Imagine a handbag or a steering wheel upholstered in leather – but made of artificial leather made from fungi grown from food waste. In a new research project the goal is to develop just that in collaboration with industry.
The project aims to meet societal challenges such as food waste and the production of natural leather that is ethically and environmentally questioned due to unsustainable production methods.
There are already various alternatives to artificial leather. These often contain fossil-based plastics to meet the desired properties. The substitutes also often do not meet the desired quality characteristics and environmental requirements, which makes it interesting to work closely with industry in the project.
– At Karlstad University, in this project, we will look at the possibilities of scaling up the production of artificial leather, says Björn Sjöstrand, docent in chemical engineering. We will use the same technology as in paper production and carry out tests on a lab scale. A very exciting and innovative project.
To improve the properties
Research into fungal-based alternative materials has been going on for a long time, but in this project they are taking it a step further.
Akram Zamani, Professor of Industrial Biotechnology and Project Manager at the University of Borås, said:
– We want to improve the properties of fungal leather, and within the project we will work on two areas of application: faux leather for the manufacture of bags and other accessories, and upholstery for car steering wheels.
The project is conducted together with KTH to improve the properties of the material. Together with Karlstad University, the manufacturing process, which is similar to the paper production process, will be scaled up to transform fungi biomass into artificial leather. The fungal biomass will be grown at the University of Borås. Then the industry gets the opportunity to test the fungi leather for their products.
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The project is funded by Formas and will run until December 2026. It is conducted in collaboration with the University of Borås, KTH, Karlstad University, Sandqvist Bags and Items AB and Ecoist AB.
