EcoBuild Institute Excellence Centre Phase 2

Purpose and goal

The Institute Excellence Centre (IEC), EcoBuild, aims at being an internationally leading platform for innovation, research and technology, mainly for the development of new generations of eco-efficient wood and other biobased materials. A core strategy is to promote and maintain a close cooperation between universities, institutes, and industry. The Centre is located at KTH Campus, organized and hosted by SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden. The overall Centre objective focuses on green chemical engineering and development of innovative, eco-efficient and durable wood-based materials and products for building, furniture and textile applications. Types of materials of primary interest are: modified solid wood such as thermally modified, furfurylated and acetylated wood, biobased textile fibres, biobased binders and coatings, and biocomposites. A top priority effort is to engineer fully biobased alternative products entirely based on renewable resources.

Results and expected effects

The research projects within the Centre are guided by industry and end-user demands. This will ensure an efficient knowledge transfer and integration between related generic and applied sciences as well as an introduction of new well designed wood or biobased products which mainly shall strengthen the competitiveness of the existing Swedish industry and boost the formation of new knowledge-based companies.

Approach and implementation

A Phase 2 (20102012) research program has been formulated which defines the Centres vision, mission, strategies and organization as well as planned research activities. The Centre will combine competences from both institutes and universities, as well as from the industry. The research and innovation activities are structured into five integrated focus areas: 1) Biobased binders; 2) Biobased coatings; 3) Biocomposites; 4) Modified wood and fibres; and 5) Durability and eco-efficiency.