News

Yesterday, Lūkass Segliņš, an undergraduate student at the Art Academy of Latvia successfully defended his Bachelor’s thesis “The Mycelium Board” in the Product Design programme and received the highest possible grade – 10! This is not just a visually striking surfboard – it’s an environmentally friendly biocomposite, grown from fungal mycelium in close collaboration with the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and Drty Boards surfboard craftsmen from Liepāja. Scientists from LSIWC supported the development of a suitable mycelium composite material by testing a variety of substrates...

Senior researcher at the Lignin Chemistry Laboratory, Dr.chem. Māris Lauberts, has won the international Metsä Group Challenge, organised by the Finnish forest industry company in collaboration with the Bio-Based Industries Consortium (BIC). Metsä Group particularly appreciated: the genuine novelty of the proposed approach, the credibility of the workplan, and the clarity of the presentation. This win highlights the ability of LSIWC researchers to develop practical and sustainable solutions in the field of bioeconomy. The next step is to implement a proof-of-concept (PoC) in collaboration with...

At the end of May, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry welcomed a group of students and early-stage researchers from Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech). The aim of the visit was to strengthen cooperation in the field of bioeconomy, share research ideas, and explore the institute’s laboratories and infrastructure. LSIWC researchers Ph.D. Daniela Godiņa, Dr.sc.ing. Oskars Grīgs, Dr.sc.ing. Māris Puķe, and Mg.chem. Matīss Pāls led the guests on a tour of the institute’s facilities, presenting key research directions—from lignocellulosic biorefining and composite material...

Two of our researchers – Dr. chem. Laura Andže and Ph.D. Mārtiņš Andžs – have successfully advanced to the second round of the BioPhoT Research and Innovation Projects (PIP) competition. From May 26–28, 117 project proposals were evaluated by a panel of industry and commercialization experts. On May 30, the project management group confirmed the results of the first round. 79 projects will proceed to the next stage – scientific evaluation by the Latvian Council of Science. The average score across submissions was 12.4 points. Each project leader will soon receive detailed feedback, and...

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...