Abstract
The BioGlue-Centre is a network of excellence in the field of bio-based adhesives in co-operation with 3 universities and 12 companies from different industrial sectors (furniture, construction, packaging), sharing the same research questions around adhesives and bonding. The Centre responds to the urgent need in these sectors to become more sustainable by increasing the speed of finding bio-based alternatives to the vast amounts of the, almost exclusively, fossil-based adhesives used today. These sectors alone consume about 25% of all adhesives produced world-wide, and thus represent a major market share. The substitution of fossil-based adhesives with bio-adhesives has hitherto not been possible since there is a lack of fundamental knowledge to create high-performing and more environment-friendly products. The vision of the centre to become a world leading research environment will be accomplished through development of paradigm-shifting knowledge on bio-based adhesives in three research areas: raw materials and formulations, aspects of adhesives, and end-use requirements and sustainability. Such a research environment, focusing on adhesives and adhesive function, does not exist today at international level. The Centre provides a unique opportunity to strongly influence novel research directions and revolutionise the field of bio-adhesives, thus bringing about several benefits for the involved partners and contributing to a more sustainable industry.