Cutting-Edge Research in Focus at WWSC International Conference 2025

With 10 plenary speakers and 17 scientific sessions featuring more than 110 keynote, invited, and contributed talks, the conference covered a broad spectrum of topics—from lignin and biocomposites to wood-based electronics and advanced material characterization.

“It was fantastic to see the energy and dedication of the scientific community gathered here in Stockholm. This conference shows just how strong the international momentum is for the research on wood-based materials,” says Eva Malmström, Director of WWSC.

The conference opened on Sunday afternoon with a plenary session and a visit to the National Museum of Science and Technology, where participants explored the exhibition The Forest, to which WWSC has contributed.

The official inauguration of the conference took place on Monday morning, featuring a speech by Sara Mazur, Executive Director of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation — Sweden’s largest private research funder and the principal funder of WWSC. In her speech, Sara Mazur emphasized the significance of WWSC within the foundation’s research efforts.

On Monday, the scientific sessions also began, with four parallel tracks featuring keynote and invited speakers selected by the organizers, along with contributed presentations selected by a committee of distinguished WWSC researchers.

A special session celebrating the next generation of scientists was the Young Researcher Award session, where the award recipient, Lucas Andrew from the University of British Columbia, Canada, delivered his presentation to a well-attended audience.

After a full day of science, participants were welcomed to Stockholm City Hall — the venue of the Nobel Banquet — by the City of Stockholm. In her welcoming address, held in the magnificent Golden Hall, Karin Ekdahl Wästberg, Director of Innovation at the City of Stockholm, underlined the essential role of science in shaping a sustainable society.

Innovation was also the theme of the WWSC Entrepreneurial Session, where six Swedish start-ups with ties to WWSC — through underlying research, WWSC alumni, or in other ways — gave their presentations.

A highlight of the conference was the poster session, with not fewer than 168 posters submitted! This provided another key opportunity for participants to interact and dive into scientific discussions—some of which may have continued well into the night, as the conference dinner was held on Tuesday evening. Despite the late evening, participants remained actively engaged throughout  Wednesday, which also marked the final day of the conference.