SPINVERSE
SWEETWOODS is a 43-million-euro joint pilot project that was recently granted 21 million euros in funding under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme’s Bio-Based Industries financial instrument.
“Receiving the funding is a major victory for all parties involved in the project. Specialists representing the EU and bioindustries ranked the project as the best of the round of financing, giving the project full marks,” describes Peep Pitk , the R&D Manager of the Estonian Graanul Invest Group.
The SWEETWOODS project covers the entire material process. Breaking down the wood into pure sugars and lignin makes it possible to further refine the material into high added value products that can be used to replace oil-based chemicals and plastics.
“The project can revolutionise the future of the entire global material economy,” states Spinverse’s Managing Director Laura Koponen , who has been in charge of project preparation.
The objective is to implement the technology at a full industrial scale in four years. The project will create new material economy value chains where wood plays a vital role.
The biorefinement concept can transform 80 tonnes of hardwood into high added value products like bioplastics, insulation materials, cushions, fuels and sweeteners.
“The project allows us to produce with wood what is currently made with oil.” comments MetGen’s Chief Technology Officer Matti Heikkilä .
The project is based on collaboration between several companies. The responsible manager is the Estonian Graanul Biotech specialises in wood processing. The Finnish MetGen’s pioneering enzyme technology plays a key role in the efficient extraction of pure biomaterials for further processing. The biomaterial is used, for example, by the German Tecnaro GmbH for biocomposites, Armacell via Ultima Gmbh for elastomeric foams, the French Global Bioenergies for biofuels and the Belgian Recticel N.V. for polyurethane foams. The Finnish Spinverse is orchestrating the project.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180510005041/en/
Contact:
MetGen
Matti Heikkilä,
CTO
tel.
+358403540701
matti@metgen.com
or
Spinverse
Laura
Koponen
, Managing Director
tel. +358403500898
laura.koponen@spinverse.com
or
Graanul
Invest Group
Peep Pitk,
R&D Manager
tel.
+37255604106
peep.Pitk@graanulinvest.com
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Doha Debates Reflects on a Landmark Year of Global Dialogue and Youth Engagement19.1.2026 17:02:00 CET | Press release
In 2026, Doha Debates addresses the world’s most pressing questions through global dialogue that engages diverse audiences, including youth In 2025, Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates strengthened its role as a global platform for truth-seeking dialogue, bringing students and leading thinkers together to explore ideas shaping today’s most urgent questions––from freedom and justice to identity and belonging. Its reach continued to grow, surpassing 13.8 million video views and engaging nearly seven million followers across social platforms, including more than one million YouTube subscribers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119796451/en/ In 2026, Doha Debates addresses the world’s most pressing questions through global dialogue that engages diverse audiences, including youth. (Photo: AETOSWire) A major milestone came with season four of The Negotiators, which earned international recognition, winning the Folio A
Evernote Releases v11, Marking a New Chapter in AI-Powered Productivity19.1.2026 17:00:00 CET | Press release
Evernote today announced the release of v11, its first major product update in five years. The new version includes three powerful AI features—AI Assistant, Semantic Search, and AI Meeting Notes—creating smarter ways to capture, retrieve, and manage information in Evernote. With the release of v11, these features are now available to all Evernote customers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119103272/en/ Two years of work culminating in a major update V11 is a recognition of Evernote’s evolution under Bending Spoons’ stewardship. Since 2024, Evernote has released more than 250 new features and improvements while also greatly enhancing sync, speed, and reliability. With v11, Evernote ushers in an exciting new phase of development and innovation, bringing customers novel ways to engage with their preferred productivity tool. “Evernote has been part of people’s lives for years, often decades. They’ve always insp
Esmark Expands Global Sports Commitment With Sponsorship of Slovakian Professional Hockey Team19.1.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release
Sponsorship unites local talent and gives the people of Košice a team of their own Esmark Sports Management and Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Esmark Inc., announced today it is the team sponsor and co-owner of a newly established professional hockey team in Košice, Slovakia. This partnership underscores Esmark’s commitment to supporting sports development and strengthening community connections through the unifying power of athletics. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119104207/en/ Esmark Sports Management and Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Esmark Inc., is the team sponsor and co-owner of a newly established professional hockey team in Košice, Slovakia. The Hockey Club Esmark Košice team began competing in the 2HL division of professional ice hockey in Slovakia in the 2025-2026 season. The roster features players from Košice who have been competing for clubs across Slovakia. “The cr
WHOOP Becomes Official Health and Fitness Wearable Partner and Team Partner of Scuderia Ferrari HP19.1.2026 13:38:00 CET | Press release
A First in Formula 1: WHOOP to Deliver Health Insights Across the Scuderia Ferrari HP Team WHOOP, the human performance company, today announced a new, global partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP as the Official Health and Fitness Wearable Partner and Team Partner. Starting in the 2026 season, Scuderia Ferrari HP cars and drivers will host the WHOOP logo, while WHOOP will be provided to members of the team to unlock insights on their health, recovery, and fitness. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119602892/en/ This partnership also unlocks a first-of-its-kind integration in which the medical team supporting Scuderia Ferrari HP will work closely with the WHOOP Performance Science team, led by Dr. Kristen Holmes, on enhancing the physical efficiency and recovery for the entire Scuderia Ferrari HP organization. Together, they will work on the foundational elements of health and fitness with a unique human optim
Logistics Reply Announces the Launch of Its Warehouse AI Agent Builder, GaliLEA Dynamic Intelligence19.1.2026 12:32:00 CET | Press release
Logistics Reply, the Reply group company specialising in innovative solutions for supply chain execution and warehouse management, announced today the release of GaliLEA Dynamic Intelligence, the new AI Agent Builder, part of its agentic AI solution natively embedded within the LEA ReplyTM Platform, the microservices-based platform for warehouse and supply chain execution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119708355/en/ LEA Reply enables end-to-end supply chain execution while continuously evolving to address increasing levels of automation and operational complexity. Designed to support warehouse operations through a flexible and scalable architecture, LEA Reply enables end-to-end supply chain execution while continuously evolving to address increasing levels of automation and operational complexity. With the introduction of GaliLEA Dynamic Intelligence, the platform enables users to design, configure, and d
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom