ABiCo Final Seminar highlights: Advancing circular biocomposites

Coordinated by CLIC Innovation and co-funded by Business Finland, the project brought together research organisations and industrial partners to develop high-performance biocomposite solutions for long-life applications, with circular economy principles integrated throughout the value chain.

The seminar featured presentations from experts representing LUT University, VTT, Åbo Akademi University, University of Eastern Finland (UEF), LAB University of Applied Sciences, and Arcada University of Applied Sciences, complemented by industry perspectives from Pihla Group, NG Nordic, and Meyer Turku, as well as closing remarks from Business Finland.

Project overview

Kirsi Immonen (VTT) presented an overview of the ABiCo project and its main achievements over the past two and a half years. She described how the project combined material development, advanced processing, circular design, environmental assessment, and recycling research to support the transition from fossil-based materials to high-performance biocomposites. The work demonstrated significant progress in flame-retardant materials, lightweight structures, bio-based additives, recycling technologies, circular design concepts, and life-cycle assessment, while also strengthening collaboration between research organisations and industry.

Lightweight biocomposites through foam injection moulding

Faizan Asad (VTT) presented research on foam injection moulding of recycled and bio-based polyethylene composites. The study, carried out in collaboration with the Portuguese research organisation PIEP, demonstrated that chemical foaming offers an effective balance between weight reduction and mechanical performance. The work showed how lightweight biocomposite structures could support future applications in automotive components, construction products, packaging, and consumer goods while reducing material use. During the discussion, it was noted that additional fillers may further influence foam formation and offer opportunities for future optimisation.

Flame retardancy and long-term durability

Yury Brusentsev (Åbo Akademi) presented research on improving the fire performance and durability of biocomposites. By combining phosphorus-based flame retardants with synergistic additives, the research achieved demanding UL94 V0 fire classifications while maintaining competitive filler contents. The work also examined stabilisation systems for heat, oxidation, moisture, and UV resistance, supporting the long-term use of biocomposites in demanding applications such as construction, electronics, and transport.

Safety studies of bio-based additives

Reijo Lappalainen (UEF) presented safety and performance studies on biochars, pyrolysis distillates, and bio-based phenolic fractions. The work investigated VOC emissions, biological safety, antimicrobial properties, fatigue behaviour, and acoustic emission analysis. The results indicated that carefully selected biochars and purified distillate fractions can be safely used in biocomposites while also improving durability and mechanical performance.

AI-assisted circular product design

Petteri Kokkonen (VTT) presented future concepts for AI-assisted product development. Rather than focusing only on material optimisation, the work explored how artificial intelligence could integrate material selection, product design, manufacturing processes, and lifecycle considerations into a single decision-making framework. Such approaches could help manage the variability of recycled and bio-based raw materials while accelerating product development and improving manufacturing efficiency.

End-of-life solutions and environmental assessment

Anna Zaikova (LUT University) reviewed current end-of-life options for biocomposites and concluded that mechanical recycling offers the greatest near-term potential, provided that materials can be effectively identified and sorted. She also highlighted the importance of circular design, product labelling, and collection systems in enabling future recycling.

This was followed by a life-cycle assessment case study presented by Amirmehrab Falsafi (Arcada University of Applied Sciences), demonstrating how replacing conventional materials with biocomposites in window components can reduce environmental impacts by up to 40%. The study illustrated the benefits of combining circular design principles with material substitution in practical industrial applications.

Optical identification for recycling

Tuomas Sormunen (VTT) presented research on optical identification methods for sorting biocomposites at the end of their service life. Using FTIR spectroscopy and machine learning, the team demonstrated that fibre-containing biocomposites can be identified with high accuracy, providing a promising basis for future automated recycling systems.

Circular Design – Guidelines for industry

Amir Toghyani (LUT University) presented practical guidelines for applying circular design principles in product development. Using industrial case studies, he illustrated how material replacement, design for durability, repairability, disassembly, modularity, and resource efficiency can improve product sustainability while reducing environmental impacts. The presentation highlighted that decisions made during the design phase determine most of a product’s future environmental performance, making circular design a key enabler for the successful adoption of advanced biocomposites.

Regulatory landscape

Kirsi Immonen reviewed the evolving European regulatory landscape affecting the use of biocomposites in sectors such as construction, automotive, and electronics. She highlighted how increasing requirements related to circularity, recycled content, product durability, traceability, and digital product passports are creating new opportunities for bio-based materials. At the same time, the presentation underlined the importance of ensuring that future biocomposite solutions meet both technical and regulatory requirements.

Circular business models

Anu Kurvinen (LAB University of Applied Sciences) presented the business perspective of circular biocomposites, focusing on how new value creation can emerge through circular business models. Beyond material innovation, successful market uptake requires collaboration across value chains, new service concepts, industrial symbioses, and effective recycling systems. The presentation also highlighted that regulatory developments and increasing sustainability demands are expected to strengthen the business case for advanced biocomposites in the coming years.

Industry perspectives

Representatives from Pihla Group, NG Nordic, and Meyer Turku reflected on the project results from an industrial perspective, highlighting both the opportunities and the practical challenges associated with the wider adoption of advanced biocomposites. They emphasized the growing need for low-carbon and circular material solutions while noting that future success will depend on balancing sustainability with technical performance, cost, manufacturability, and customer requirements. The company presentations demonstrated the value of close collaboration between industry and research organisations in developing solutions that can meet future market needs.

Business Finland remarks

In his remarks, Tuomas Lehtinen from Business Finland emphasized that projects such as ABiCo play an important role in strengthening Finland’s bioeconomy and innovation ecosystem. He highlighted the value of long-term collaboration between research organisations and companies in building the knowledge, capabilities, and industrial networks needed for future commercialisation. While the transition towards bio-based materials is progressing gradually, he noted that continued investment in research and innovation is essential to ensure that Finnish companies are well positioned to respond as market demand and regulatory drivers continue to evolve.

Looking ahead

The ABiCo project demonstrated how advances in materials research, circular design, recycling technologies, and industrial collaboration can support the transition towards more sustainable material solutions. By bringing together expertise from research organisations, industry, and public funding, the project has created a strong foundation for future innovation and wider adoption of advanced biocomposites.

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