WWSC News

Simone Fabiano, professor of materials science at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Linköping University, has been awarded the Göran Gustafsson Prize in Chemistry by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences “for the development of innovative methods for doping organic semiconductors.” The total prize sum amounts to SEK 8.1 million.

When 325 of the most chemistry-interested upper secondary school students from the Nordic countries gathered for the Berzelius Days 2026, they experienced world-leading chemistry and inspiring research. Representing WWSC was Peter Olsén, who engaged the audience with his research on forest-based materials as well as his personal journey to becoming an assistant professor at Linköping University.

Are you passionate about creating novel materials for a sustainable future? Chalmers University of Technology are now recruiting an Assistant or Associate Professor in the field of biomass and biomaterials.

In June 2025, more than 400 researchers from 30 countries gathered in Stockholm to attend the WWSC International Conference 2025, hosted by the Wallenberg Wood Science Center. Held at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the four-day event offered a dynamic program of lectures, discussions, and networking centered on the latest advances in sustainable materials from wood.

Dr. Olena Sevastyanova, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, has been awarded the 2025 Competence Development Award from the Gunnar Sundblad Research Foundation. She receives a grant of SEK 700,000 for her work on using lignin as a natural UV-protection ingredient in skincare products.

Göran Sandberg has received an honorary doctorate from Kungliga Tekniska högskolan. During his time as executive board member of the Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Göran Sandberg played a key role in both the initiation of WWSC and contributed significantly to the centre’s development through his long-standing service on the WWSC Board.

June 15–18, WWSC will host the center’s first international conference, exploring the research front of new sustainable materials from wood. Over four days, leading researchers from around the world will gather in Stockholm, Sweden, to discuss the latest advancements in using wood as a sustainable resource for innovative materials.

Congratulations to the WWSC members Merima Hasani, Chalmers, Lauren McKee, KTH, and Mika Sipponen, Stockholm University, who recently got promoted!

Gabriella Mastantuoni has been awarded the 2024 prize from the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS) for her doctoral thesis ‘Engineering of lignin in wood towards functional materials’. “My work focuses on chemically and physically modifying wood to create sustainable, multifunctional materials,”Mastantuoni explains. “By enhancing wood’s permeability, porosity, and compatibility with conductive polymers, I’ve developed

Professor Minna Hakkarainen, KTH, and co-applicants receive 24 MSEK for the project ”From atomistic to macroscopic understanding: unravelling lignin’s untapped potential as earth’s most abundant natural phenolic compound” from Knut and Alice Wallenberg’s foundation.

Tobias Bensefelt, KTH, has been awarded ERC Starting Grants 2024 for a project on developing adaptive separation techniques to improve the production of bio-based pharmaceuticals.

WWSC project leader Johan Larsbrink has been awarded 5-year funding for the investigation of microbial and enzymatic valorization of tree bark. While bark is a well-known material, the knowledge of how it is broken down in nature is poorly understood today.