CONNECT4GREENTECH – a collaborative research and innovation project of the Nordic Green Growth Research and Innovation Program

CONNECT4GREENTECH focuses on supporting conditions for upscaling green technologies and on moving further the innovation frontier of extracting high‐value chemicals from lignin forward.

Lignin is an abundant side stream in pulp production, nowadays mostly burnt for energy. Yet, it has a broad application potential from biofuels to chemicals, medicine and food additives. A lot of R&D concerning different options has been conducted, but the roads ahead, possible value chains, actor networks and needed supporting policies are far from clear. Further processing of lignin contains high market potential in several sectors such as the forest‐based, chemical, medical and food industries.

UNEP DTU along with Aalborg University investigate the role of regional resources, such as technological and industrial know-how and natural resource availability in supporting new green technology development.

The analysis includes an initial mapping of lignin‐related technologies based on patent data; then focus on semistructured interviews with patent holders, and other stakeholders in the lignin‐biotech area. The mapping will allow identifying clusters of bioeconomy patents in time and space, and the interviews will isolate the mechanism for how technology‐clusters arise.

A better understanding of the problems related to resource mobilization in a regional perspective can improve current policy strategies and initiatives to promote a circular bioeconomy and further decarbonisation processes in several sectors of society.