In Finland, the COCOBIN research project is opening up new possibilities for the valorization of forestry co-products. Coordinated by the University of Oulu, this initiative aims to develop bio-based coatings derived from suberin, a compound naturally found in birch bark. This innovation could offer an alternative to the petroleum-based products still widely used in paper and cardboard packaging.

Long regarded merely as a forestry industry by-product, birch bark could soon find higher-value applications. This is the goal of the Finnish COCOBIN project, which focuses on suberin—a biopolymer naturally present in the bark that protects the tree against moisture and dehydration. Launched in 2024 and concluded on May 31, this major project—with a budget exceeding €8.7 million—aimed to develop natural coatings, binders, and adhesives capable of protecting fiber-based containers from water vapor and moisture. It addresses the growing needs of the food packaging sector, which is seeking to reduce its reliance on fossil-based materials

Collaboration

Co-funded by Business Finland and coordinated by the University of Oulu, the program brought together seven research organizations and eight Finnish industrial partners, including UPM and Metsä Board. Together, they worked on extracting suberin, processing it into an aqueous dispersion, and subsequently applying it to paper and board substrates. Last spring, following two years of work, a significant milestone was reached with the production of over 1,000 meters of coated material: "The coating [see sidebar below] was applied to two different wood-fiber-based paper substrates (from UPM and Metsä Board), and several trials were conducted," the university explains. "Each trial yielded hundreds of meters of material, resulting in a total coated length of approximately 1,200 to 1,500 meters." This demonstration validated the process's compatibility with existing industrial equipment and brings the technology closer to future commercialization. According to the project partners, the developed coatings offer properties comparable to those of conventional solutions while improving packaging recyclability.

To packaging and beyond...

While food packaging is the primary market targeted by this pilot project, the potential applications are far broader. Suberin-based coatings could also be used in technical papers, bio-based composites, or even certain industrial adhesives. For the forestry and wood sector, COCOBIN exemplifies the emergence of new ways to add value to forest biomass. Following in the footsteps of lignin and nanocellulose, suberin could become a strategic molecule for the bioeconomy, capable of transforming an underutilized co-product into a high-performance technical material...

Project Fact Sheet

Work begins: June 1, 2024.

Program ends: May 31, 2026.

Budget: €8.76 million.

Co-funding: Business Finland.

Research partners: University of Oulu (coordinator), Tampere University, University of Eastern Finland, LUT University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Åbo Akademi University.

Industrial partners: KCL, Metsä Board, Mirka, UPM-Kymmene (UPM), Valmet, Kemira, CH-Polymers, CH-Bioforce.

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