December 2022 marks month 44 of consortium activities: only 4 months left until the end of the GRETE project. Before leaving for a restorative break, enjoy a short retrospective of the highlights of a busy year.
We kicked-off 2022 with the first in-person meeting after a long time: besides visiting the campus of University of Aveiro, the partners had the chance to discover Altri Group’s CELBI plant, where high quality short fibre pulp from Eucalyptus is produced. CELBI is the Portuguese industrial partner that contributes with its resources and technical expertise to the successful implementation of the GRETE project. A similar role in the consortium has Metsä Spring, the innovation company of Metsä Group, Altri’s Finnish counterpart managing and processing nordic softwood.
The GRETE consortium is a network of very high-profile institutions and professionals as demonstrates the recognitions conferred to different members throughout this year: Metsä Spring’s CEO and active member of the GRETE consortium Niklas von Weymarn was honored with the Chemistry Societies Award 2022 for his great contributions to the research and development of industrial biomaterials. Another personal recognition was granted to Professor Ilkka Kilpeläinen, University of Helsinki, who was co-awarded the prestigious Marcus Wallenberg Prize 2022. We recommend watching the broadcast of the award-symposium that offers a great overview on man-made cellulosic fibres. On the same YouTube channel you’ll find also Ilkka Kilpeläinen’s collaborator Eva Gazagnaire pitching about the need for new cellulose solvents within the Marcus Wallenberg Prize Young Researchers’ Program 2022: find the illustrative 2 minutes pitch here.
GRETE offers a great opportunity for young researchers to promote their activity and gain some presentation-experience as show the poster awards granted to Filipe Matos and Filipe Sosa, both from the University of Aveiro, and the NWBC 2022 Students Pitching Competition won by Elisa Spönla, VTT. Along with presentations at conferences, the students and young researchers are guided by the senior experts to contributing to the GRETE research via publications of scientific articles, all available on our website.
Now, after an intense 2022 with several achievements, what is still to come next year?
A lot! First of all mark down the dates for the GRETE final event: the project and its results will be presented at the Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023 next March 8 and 9 in Cologne (DE). Interested in joining the GRETE consortium at the conference? Then let us know – info@greteproject.eu – we’ll arrange for some discount. Not able to make it to Cologne? Join us in the Open Webinar that will be held on March 29 11:00-13:00 CET where the final results are shared to all stakeholders of the wood-to-textile value chain. Finally, if you want to get in direct contact with the GRETE partners and other stakeholders of a sustainable textile industry, join us in our Networking Space on LinkedIn.
The GRETE consortium wishes you happy holidays and a healthy new year!
