Person in protective clothing in front of factory building

Innovation and faith in the future – this is what the collaboration between SunPine and Södra looks like

We asked SunPine CEO David Öquist and Catrin Gustavsson, Head of Innovation and New Business at Södra and Chair of the Board at SunPine, three quick questions about the future. Are you curious about the answers?

Where are you headed in innovation?

Catherine: Södra's innovation work always focuses on creating the most possible value from every part of the tree. A good example is the further processing of Södra's tall oil in the SunPine biorefinery. Other examples are Södra's production of biomethanol, our focus on cross-laminated wood and the recycling of textiles with our OnceMore® process. But we are not satisfied with just that…

David: Exactly! The goal is to increase production volume through continued expansion, and to be a strong driving factor in the transition towards a more sustainable society. As tall oil is a versatile raw material, we are constantly researching to find other areas of use and developing new products together with our owners and customers. In this way, SunPine can contribute to making the world even a little better – in the near future.

Will you encounter challenges?

David: Absolutely, you always do. The world is demanding more green products than we have today, and since demand is high, there may be a shortage of the raw material itself. The political climate is also a factor. We need political stability with broad consensus on how to achieve climate benefits in the long term.

Catherine: Agree! Long-term political rules are needed that allow the business community to dare to invest in new, unproven technologies that can contribute to great climate benefits. Sustainable increased growth and further processing of biomass are the basis for a growing bioeconomy. Sweden has very good conditions to become a leader in several areas where our industry can really make a difference.

How will the successful collaboration continue to develop?

Catherine: We at Södra want to continue to contribute with our expertise and commitment. The ability to innovate is crucial for creating new business opportunities and you must never sit still, but always be curious. In the development of SunPine – from startup to large-scale production – the support, long-term perspective and commitment from us, the owners, have been extremely important in giving SunPine the right conditions to succeed. This is also how we view future processes together.

David: The fact that one of our owners, who is a world leader in the production of paper pulp, has the same philosophy of a sustainable society as we do means that together we can help each other develop and utilize the entire tree – from root to top – in the best way. In the future, we see that there will be even more opportunities for collaboration in innovation.

David Öquist, CEO at SunPine.