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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...

Embraced by mycelium, startled by bacteria, inspired by polyurethane foam, pampered with innovative Pickering creams, and enchanted by lignin – our esteemed guests and colleagues from Riga Stradiņš University have just left the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry. Today, the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry hosted a Scientific Lunch – an informal yet content-rich meeting where researchers in biomedicine and bioresources exchanged ideas, research directions, and visions for future collaboration. Our guests were welcomed in the laboratories by: In the Polymer Laboratory –...

The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry hosted the official kick-off meeting for the international R&D project BioCAN, bringing together chemicals, materials scientists, engineers and environmental scientists from seven research and industrial institutions across Europe. Over two intensive days in Riga, the consortium aligned its strategies for creating recyclable composite materials from bio-based polymers and fibers - an ambitious innovation for the transportation industry. BioCAN (Development of bio-based polymers with covalently adaptable networks for recyclable natural fiber...

The University of Naples Federico II has been the academic home to numerous distinguished figures, including philosopher and mathematician Giordano Bruno, mathematician Renato Caccioppoli, and astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi. Today, the university continues its legacy of excellence, particularly in engineering and applied sciences. Ranked among Italy’s top institutions for civil engineering, the university boasts a robust Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. Additionally, its Department of Industrial Engineering, specifically the Aerospace Engineering Division, is...