Chalmers professors secure almost €6 million funding for sustainability research

Two Chalmers researchers, Prof Lisbeth Olsson and Assoc Prof Anette Larsso will receive 25 million SEK (approximately €2.9 million) each from The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning - Formas - for the development of new materials and chemicals for a green society.

In order to meet the challenges of our modern society, the conversion to a bio-based economy has been identified as a focus area in the government’s research proposition. In a bio-based economy, the production of fuels, chemicals and materials are based on renewable resources instead of oil. The many challenges of this research field calls for interdisciplinary research, and Chalmers constitutes an environment with great potential for development of the field, on both a national and an international level.

Anette Larsson, former coordinator of the Excellence profile “Sustainable Materials” within the Materials Science Area of Advance, leads a project focusing on the development of new foam materials used in packaging, absorbents and other medical products. Cellulose and hemi cellulose are to replace today’s materials, which are mostly based on fossil resources. For successful use, the properties of these bio-based materials need to be improved through chemical modification and new production techniques. Dr Larsson aims to address this question with an interdisciplinary approach, together with researchers from Chalmers, SIK and University of Gothenburg.