Before Pro2BE

The KK Foundation and EU Framework Programs have been important sponsors for our initiatives, but also other funding agencies such as Vinnova, the Energy Agency, Swedish Agency for Growth and the ÅF Research Foundation have invested our research. Here are three key projects that preceded Pro2BE.

Research Environment for a Circular Forest Based Bioeconomy

During the period 2017 to 2020 Pro2BE is strengthened by a project with the purpose to increase the capacity to do research together with small and medium-sized enterprises in the region. The project is supported by the Swedish Agency of Growth and funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Region Värmland. The budget of the project is SEK 13 million. 

Surface treatment program

The surface treatment program started in 1999 as part of the so-called Forest Initiative, an initiative to build forestry-related research at the new universities in Sweden. Within the program, projects were conducted in, for example, packaging printing through flexography, barrier properties of surface treated products and new coating techniques. The surface treatment program was completed at the end of the year 2007 and totaled approximately SEK 100 million, co-financed by the KK Foundation, Vinnova and the business community (business finance through the Forest Industry Research Foundation).

Printing Technology Research T2F

Like the Surface Treatment Program, the Press Technology Research T2F (active 1999 - 2007) program was part of the Forest Initiative, but with the difference that the co-ordination of the program was conducted by a particular company TRT AB and that research executives from several of the new universities in Sweden were involved. (The surface treatment program was coordinated by Karlstad University and a very large part of the research was also conducted here.) Approximate, funds at Karlstad University were estimated at SEK 35 million and mainly the flexographic packaging printing, which meant very good opportunities for collaborating with the Surface Treatment Program. Even for Printing Engineering Research, the KK Foundation and the Forestry Research Foundation were important financiers.

Sustainpack

Within FP6 (EU Sixth Framework Program), Pro2BE researchers made significant efforts in Sustainpack on the development of innovative, environmentally friendly and resource-efficient bio-based packaging. Sustainpack brought together leading European players and had a total budget of SEK 350 million.