Partner Irish universities
SFI research centres
supporting industry partners
The NXTGENWOOD multisectoral research programme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will address innovation in structural timbers, green adhesives and resins for bonded wood products such as plywood and MDF, extraction and synthesis of valuable biomaterials and biochemicals, and the development of wood-based composites and biopolymers.
In the green chemistry work package, NXTGENWOOD researchers are developing environmentally friendly coatings and resins which may be suitable for applications in construction, solid wood and particle-based products. This leads to the potential for replacement of harmful chemicals with environmentally friendly alternatives.
In the biorefining work package, researchers are extracting and purifying platform chemicals from wood and wood waste. This will lead to the potential for realising valuable chemicals and future medicines based on cascading principles.
In the impact work package, NXTGENWOOD researchers are addressing additional wood research and development funding opportunities via national, EU and industry partnerships, with a view to growing the Irish wood research, development and innovation ecosystem over time.
In the health work package researchers will investigate the potential of hardwoods for applications such as animal gut health/prebiotics.
In the advanced sustainable materials work package researchers are investigating the potential of forest derived lignin and cellulose for energy scavenging and battery applications.
In the sustainability work package, researchers apply Life Cycle Assessment [LCA] methodologies to activity in other work packages.
The NXTGENWOOD multisectoral research programme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and is hosted by Trinity College Dublin.
