News

The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC) has received a heartfelt letter of appreciation from Techscience Press, recognizing the successful collaboration on a special issue of the Journal of Renewable Materials. The special issue titled “ Advances in Biorefinery Technologies and Products – 2024” was initiated as a direct outcome of the international conference BTechPro 2024 (“Biorefinery Technologies and Products”). Organized by LSIWC in cooperation with industry partners, the conference brought together researchers, industry representatives, and startups from Latvia and abroad to...

On May 29, 2025, a significant milestone for Latvia’s forestry sector and sustainable construction was celebrated at the “Zābaki” estate in Sigulda Municipality – the opening of an innovative wooden building complex. Its centerpiece is Latvia’s first and the Baltics’ only wooden construction solution of its kind: a plant cooler designed with specialized microclimate regimes. Among the guests were our leading researchers, Dr.sc.ing. Jānis Rižikovs and Dr.sc.ing. Aigars Pāže. A partnership that supports and transforms the industry The collaboration between the Latvian State Institute of Wood...

Over the course of three intensive days, more than 100 project teams presented their ideas in the RIS3 smart specialization areas: biomedicine, medical technologies, pharmacy, photonics, smart materials, and engineering systems. Each project is eligible for up to €200,000 in funding from the total first-call budget of €6 million. The expert panel – Irit Janiva, Matīss Neimanis, Barak Azmon, Peter Birk, and Martin Askne – praised both the quality of applications and the innovative potential of the ideas presented. The results of the first round are expected to be approved by the Platform’s...

Environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and recyclable food packaging materials are currently one of the world’s top priorities. According to Eurostat data, in 2022, plastic packaging waste in the European Union reached 16.1 million tonnes, making plastic the second most significant packaging material after paper and cardboard. This volume accounted for approximately 19% of the total packaging waste, which stood at 83.4 million tonnes. Globally, packaging is the main source of plastic waste, representing around 40% of the world’s plastic waste. The new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste...

Have you ever wondered what happens to the leftovers from quince juice and jam production? Most of them are discarded. But a project by the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and Rīga Stradiņš University is working to transform this biomass waste into valuable allies in the fight against disease. Our researchers, Dr.sc.ing. Sarmīte Janceva and Ph.D. Anna Andersone, in collaboration with Līga Pētersone from Riga Stradiņš University, have launched an ambitious three-year study aimed at developing innovative and non-toxic drug delivery systems from quince processing residues. These systems...

We are pleased to share that our Scientific Director, Dr.sc.ing. Uģis Cābulis, represented the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry at the inaugural Evergreen Prize for Innovation ceremony, held on May 26, 2025, at Vienna City Hall. Organised by HS Timber Group and powered by the Evergreen Privatstiftung, the Evergreen Prize is a prestigious research funding initiative that supports pioneering scientific projects developing new materials and products made from wood, forest biomass, or reclaimed timber. The event brought together over 900 guests from the wood-processing sector, forest...