Several exciting startup companies in the development of the forest industry's residual products have been included in this year's accelerator. Some examples are fish farming with bio-purification and mealworms that 'refine' bio-sludge for nutrition.

Taking advantage of residual flows from industry has been the focus for three of this year's five participating companies. Big Akwa is developing a system that combines fish farming with bio-purification in the pulp industry, and the company Tebrito a method where mealworms convert bio-sludge from pulp production to nutrients of various kinds. The company Sandtec also works with processing a residual product: bark.

'The accelerator means that we get new influences around technologies and business models, while we can help the entrepreneurs with our long experience. We have seen from year to year that we have had a very good exchange between industry, partners and entrepreneurs. It is an interesting win-win-win situation, says Magnus Viström', innovation manager at SCA.

Continued contacts with several of the companies
During the accelerator, SCA has had close contact with, for instance, Tebrito, Big Akwa and Sandtec, and contact with the companies will continue in various forms.

'This year's program has been very interesting in many different ways. That a company such as Tebrito could get us at SCA to, with the forest as a 'nature's pantry', become a part of the protein supply of the future is really exciting. It is particularly nice when you can find such a match', says Magnus.

Another example is Hugo Wikström's company Big Akwa, which work with development to combine fish farming with pulp production. There, RISE Processum had previously conducted a feasibility study on a similar idea, which could now be useful.

'The problem is often that there is no 'Hugo'. Without an entrepreneur and an investment, it stops at knowledge and reports', says Gunnar Westin, business developer at RISE Processum.

Another driven participant in the accelerator is Axel Häger, who with his company Jord Innovation has developed a new tealight where the cup is produced from renewable material. After intensive material and product development, the first prototype lights were delivered in November.

Forest Business Accelerator has now been implemented for four successful years, and planning is already underway for next year's accelerator, which opens up for new applications in February 2021.

Read more about Forest Business Accelerator and the five participating companies Jord Innovation, Sandtec, Big Akwa, Skogr Kaupa and Tebrito

Picture above: Magnus Viström, SCA's innovation manager and Regina Duymaz who is Bizmaker's incubator manager and project leader for Forest Business Accelerator.
Photo: Bizmaker

Published 12/17/2020

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SCA - Svenska Cellulosa AB published this content on 17 December 2020 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 17 December 2020 09:46:01 UTC