Japanese forest-based materials group Oji Holdings Corporation has made a strategic minority investment in Finnish biomaterials company Nordic Bioproducts Group (NBG), acquiring a 20% stake. The partnership will focus on industrial collaboration and the global deployment of NBG's AaltoCell technology for producing sustainable, high-value cellulose materials.
The collaboration will initially target the microcrystalline cellulose market, which is valued at $1.33 billion globally, with demand projected to double by 2035. Nordic Bioproducts Group operates a commercial-scale production facility in Lappeenranta, Finland, which is EXCiPACT-certified for pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing.
The AaltoCell technology is noted for substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, and chemical inputs compared to conventional production methods.
