Forest-based Bioeconomy -from wood to high-value

solutions

ADVANCED BIORESOURCES and SMARTBIOPRODUCTS

Towards Sustainable Bioeconomy

Prof. Stefan Willför

Sustainable growthfrom bioeconomy

§ The forest bioeconomyperspective

§ www.bioeconomy.fi

Finland

338000 km2, 70% of which consists of forest

Bioeconomy: Born fromnecessity

People are forced to findalternatives to non-renewableraw materials.

§ Climate change§ Scarcity of non-renewable

raw materials etc…Due to

populationgrowth, by2030 theworld will

need:

50 %morefood

45 %more

energy

30 %morewater

Bioeconomy is the solution

Bioeconomy:• Sustainably uses biological natural resources to

produce goods, energy, food and services

Aims:• decrease dependency on fossil raw materials• prevent deprivation of ecosystems• promote economic development and create new jobs

The output of the Finnish bioeconomy§ The total annual turnover is about 60 billion euros§ More than half of the bioeconomy is forest based

Forest41 %

Energy7 %

Construction15 %

Food26 %

Chemicals3 %

Pharmaceutics2 %

Water1 %

Services5 %

ForestEnergyConstructionFoodChemicalsPharmaceuticsWaterServices

29.1.2015

Share ofemployment

13%

Share ofexports

26%

The potential of Finnish forests

2.9.2014

Finland’s well-being is based on our ability to use renewable resources efficiently andsustainably. Forests and clean nature have always been the basis of our existence.

Biodiesel from tall oil – combined with pulpproduction

Biogas and -ethanol from residues –combined with pulp and sawnwood production

Biooil from forest residues – combinedwith heath and power production

UPM

Metsä Group

Fortum

Innovation, collaboration andcombination make Finland a pioneer

Wood in innovative urban construction

Metsä Group

Finland’s bioeconomy strategyStrengths, vision and strategic goals

1. A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT1. A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

2. NEW BUSINESS2. NEW BUSINESS

3. A STRONG KNOW-HOW3. A STRONG KNOW-HOW

4. USABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OFBIOMASS4. USABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OFBIOMASSSt

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Sustainablebioeconomy

solutions are thebasis of Finland’s

welfare andcompetitiveness.

Strenghts: Natural resources, know-how and the industrial platform

Trends Position Strengths& options

Vision &objectives Actions Implement &

monitor

Process:

Strategy intoaction

1. Implemented in cooperationbetween several ministries andother stakeholders

2. Coordinated by a strategicprogramme set by theGovernment

3. Supported by a broadbioeconomy panel ofstakeholders chaired by theMinister of Economical Affairs

29.1.2015

Implemented policies and actions

1. The government decision on bioeconomy2. Public funding allocated on bioeconomy3. An international biorefinery competition4. A regulatory survey on ”Bioeconomy

bottle necks and boosters”5. A project on inventorying biomass

resources6. Tools for promotion and a public

discussion7. Promotion of exports of biobased products

and technologies

29.1.2015

1. The government decision onbioeconomy

2. Public funding focusing onbioeconomy

3. An international biorefinerycompetition

4. Material preparation for mediaand a public discussion

5. Regulatory ”Bottle neckremovals”“In industrial renewal, the bioeconomy, cleantech

and digital business will be the Government’spriority sectors...”

Implemented policies and actions

29.1.2015

2. Public funding allocated onbioeconomy

Finnish Industry Investment’s share capital raised by EUR50 million04.09.2014 Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE)Press Release 168/20144 September 2014

Implemented policies and actions

29.1.2015

Wood will serve many functions inthe future

Examples of products : “Remote-controlled”paper price

tags

Soundsystems and

car parts madeof wood

composite

Biodegradablepackagingmaterials

Flexiblescreens made

ofnanocellulose

Intelligentpackaging thatmonitors the

intake ofmedicine or

edibility of foodproducts

Health from the forest

Side streams of pulp production can be refined into:• Xylitol, a sweetener, which decreases the risk of dental

cavities and children’s ear infections.• Plant sterol, which can lower cholesterol levels in blood.

Pitch• is made into an ointment to treat skin cuts.

Birch bark• Research is being carried out on betulin from birch bark,

which may lower the activity of HIV.Berries and mushroom

• Natural health promoting food ingredients, e.g. berries

Åbo Akademi UniversityInternational, Cutting-Edge Research

Broadening

CollaboratingSharpening

Unique Research Profile Areas

Professor Thomas Rosenau, BOKU, Austria,appointed as Adjunct Professor

Collaborating with

INTERNAL CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

BrainTrainProf. Matti Laine

YARG – Young adults and religion in a globalperspectiveProf. Peter Nynäs

Future Refining of Forest BiomassProf. Stefan Willför

Functional Materials at BiologicalInterfaces

Prof. Ronald Österbacka

Wood and Paper ChemistryProf. Stefan Willför

Organic ChemistryProf. Reko Leino

Catalysis and Reaction EngineeringProf. Tapio Salmi

Process Analytical ChemistryProf. Johan Bobacka

Combustion and Materials ChemistryProf. Leena Hupa

Johan GadolinProcess Chemistry Centre

Wood and Biomass Chemistry

Fibre and Pulping Chemistry

Paper Chemistry

Electroactive Materials

Chemical Sensors

Materials Chemistry

Combustion Chemistry

Chemical Reactor Modelling

Chemical Kinetics

Heterogeneous Catalysis

Environmental and Online Analysis

Chemical Biology

Synthesis Technology

PCC May 2016

* Graduate School in Chemical Engineering (GSCE) 8Doctoral Education Network in Materials Research (DNMR) 3

Senior researchers 50Doctoral thesis works* 52MSc thesis works

20Support and visitors 25Total participation ~150

Refining ofPolysaccharides

WP1

Conversion ofLigninWP3

TraceElements

WP4

Sugars toChemicals

WP2

Forest Biomass

Complementary ResearchActivities

2015-2018

Including extractives

WP1: Refining and Utilisationof Wood Hemicelluloses

§ 1.1 Fractionation of hemicelluloses§ 1.2 Green modification approaches and

molecular-level characterisation§ 1.3 Adsorbents for water treatment§ 1.4 Application in structural composites§ 1.5 Application in 3D biomaterials for

medical applications

17.10.2016

Nanocellulose and hemicelluloses§ The introduction of nanocellulose, also in

combination with hemicelluloses, to ourresearch has been very successful and is anexcellent example of PCC cooperation withhuge commercial potential§ Nanocellulose-based biocomposites have

been made and tested for applications insensors, biomedical scaffolds for e.g. woundhealing, and implants§ Kinetics have also been modeled

Cellulosenanofibrills

Suspension

Aerogel

Films

Hydrogel

Biocomposites

Electrical conductive &antimicrobial biocomposite

3D Cell culturematrix

Biocompositescaffold

CNF as a reinforcement matrix ingalactoglucomannan hydrogels

§ Improved mechanical strength§ Reduced and controlled swelling rate

without CNF

1.4 wt.-% CNF

swelling

Filtration,hot press

Swelling in H2O,absorption of biomolecules

Biomolecules:ProteinDrugsPolysaccharidesCells

Lyophilisation

Wound healing ?

Drug delivery ?Weight: 50 mgThickness: ca. 30-50 µm

Weight: 5-25 gThickness: 1-12 mm

Liu et al., Development of nanocellulose scaffolds with tunable structures to support 3D cellculture. Carbohydrate Polymers, 148 (2016), 259-271; Liu et al., Hemicellulose-reinforcednanocellulose hydrogels for wound healing application. Cellulose 23 (2016) 5, 3221-3238

3D printing of biomaterials

§ All wood biopolymers§ Cellulose§ Hemicelluloses§ Lignin

§ Bioprinting

Cellulose scaffolds

WP2: Conversion of Sugarsto Chemicals

§ 2.1 Catalytic transformation of sugars§ 2.2 Carbohydrate-derived amphiphiles§ 2.3 New immunostimulatory

glycoclusters§ 2.4. Towards new reactor technology

17.10.2016

Extractives for health and well-being!

Immunostimulatory glycoclusteradjuvants

§ Tekes-supported preclinical proof-of-concept studies of novelimmunostimulatory glycoclusteradjuvants have given promisingresults§ Up-scaling and synthesis optimisation

is also included§ The compounds work in allergen

specific immunotherapy and also inimmunotherapy of cancer

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New molecules are made with newand advanced reactor technology

Catalysisimportant

Modelling of microreactors

§ The use of new computational tools havesuccessfully been used in the simulation ofkinetics, diffusion, and flow patterns forstructured microreactors§ This work also led to an international prize

WP3: Refining Options of Lignin

§ 3.1 Characterisation of novel lignin rawmaterial§ 3.2 Adhesives, biocomposites and

barrier material§ 3.3 Corrosion inhibition

17.10.2016

WP4: Trace Elements inRefining of Biomass

§ 4.1 Selective leaching analysis§ 4.2 Anionic species§ 4.3 Modelling of the fate of metals

17.10.2016

Energy

§ Biomass and waste-derived fuels§ Combustion processes, emissions,

modelling, high-temperature chemistry andcorrosion, interactions of fuels and ashesetc.§ Biomass to bioethanol and sustainable

fuels

PCC Forum for Society (FS)

§ Örjan Andersson (Novia)§ Ilmo Aronen (Raisio)§ Stig-Erik Bruun (Chemigate)§ Kenneth Ekman (Crisolteq)§ Heidi Fagerholm (Kemira)§ Linda Fröberg- Niemi (Turku

Science Park)§ Christine Hagström-Näsi (CLIC

Innovation)§ Patrik Holm (Orion Pharma)§ Bertel Karlstedt (Valmet)§ Kari Kovasin (Metsä Fibre)§ Björn Lax (Chemec)

§ Timo Leppä (Chemical IndustryFederation of Finland)

§ Lars Peter Lindfors (Neste)§ Karri Mikkonen (Turku Future

Technologies)§ Pia Nilsson (UPM-Kymmene)§ Leena Paavilainen (Luke)§ Jarkko Partinen (Outotec)§ Leena Sarvaranta (VTT)§ Mathias Snåre (Nordkalk)§ Kenneth Sundberg (Tikkurila)§ Kari Toivonen (Elomatic)§ Petri Vasara (Pöyry)§ Stefan Wallin (Member of

parliament)

Dr. Lars Gädda, Chairman

Current projects at 3PK§ Enhanced extensibility of fibre network through

tailored fibre-fibre interactions for future bio-basedproducts (Academy of Finland)§ Design of biobased extracellular matrix-mimicking

scaffolds with tuneable rigidity for 3D cell cultureand potential tissue engineering (Academy ofFinland)§ 3D printing of biobased drug-eluting scaffolds for

chronic wound care (Tekes)§ Novel biomass-based solutions for technical

emulsions (Tekes, industry)

§ Exploring the structure and reactivity of anovel type of pressurized hot-water extractedlignin (BLN-lignin)§ Industrial Utilization of Lignocellulosic

Feedstocks§ Wood lignins as renewable sources for novel

adhesives, and biocomposites§ Structural elucidation of anionically modified

galactoglucomannan using advancedanalytical techniques§ Polysaccharides for biomedical applications