BPI Seminar by Dr. Linda Fogelstrom

Bio-Based Polymers & Adhesives at the Wallenberg Wood Science Center

Location: CHBE #102, 2360 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4

Agenda

• 2:30 PM Introduction by Dr. Emily Cranston
• 2:35 PM Presentation by Dr. Linda Fogelström, Director of Operations at Wallenberg Wood Science Center & Researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
• 3:15 PM Q&A

*Light refreshments will be provided.

Click to add to Outlook Calendar

Abstract

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) is a multidisciplinary research center with the vision to enable a sustainable society through the development of new materials from trees. Funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and based at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, with Chalmers and Linköping University as partners, WWSC gathers over 130 researchers working on fundamental research across chemistry, materials science, and engineering. The center promotes collaboration between academia and industry, exploring innovative routes for utilizing lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable feedstock for high-value materials.

At KTH, Dept. of Fibre and Polymer Technology, Div. of Coating Technology, the research group of Professor Eva Malmström focuses on the design, synthesis, and functionalization of macromolecules for sustainable materials applications. A central theme of the group’s work is the controlled polymerization and tailored architecture of polymers to achieve well-defined, high-performance systems. Our research spans areas such as surface modification, emulsion polymerization, and the development of bio-based and waterborne polymer systems.

In this presentation, an overview of WWSC and the Malmström group’s research activities will be given, with a particular focus on recent progress within the field of bio-based wood adhesives. Ongoing work explores new strategies for the synthesis of renewable and sustainable adhesive systems based on bio-derived monomers and polymers. The research aims to develop waterborne, formaldehyde-free adhesive formulations with strong interfacial performance and tunable properties, contributing to the broader goal of replacing fossil-based materials in wood products with fully renewable alternatives.

About the Speaker

Linda Fogelstrom is a researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology with expertise in polymer and coating technology, focusing on emulsion polymerization, controlled polymerization, and waterborne polymer systems. A central theme in her work is the development of adhesives, coatings, and functional materials based on biobased monomers, renewable feedstocks, and sustainable chemistries. Her research contributes to advancing environment-friendly alternatives to fossil-based materials and supports the transition toward circular and resource-efficient material systems. 

Fogelstrom’s publications in international peer-reviewed journals, including Green Chemistry, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, and Carbohydrate Polymers, cover both fundamental aspects of polymerization processes and the design of sustainable materials with targeted properties.

Collaboration is at the core of her research, and many publications are co-authored with colleagues from academia and industry, working across disciplinary boundaries to address challenges in sustainable materials development. Within the Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC), and the Vinnova Competence Centres BioGlue and FibRe, she has contributed to research activities that connect polymer science with applications in adhesives, composites, and coatings. 

Fogelstrom’s research is often conducted in close partnership with industrial stakeholders, ensuring that research outcomes are both scientifically rigorous and industrially relevant. While holding leadership responsibilities in several research centres, the primary focus is on conducting high-quality research and disseminating results through international publications in the fields of polymer synthesis, waterborne systems, adhesives, and sustainable materials.

Registration