Reshaping the life-cycle of electronics, from raw materials to end-of-life, is inevitably one of the fundamental steps to accomplish towards a sustainable economy and society. The ambition of the HyPELignum project is to propose and demonstrate a holistic approach (from sourcing of raw materials until the end-of-life of devices) for the manufacturing of electronics with net zero carbon emissions centred around additive manufacturing and wooden and wood derived materials (i.e. bio-derived or bio-polymers from wood waste). Wood has been identified since it is a largely available and technically versatile material which has and will keep having a key relevance in constructions and households (New European Bauhaus initiative). Furthermore, its biogenic nature makes it pivotal in the European Community effort toward a carbon neutral society. HyPELignum pillars are: (i) implementation of the biogenic material, wood, as substrate for the additive manufacturing of electronic; (ii) implementation of Lignocellulosic materials (from wood production waste), bio-derived resins and abundant and low impact transition metals in the needed functional materials; (iii) the development of highly energy efficient µchip for driving integrated sensing systems; (iv) exploring new avenues for allowing the recycling of wood and recovery of electronic materials. Importantly in addition to the technical development the project will also dedicate a significant effort in the sustainability assessment (life cycle, toxicity, and biodegradability) to: (i) contribute actively to the consolidation of the definition of green and circular electronics and (ii) to propose a decision-making tool for assessment of green and circular electronics.

Adhesives and coatings are an integral part of consumer products used in our daily lives. Today, the vast majority of adhesives and coatings on the market are formulated using fossil-based and harmful chemicals, which conflicts with the EU-level goal of reducing our dependency on non-renewable resources and protecting the health and well-being of citizens and the environment. The SuperBark project will exploit natural components in softwood bark, a major industrial side stream of forest industry, to develop ≥ 95% bio-based adhesives and coatings for wood panels and packaging paper with the functional, safety, and sustainability standards required by the industry and consumers. The project partners will deliver this through 1) extraction of polyphenols from bark using a novel alkaline fractionation technology and conversion of cellulose-rich bark residues into cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) 2) development of adhesive and coating formulations using bark polyphenols and CNF that meet technical requirements and build on Safe and Sustainable by Design principles set out by the JRC and 3) combination of digital technologies in process design, system dynamics modelling, and data analysis to accelerate the adhesive and coating developments and evaluate technical, socio-economic and market opportunities. The project findings will be disseminated to scientists, policy makers, society, and industrial actors in relevant sectors, including furniture, construction, transportation and packaging, to raise awareness on the benefits of the adhesives and coatings developed from bark components. The exploitation of results from SuperBark will have a measurable economic impact on the consortium companies and will also translate into clear environmental and health impacts to the society, in alignment to the objectives set in the CBE JU annual work program.