SUSPENSE

Sustainable, safe, and high-performance bio-based adhesives for wood-based composites

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus
Bio-based polymers & plastics
Feedstock origin
Sidestreams from industry
Feedstock type
Industrial waste streams
Project period
1 October 2025 - 30 September 2029
Status
Upcoming
CBE JU Contribution
€ 7 488 697,00
Call identifier
HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024

Summary

Conventional fossil-based adhesives, widely used in construction, furniture, and packaging, rely on non-renewable petroleum resources, contributing to carbon emissions and environmental pollution. Additionally, they release volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other hazardous substances, posing health risks to manufacturers and end users.

The SUSPENSE project tackles the urgent need for sustainable, high-performance bio-based adhesives in the wood composites industry. By developing cost-competitive alternatives, it enhances recyclability, reduces CO₂ emissions and health risks, and promotes circular economy principles. Through a cross-disciplinary approach, the project integrates the entire value chain - from feedstocks to end-user applications - accelerating commercialisation of bio-based adhesives for wood-based panels and insulation materials.

The project fosters collaboration between scientific and industrial partners to ensure seamless adoption. By valorising underutilised feedstocks such as plant-based non-food protein, it unlocks new economic opportunities and advances the transition toward a cleaner, circular bioeconomy.

  • Develop bio-based adhesives from renewable feedstocks such as bio-acids, polyphenols and proteins, demonstrating their use in wood-based panels and insulation materials.
  • Establish cost-effective, resource-efficient production processes for bio-based adhesives, ensuring their competitiveness with conventional alternatives and enhancing recyclability.
  • Integrate the safe-and-sustainable-by-design framework to ensure adhesives produce no harmful emissions or pose health risks.
  • Deliver bio-based solutions that offer improved environmental performance compared to fossil-based adhesives.
  • Increase awareness and acceptance of bio-based adhesives and circular wood-based panels among end users and consumers.
  • Enhance the circularity of wood-based composites by developing models and tools to optimise the lifecycle of bio-based adhesives.
  • Improve recyclability and resource efficiency through innovations in adhesive debonding and biomaterial feedstocks, reducing waste, reliance on fossil chemicals, and emissions.
     

  • Develop six bio-based adhesive formulations and four fully bio-based wood composites to expand industrial applications and accelerate market adoption.
  • Ensure that bio-based adhesives meet technical, economic, and regulatory standards, leading to competitiveness and seamless industry integration.
  • Validate the performance, scalability, and commercial feasibility of bio-based adhesives.
  • Enhance sustainability and circularity with bio-based adhesives outperforming conventional alternatives in terms of recyclability and environmental impact.
  • Reduce harmful emissions and hazardous substances, creating safer products for end users and the environment. 
  • Drive industrial adoption and create new market opportunities by using cost-competitive production processes.
  • Achieve a 30% carbon footprint reduction when compared with conventional fossil - based adhesives, a 90% recycling rate for wood-based panels, a 90% debonding efficiency, and a 25% recyclability improvement.
  • Formulate adhesives with 50% lower VOC emissions, creating safer products for end users and the environment.
  • Create high-performance, safe, and sustainable adhesives that align with industry demands.
  • Transition to bio-based adhesives to minimise toxic chemical exposure, promote safer products, and support a more sustainable society.
  • Boost consumer awareness by 30% and engage a minimum of 100 industry stakeholders via end-user awareness campaigns.
     

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • CHIMAR (HELLAS) AE - ANONYMI VIOMICHANIKI KAI EMPORIKI ETAIREIA CHIMIKON PROIONTON Thermi Thessaloniki, Greece

Consortium

  • GRUPO GARNICA PLYWOOD SOCIEDAD ANONIMA Bajo Logrono, Spain
  • UNIVERSITE DE LORRAINE Nancy Cedex, France
  • UNIVERSITE COTE D'AZUR Nice, France
  • ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS Thermi Thessaloniki, Greece
  • FIBERWOOD OY JARVENPAA, Finland
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Muenchen, Germany
  • MENEXES - ANONYMI ETAIREIA KATASKEVIS KAI EMPORIAS EPIPLON XANTHI, Greece
  • INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO METALMECANICO, MUEBLE, MADERA, EMBALAJE Y AFINES-AIDIMME Paterna Valencia, Spain
  • MONTINUTRA OY Turku, Finland
  • IDENER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AGRUPACION DE INTERES ECONOMICO LA RINCONADA SEVILLA, Spain
  • FUNDACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DE INVESTIGACION MULTISECTORIAL Culleredo, Spain
  • NORSUS NORSK INSTITUTT FOR BAEREKRAFTSFORSKNING AS KRAKEROY, Norway
  • KAAKKOIS-SUOMEN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY Mikkeli, Finland
  • KASTAMONU ENTEGRE AGAC SANAYI VE TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI Istanbul, Turkey