Projects
Our research areas:
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Packaging
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Textiles
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Pulping
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Valorization of Lignin
Aalto University Bioinnovation Center
Prof. Dessbesell is part of BIC executive team and steering group.
Aalto University Bioinnovation Center is an interdisciplinary research and learning center. Bioinnovation Center’s target is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy and bioeconomy, and to create opportunities for sustainable economic growth in Finland. Our interdisciplinary doctoral school uses the viewpoints of technology, design and business to address these challenges.
PhD researchers:
Maria LÃvia Real de Almeida - Developing Sustainability Assessment Indicators for Emerging Bio-Based Textile Technologies
Tooba I. Qureshi - A value chain approach for supporting circular bio-based textiles (co-founded by Cellfil)
Vida Hardjono - A value chain approach for supporting circular bio-based innovations (co-founded by Business Finland)
Karam Moussa -Charting the Transition and Unlocking the Commercial Pathways of Cellulosic Films for Packaging Applications​ (co-founded by Business Finland)
Waleed Mehmood - Exploring the value chain of regenerated carbamated cellulosic films for sustainable packaging in circular bioeconomy (co-founded by Business Finland)
SAUNA Project
Sustainable pulping innovation, achieving zero pollution through efficient wood residue feedstock utilisation.
Cleaner, higher-yield pulping technology
The kraft process produces 82 % of the world’s virgin pulp, converting half of the wood into fibrous pulp while burning or dissolving the rest during energy and chemical recovery. This process causes significant environmental harm, generating large pollutant emissions, solid and water wastes, noise, and air pollution. The EU-funded SAUNA project aims to develop an innovative pulping method that increases product yields and cuts emissions by 80 % compared to the kraft process. It uses targeted wood fractionation through hot-water extraction followed by alkaline oxidation to achieve these improvements.
CIMANET
Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network (CIMANET) is an interdisciplinary doctoral education network to promote sustainable growth. It strengthens the knowledge base required to enhance the bio-based industry with novel solutions unveiling the full potential of biomass.
CIMANET funded PhDs
PhD researcher - Hao Xi
PhD researcher - Prosper Dzidzienyo
Emission Free Pulping
Emission Free Pulping is a 5-year research program led by VTT and RISE that aims to significantly reduce biomass burning and increase the product yield from wood from approximately 50% to around 70%. The program is projected to have a budget of around 15 million euros over the next five years.
Emission Free Pulping task leader
The ostdoctoral Researcher: Nikolai P. Ponomarev is leading LCA and emissions reductions strategies for novel pulping processes.
FinnCERES
FinnCERES is a competence centre, jointly formed by Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in the area of materials bioeconomy.
Our work is to uncover answers to the most fundamental questions about lignocellulose disassembly and re-assembly and to create new, cost-competitive, bio-based materials that are expected to address the main challenges of our century, including resource sufficiency and climate change.
FinnCERES funded projects
PhD researcher - Mariia Vlasova
PhD researcher - Mariia Vlasova
PhD Researcher - Erandy Correa Guillen
SciSustain
This project explores how to accelerate and sustain the development of sustainable bio-based products. SciSustain project aims to address the following three research questions:
Several questions remain and will be addressed in this project:
- How to estimate the potential long-term benefits and effects of today’s proposed bioproduct solutions?
- How can sustainable bioproduct innovations be supported from research ideation and basic and applied research stages?
- How and what can assist sustainable bioproduct innovations in becoming a commercial reality faster (being better prepared for overcoming a first-of-a-kind valley of death)?