Bark2Business

The Bark2Business project focuses on how bark, a currently undervalued by-product of the forestry industry, can generate greater value through new business models and forms of collaboration. The project builds on existing technologies for extracting valuable substances from bark and investigates how these solutions can be commercialised and scaled up in a sustainable manner.  

The project develops and tests business models for high-value use of bark, including solutions for logistics, value distribution and stakeholder collaboration. The work also includes analyses of barriers and drivers for the circular use of forest by-products, as well as strategies for scaling up and commercialising bark-based products and value chains. 

A key part of the project is to analyse environmental benefits through life-cycle assessments. The aim is to generate knowledge and methods that strengthen the Swedish ecosystem for bark processing and that can also be applied to other forest side streams. 

Strong collaboration between industry and research  

Bark2Business brings together stakeholders from across the value chain – from the forestry industry and materials development to innovation and business development. This collaboration creates the conditions for developing new circular value chains in which bark can become a valuable raw material for the bio-based products of the future. 

The project’s partners contribute complementary expertise in areas such as bark processing, materials innovation, industrial upscaling, sustainability analysis and commercialisation. Together, the project works to strengthen Sweden’s position in the sustainable bioeconomy and create new opportunities for forest by-products. 

RISE’s role in the project  

RISE is coordinating the project and contributing expertise in project management, business model development, sustainability analysis, life-cycle analysis, technology screening and foresight.