On May 5, Latvijas Finieris Group officially opened the first in Latvia and one of the few in Europe the betulin extraction pilot plant Betulin Lab. The pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries are just some of the areas where betulin's excellent antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties could be widely used in the near future.

"A project that features the development of Europe's Green Deal, bioeconomy and the potential of the forest sector," emphasizes Jānis Ciems, CEO of Latvijas Finieris, acknowledging that Betulin Lab is an example of successful science and business cooperation. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš also emphasized this during the opening ceremony: "A great example of how scientists, in cooperation with manufacturers, create new technologies in Latvia and develop high-quality products for international market, strengthening the reindustrialisation of our economy - the development of export-oriented production."

"The first kilograms of betulin have already been produced and there is an active search for customers. For example, in Latvia, betulin is already used for the production of food supplements, as well as negotiations are underway with several local cosmetics manufacturers. As a separate product on the market, we also offer our extraction raw material - crushed birch bark, one of the first customers of which is a pharmaceutical company in Germany, ” reveals Māris Būmanis, a member of the Executive Board of Latvijas Finieris. At the same time, he emphasizes that the goal of Betulin Lab is not standardized production, but product development projects with customers, adapting the production and use of betulin to the unique specifics of each partner.

More about the properties of betulin and the possibilities offered by Betulin Lab: www.betulin-lab.com

Source: www.finieris.com