community at the Latvian State Institute of...