Catrin Gustavsson
The Södra Research Foundation will grant an additional SEK 8.8 million to 12 research projects linked to forestry and the forest industry. The funding was awarded to projects including process development in the pulp industry, recycling textiles and controlling pulpwood flows. Source: Timberbiz
“The linear life cycle for textiles needs to become circular, but the lack of recycling technologies is a major problem. One of the projects that has received funding will further develop a process to recycle mixed textiles that is compatible with today’s Swedish forest industry, which will be of interest to both our industry and the textile industry,” Catrin Gustavsson, Senior Vice President Innovation and New Business at Södra said.
Several forest-related projects were awarded funding, for example studying genetic gains, Douglas fir, damage to pine and better swarming forecasts for spruce bark beetles.
“There is a desire to increase the share of pine in young forests, not least given climate change. However, we can see increasing problems with disturbance of growth in regeneration stands of pine, which is causing concern about the initiative.
“The Foundation’s funding for a research project that aims to clarify the cause-effect relationship will hopefully guide us in how we can address these problems,” Göran Örlander, Forestry Strategist and Chairman of the Research Foundation said.
In conjunction with the call for proposals, research into the “efficient utilisation of resources” in the forest industry is particularly welcomed. The call for proposals concerns both core forest industry products and by-products.
“The efficient use of wood raw material, by-products from harvesting, energy, water and chemicals keeps costs down and improves profitability. At the same time, it also benefits society, businesses and individuals by minimising environmental and climate-change impacts,” Mr Örlander said.
