Partners
UPM is a material solutions company focused on renewing products and entire value chains through an extensive portfolio of renewable fibres, advanced materials, decarbonization solutions, and communication papers. Operating globally, UPM employs approximately 15,800 people worldwide and reports annual sales of around €10.3 billion. Its sustainability performance is recognized by third parties, including EcoVadis and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, and its shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.
Main Task
UPM contributes to SPLENDOR by exploring advanced pathways to further valorize side streams generated within pulp production processes. Building on its extensive experience in kraft pulp technology and biorefinery operations, UPM focuses on the sustainable use of lignin-rich biomass fractions that are currently primarily used for energy recovery. Within SPLENDOR, UPM aims to assess how part of this lignin biomass can be redirected as a feedstock for successive processing technologies, enabling the production of higher value-added products beyond its energy content. This approach supports UPM’s broader objective to de-fossilize value chains, enhance circularity, and develop sustainable alternatives to fossil-based materials, in line with existing successes in biobased fuel and biochemical production.