SEKAB E-TECHNOLOGY AB

Their core work

SEKAB E-Technology is a Swedish biorefinery company specializing in converting wood and lignocellulosic biomass into chemicals, biofuels, and bio-based materials. They operate cellulosic ethanol production facilities and provide fermentation and biomass processing technology for industrial-scale biorefinery operations. Their core contribution to EU projects is hands-on expertise in wood hydrolysis, fermentation scale-up, and the conversion of forestry residues into drop-in biofuels and chemical building blocks. Based in Örnsköldsvik — a hub of Swedish bioeconomy — they bridge the gap between laboratory biotechnology and commercial bio-based production.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SEKAB's early H2020 work (2015–2018) centered on wood chemistry fundamentals — extracting lignin, enzymatic processing, and converting sugars like fructose into platform chemicals such as HMF and PEF. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward applied biorefinery outputs: drop-in biofuels (bio-isobutene, bio-jet-fuel), fermentation-derived monomers (isoprene, bio-polymers), and scaling up cellulosic ethanol. The trajectory is clear — moving from upstream biomass processing research toward commercial-ready fuel and chemical products.

SEKAB is moving toward commercial production of drop-in biofuels and fermentation-derived chemicals from forestry residues, making them a strong partner for projects targeting fuel substitution and circular bioeconomy scale-up.

How they like to work

SEKAB has participated exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator, across all five H2020 projects. This positions them as a reliable industrial contributor who brings real production infrastructure and process know-how to consortia without seeking the administrative lead. With 30 unique partners across 13 countries, they connect broadly rather than sticking to a narrow circle — a sign they are valued by diverse research and industry groups across Europe.

SEKAB has collaborated with 30 distinct partners across 13 countries, indicating a well-developed European network spanning both research institutions and industrial players in the bioeconomy sector. Their Swedish base and forestry focus likely give them strong Nordic connections, but their reach extends well beyond Scandinavia.

What sets them apart

SEKAB is one of very few European companies operating an actual cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant, giving them hands-on scale-up experience that most biorefinery research partners cannot offer. Their location in Örnsköldsvik places them at the heart of Sweden's bioeconomy cluster with direct access to abundant softwood feedstock. For consortium builders, they offer something rare: an industrial partner that can test and validate biorefinery processes at pilot and demo scale, not just in the lab.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ValChem
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 4.4M), focused on the foundational challenge of extracting value-added chemicals and lignin from wood — core to SEKAB's identity.
• REWOFUEL
  Second-largest funding (EUR 4.1M) and the most application-oriented project, targeting production of drop-in gasoline biofuels and bio-jet-fuel from residual softwood.
• NewLiEP
  Directly addresses SEKAB's core business of cellulosic ethanol, suggesting the project was designed to reinvigorate their production technology.