Excitement, positive attitude, sharing the results, and collaboration. The first-ever EFP Research Forum took place in Stockholm on 20-21 August and provided a lively opening for the series of biannual events.
The Research Forum aims to increase collaboration within the program by bringing the experts from different fields into the same room to learn from each other. Open discussion broadens the horizon and helps to see if the research is taking the right direction.
This time, the researchers and industry representatives gathered at RISE premises in Stockholm. To kick off the collaboration, PhD students and postdocs shared the first overview of their research plans and, in some cases, the first results of their studies, and received valuable comments from industry representatives.
To maintain the intensity of the discussions, the nearly 70 participants were divided into five thematic groups that focused on analytical tools and approaches, high fibre yield concepts with initial fibre liberation, mass transfer and discharge of wood components, use of oxygen, and recovery, concepts, modelling and holistic view.
Besides the knowledge exchange, the event offered an excellent opportunity for the participants to get to know each other and to decide on practicalities, such as sample collection. One key learning from the Research Forum is that we should not limit our level of ambition based on factors that might seem like problems or hindrances today.
No one knows, what the future brings, and when the target is to revolutionize the industry through groundbreaking research, the target must be set high.