Pia Wågberg, Business Strategy and Innovation Manager at Rise, a research institute and innovation partner owned by the Swedish state.
What is digital cellulose?
– It is a digitally active material made from renewable forest raw material. By combining cellulose from wood fibre with various active components, we are able to create a material that is electrically active and can be connected to the digital world. For example, instead of pasting a sensor on a cardboard box, the sensor is built into the material from the start.
How can digital cellulose reduce food waste?
– Digital packaging will enable us to know much more about the content inside the package and how it has been handled along the way – such as being able to monitor temperature changes during shipping or if the packaging has been broken. It could also provide more accurate information on whether the foodstuff is good or bad, which may reduce unnecessary food waste.
Besides packaging, what other areas of usage may be of interest?
– We see great potential in energy storage. As demand for renewable energy rises, and given that solar and wind power is not always readily available, there is an increasing need for large-scale energy storage technologies and batteries capable of balancing the market's need for electricity. This is where know-how from large-scale production in the paper industry can come into its own.
