Exploring new value in local biomass
What if underused local biomass could become the starting point for new materials and circular solutions? That idea is at the heart of ReCreateBiobased, an EU Interreg Central Baltic project exploring how locally available biomass, such as common reed, can be transformed into valuable materials and products.
Inspirational field visit to Torsåker Farm, discovering future materials. Photos: Axfoundation
In September, Race For The Baltic hosted the project partners in Stockholm for their first physical project meeting. During the two-day kick-off, we looked beyond the individual work packages and focused on the bigger picture: What would success look like for each partner? What could prevent us from getting there? And which solutions and contributions will be needed to build practical circular value chains?
A highlight was a field visit to Axfoundation’s Torsåker Farm north of Stockholm — a development centre where ideas around future food and materials are tested in practice. The visit offered plenty of inspiration, from tasting innovations in sustainable food to discovering new biobased and clay-based materials and discussing how experimentation across disciplines can lead to new solutions.
ReCreateBiobased runs from May 2026 to April 2029 and will test ways to collect, process, reuse and recycle biomass and material side streams, while exploring opportunities to replace virgin and fossil-based raw materials.
The project brings together Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Municipality of Kimitoön, University of Latvia and Race For The Baltic.
The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Central Baltic Programme.