Fiberwood is participating in the newly launched PRIMARY project, a four-year EU-funded Horizon Europe initiative focused on giving agricultural by-products a new lease of life. Instead of ending up as energy waste or in landfills, these fibre-rich side streams, such as grass, greenhouse waste, cotton, and olive residues, will be transformed into high-value, sustainable materials.
Led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, PRIMARY brings together organisations from Finland, Greece, and Estonia to pilot new solutions in circular bioeconomy. In Finland, Fiberwood is developing ways to turn underutilised agricultural residues, like grass and greenhouse waste, into insulation and construction materials using foam-forming technology.
“This is an excellent opportunity to network at the EU level, but more importantly, it puts us right at the core of circular economy efforts,” says Jani Lehmonen, Fiberwood’s Technology and Product Development Manager. “We’re working hands-on to give industrial side streams a meaningful second life. Once destined for energy production or landfill, these materials can now be used to store long-term carbon in real, tangible products.”
In Greece, project partners are piloting clean energy and biochar solutions from cotton and olive tree prunings. Across all regions, the aim is the same: creating new farm-level value chains, boosting rural economies, and cutting emissions, while supporting Europe’s protein self-sufficiency and reducing land use pressure.
The PRIMARY project officially kicked off in May 2025 and will soon open a call for new partners across the EU to adapt and expand the technologies developed.
Stay tuned for more PRIMARY project updates as we explore how bio-based innovation and circular thinking can change the way materials are made!
Disclaimer:
PRIMARY is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101180167. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
For more information, please contact:
Emilia Nordlund
PRIMARY Project Coordinator
Research Manager at VTT
emilia.nordlund@vtt.fi
