The pilot‑scale extrusion service supports the development and optimisation of advanced plastics and composites, with a particular focus on bio‑based polymers. The service covers the entire process chain – from compounding to film extrusion and reactive extrusion – enabling rapid testing, evaluation and scale‑up from laboratory to production.

Extrusion is a key method in polymer processing and is used to produce films, coatings and components with defined properties. Our pilot facilities can handle both conventional polymers and more complex, sustainable materials, making it possible to fine‑tune material performance and develop solutions for new applications. Reactive extrusion adds an additional level of capability by allowing chemical reactions to occur directly in the extruder, enabling the production of advanced materials with improved performance in a single processing step.

With broad expertise in material formulation and process design, we work with a wide range of bio‑based materials to create high‑performance and sustainable solutions. This includes optimising material blends, developing stable processing conditions and producing tailored films and coatings for sectors such as packaging and automotive.

The testbed consists of:

• Minilab-extruder (Haake)
• Medium-sized laboratory extruder (LabTech Technologies) with modular screws, gravimetric feeding, liquid injection, degassing, air or water cooling of extrudates, and pelletizing
• Injection molding machine (BOY) for producing test samples for impact and tensile testing

Through our expertise in compounding, extrusion, and biobased material processing, we help companies innovate sustainable solutions that contribute to a circular economy.

Projects

GoneShells

GoneShells is a biodegradable material that can replace paper, plastic, and glass in food packaging. It consists of a starch-based core with a bio-based barrier against liquid, oil, and oxygen. The material can break down without industrial composting, can even be eaten, and opens new opportunities for sustainability and design. By replacing plastics, it may also help reduce microplastic emissions.

ProMultiFilms – Processing of bio-based multilayer barrier films for packaging

Through extensive assessments of technical, economic, and environmental feasibility, the project will develop highly innovative solutions to replace hard-to-recycle and unsustainable packaging materials, accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy.

LIGNOMAT – Bio-based materials from Kraft lignins

The development of LignoBoost XS provided valuable knowledge for compact lignin extraction plants and led to an improved demonstration facility for smaller industries. Modifications increased compatibility with other polymers, and the resulting thermoplastic blends demonstrated lignin’s industrial potential.

NoVOC – Eliminating VOCs from battery manufacturing through dry or wet processing

Manufacturing batteries for clean energy storage has traditionally been a dirty process. However, a consortium of 17 European partners is now developing new technology for next-generation lithium-ion batteries that can eliminate volatile organic compounds from production through dry or water-based cell manufacturing.

BioPitch

The BioPitch project has aimed to develop an environmentally sustainable material for artificial turf pitches that can replace plastic and rubber granules, with the goal of reducing CO₂ emissions and fossil content.

BioScale – Scaling up natural alternatives to plastics for a sustainable industry

Objective: Scale up and validate the production of dry microcellulose powder in a cost-effective and resource-efficient process.
Achievement: The three main process steps – chemical reaction, quenching, and solvent recovery have been evaluated at pilot scale at RISE in Stockholm, Södertälje, and Örnsköldsvik.

BIO-INSPIRE aims to strengthen regional bioeconomy clusters in Eastern and Southeastern Europe by promoting innovation, collaboration, and long-term growth. The project helps clusters overcome obstacles such as weak networks, limited innovation infrastructure and a lack of skilled labor, by providing practical tools and guidance to build resilient local economies and sustainable development. 

Regional bioeconomy clusters – engines of EU bioeconomic growth 

Regional bioeconomy clusters bring together companies, research institutions, and other actors to drive innovation, attract investments, and scale up bio-based solutions. In less developed regions of Europe, many clusters face structural challenges that prevent them from reaching their full potential. BIO-INSPIRE addresses these challenges by supporting seven bioeconomy clusters in Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland. 

The main goal of the project is to develop a practical model in the form of a governance roadmap to support clusters in their work to sustainably and long-term strengthen their innovation efforts and thereby European bioeconomy development. Through this governance roadmap, BIO-INSPIRE aims to: 

• Improve innovation capacity 
• Strengthen cross-border collaboration 
• Open up new growth opportunities 
• Provide regions with tools for long-term engagement in the bio-based economy 

RISE's role and mission 

In this project, RISE will contribute to strengthening the development of cluster ecosystems by developing a focused and step-by-step governance model. Initially, the current state of the bio-based landscape in the selected regions will be mapped and analysed through an innovation system analysis, interviews, and various studies. Subsequently, RISE, through the Processum Biorefinery Cluster, will organise one of the project's two major study visits to northern Sweden to showcase how we work with innovation support through financial support, process development assistance, and facilitation of establishment through industrial symbiosis. 

RISE will also assist in developing a knowledge transfer strategy tailored to the unique needs and challenges identified in the clusters in the seven regions. From the project's analyses and its lessons learned, RISE will finally develop policy briefs and a roadmap to guide policymakers – as support to continue promoting interregional collaboration between bioeconomy clusters to strengthen Europe's bioeconomic innovation capacity. 

Strain development

Using the latest technologies in synthetic biology, high throughput screening and adaptive laboratory evolution, we design and optimise microorganisms tailored to your specific production needs. Our strain development offering includes:

• Rapid selection and engineering of conventional and unconventional microorganisms
• Improved metabolic capacity, product yield and stress tolerance
• Customised product profiles for increased purity, stability and functionality
• Shorter development time and lower costs through automated cultivation and modular genetic tools

With our methodology, technical and regulatory barriers can be overcome and new opportunities opened up for bio-based chemicals, enzymes, food ingredients and more.

Process development and scale-up

We offer process development from lab-scale optimisation to pilot production with a focus on efficient scale-up. Our services include:

• Feedstock screening and strategic road-mapping to select optimal raw materials based on composition, availability, cost and sustainability
• Pretreatment (mechanical, chemical, biological, thermal) to maximise biomass conversion
• Industrial fermentation expertise from micro-scale bioreactors to food-grade pilot plants with reactors up to 10 m³
• Advanced downstream processing such as centrifugation, ultrafiltration, homogenisation and drying to optimise product recovery and purification
• Data-driven process control and validation to ensure reproducibility, robustness and cost efficiency
• Technoeconomic and sustainability assessments are available as part of our process development to support cost-efficient, scalable, and environmentally sound solutions.

By working closely with RISE’s multidisciplinary team, we mitigate scale-up risks, optimise yields and reduce time to market for sustainable food ingredients, feed, biofuels, biochemicals and more.

Contact us for further dialogue

By combining cutting-edge strain engineering with comprehensive process development and scale-up, RISE supports your journey from concept to commercial success. Contact us to discuss how our expert team can help transform your idea into a sustainable, market-ready product – with your business goals at the centre.

LIGNOFUN brings together 18 partners from across Europe – including leading research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises, and major industrial players – to transform kraft lignin and black liquor, two abundant by-products of the pulp and paper industry, into high-performance, sustainable functional products.

The project aims to convert these underutilised streams into valuable aromatic compounds that are currently sourced from fossil-based materials by leveraging two cutting-edge lignin depolymerisation technologies. These bio-based ingredients will serve as essential building blocks for various applications, including foams, coatings, adhesives, wood panels, composites, personal care products, rubber antioxidants and nylon.

The project aims to demonstrate that not only can lignin-based materials match, but even outperform, fossil-based alternatives, while being better for the environment and reducing our dependence on finite resources. However, it’s not just about technology. LIGNOFUN also considers economic viability, societal benefits and regulatory aspects to ensure that the solutions are sustainable, safe and ready for large-scale deployment.

From side streams to value – LIGNOFUN’s mission for a greener industry

LIGNOFUN aims to utilise kraft lignin and black liquor, two underutilised by-products of the pulp and paper industry that are currently mostly burned for energy. By converting these by-products into sustainable, high-performance materials, we can replace substances derived from fossil fuels and contribute to a more circular, bio-based economy in Europe.

To achieve this, the project has three clear objectives combining innovation, sustainability and industrial benefit throughout the entire lignin valorisation process:

1. Scalable Lignin Utilisation: Develop smart and cost-effective methods to extract and refine lignin into pure, aromatic building blocks.
2. New bio-based products: Create and test prototypes of products such as foams, adhesives, coatings, composites, nylon, wood panels and cosmetics, and prove that they perform at least as well as today's fossil-based alternatives.
3. Sustainability all the way: Evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of lignin-based products, to ensure they are both competitive and fit for a future free from fossil dependency.

RISE’s role and mission

As coordinator of the LIGNOFUN project, RISE plays a central role in achieving the project's ambition of transforming kraft lignin and black liquor into sustainable, high-value functional products. With a mission to promote industrial innovation and the bioeconomy, RISE is responsible for the project's strategic and technical leadership, ensuring scientific excellence, effective collaboration and alignment with the EU’s climate and circularity goals.

RISE contributes a wide range of expertise and is responsible for several key areas within the project

1. Project management: RISE oversees the project as a whole, coordinating collaboration between partners, managing dialogue with the EU and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
2. Smart Data Management: RISE is developing a data management strategy to ensure that knowledge is shared securely and openly in line with FAIR principles.
3. Lignin processing: A crucial task is refining lignin-based compounds to prepare them for use in subsequent processes. RISE purifies lignin-derived monoaromatics (LDMAs) by removing acids and salts to prepare them for microbial conversion in subsequent processes.
4. Microorganism and Fermentation Development: RISE develops and optimizes bacterial strains that convert lignin compounds into valuable building blocks – both in laboratory settings and at larger scales.
5. Green Chemical Conversion: Once the microbial processes have finished, RISE converts one of the main intermediate chemicals (ccMA) into adipic acid, which is a bio-based ingredient used in advanced plastics.
6. Economics and sustainability: RISE evaluates the economic viability and societal relevance of the developed value chains through techno-economic analysis (TEA) and social sustainability and business development (SSBD).

The RISE research environments make all this possible. Within Bioeconomy Arena in Örnsköldsvik, for example, RISE provides advanced infrastructure for fermentation and microbial development, as well as reactors designed with industrial safety in mind. In Södertälje, RISE contributes expertise in chemical catalysis. Together, these environments form a robust foundation for scientific advancement and sustainable innovation throughout the LIGNOFUN project.