News

The World Packaging Organisation announced the results of the international competition "WorldStar for Packaging" on 9 January, with the main prize going to Ilze Irbe, a leading researcher of the Cellulose Laboratory! Ilze entered the competition with her work "Mycelium composite pellets for the protection of packaged products". These pellets are a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional packaging materials, made from fungi mycelium and hemp and/or wood residues. They are fully biodegradable and compostable, unlike synthetic foam packaging materials. In 2023, Ilze's...

On 11 January this year, on Radio SWH's programme "Mind Will Save the World", host Ieva Siliņa interviewed Laura Andže, a leading researcher at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry's Cellulose Laboratory, and Sergejs Gaidukovs, a tenure-track professor at Riga Technical University, about the use of wood and wood products. The programme focused on innovations made in Latvia from wood. Laura introduced the history of the use of wood, explained the chemical composition of wood, and talked about the various research activities carried out at LSIWC. Laura stressed that wood is Latvia's...

Leading researcher of the LSIWC Polymer Laboratory Anda Fridrihsone has been appointes to the Eraly Career Researcher Committee 2024-2025 of the journal " Energy & Environmental Materials" by Wiley. "Energy & Environmental Materials" is an open-access, interdisciplinary journal that publishes scientific articles on a wide range of topics with the aim of promoting clean energy and a sustainable society. Ranked 4th in CiteScore 2023, Energy & Environmental Materials is one of the leading journals in environmental science.

The evaluation of the applications submitted for the Latvian Academy of Sciences' Most Significant Scientific Achievements in 2024 competition has been completed. Forty-seven applications were evaluated this year: 26 in the natural sciences, engineering and technology, and medical and health sciences, 16 in the humanities and social sciences, and 5 in the agricultural sciences. Twelve entries were named winners by the LAS. Among the most significant achievements in Latvian science in 2024 is the research cycle of the Polymer Laboratory of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, which...

On 19 December 2024, one of the most beautiful events of the year at LSIWC - the annual Christmas Ball - took place. The event was opened by the Director of the Institute Karīna Orlova, who emphasised that people are the most important resource in knowledge-intensive organisations, so in the first part of the ball, colleagues warmly congratulated the young scientists who received their PhD degrees in 2024 - Daniela Godiņa, Ralfs Pomilovskis, Anna Andersone and Mārtiņš Andžs. Last year was also full of other achievements and events. Bruno Andersons received the Latvian Academy of Science Arvīds...

This year, in the spirit of the festive season, children of LSIWC staff were invited to send in Christmas-themed drawings to bring joy to ourselves and others. We received 12 wonderful images, with both beautiful festive aesthetics and elements of wood chemistry! We are sincerely grateful to the authors: Bille (8 y.) Dāvis (6 y.) Elēna (9 y.) Emīlija (15 y.) Gunārs (5 y.) Keila (14 y.) Māra (5 y.) Marijai (8 y.) Natale Stella (13 y.) Renārs (8 y.) Rūbija (7 y.) Sofija (8 y.) Keila's work deserves special emphasised. Her drawing, in which the shape of a Christmas tree matches that of the...