Project description
New sustainable wood-based material for the automotive and construction sectors
Traditional construction materials have significant environmental impacts. Woodoo is a sustainable alternative, which uses a patented process to replace wood's lignin content with a unique biopolymer to transform natural wood into a strong, light, durable and translucent material that is as strong as concrete and steel. The process is also highly scalable and employs standard industrial equipment like solvent tanks and pressure vessels, combined with the patented biopolymers. Woodoo can be contracted to wood processing facilities around the world to create unique interiors for automobiles, light wooden car bodies and even sustainable wooden buildings up to 48 storeys in height. The EU-funded WOODOO project aims to scale up production output, reduce production time and costs, and decrease scrap wastage.
Objective
Woodoo transforms natural wood into an augmented material that is strong, light, durable and stunningly translucent. It uses a patented process to replace wood’s lignin with a unique bio-polymer.
The result is a material as strong as concrete and steel, and as luminous as amber. It can be used to create: (A) Unique auto interiors; (B) Wooden touchscreens; (C) Light wooden car bodies; (D) Sustainable wooden buildings reaching 48 storeys.
The innovation is needed as traditional construction materials severly impact the environment: Steel and concrete produce 10.5% of all CO2 emissions. The construction and auto industries must eliminate emissions by 2050 to meet EU targets.
The process is highly scalable. It uses standard industrial equipment (solvent tanks, pressure vessels), combined with Woodoo's patented bio-polymers. It can be contracted to wood processing facilities worldwide.
Woodoo’s market entry begins in the automotive sector. It already has partnerships with large auto manufacturers and suppliers. A global player in consumer electronics is interested in wooden touch screens. Woodoo will later scale up to supplying the construction industry.
Woodoo has a team of 20 experts, HQ in Paris and R&D in Troyes. It holds 17 patents. It targets markets worth over €375 billion.
Woodoo has carried out an SME Phase 2 project, meeting all objectives. It is now applying for an EIC blended equity project. The outcome will be: (1) Scale up production output ; (2) Reduce production time and costs, reduce scrap wastage; (3) Produce a series auto component; (4) Secure contracts for large-scale commercialization; (5) Target private investments.
Woodoo meets multiple EU Green Deal objectives. By 2027 it will eliminate 1.6M tons of CO2. EIC funding is needed to achieve this.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringautomotive engineering
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringwoodworking
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestry
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringarchitecture engineeringsustainable architecturesustainable building
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
75001 Paris
France
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.