Turning forest industry side streams into sustainable materials

When Sahar Babaeipour began studying polymer engineering in Iran, she focused mainly on synthetic materials. Over time, she started questioning their role in a sustainable future.

“I realized that future is in bio-based materials,” she says.

That realization eventually brought her to Aalto University, School of Chemical Engineering, where she completed a master’s degree in fibre and polymer engineering and later continued into doctoral studies at the university’s Bioinnovation Center.

“I knew Finland had a strong educational system, and sustainability was very important to me.”

A study exchange to Grenoble University helped her better understand industrial packaging challenges and opportunities.

“One important lesson was that what is interesting in academia is not always what industry needs,” she says. “I wanted to find solutions that are both scientifically valuable and practically relevant.”

One of the key challenges was lignin itself. Because lignin naturally interacts strongly with water, making it suitable for moisture-resistant packaging required extensive formulation work.

Although more development is still needed before large-scale commercial use, Babaeipour believes lignin-based materials have significant potential.

“The forest industry already produces large amounts of lignin. Instead of burning it, we should develop higher-value applications for it.”

According to Babaeipour, chemical engineers have an important role in building more sustainable industries.

“We are not going to solve sustainability challenges overnight, but future industry will be based on the research we are doing today.”

She also highlights the importance of collaboration during doctoral studies as it is a fundamental element in Bioinnovation Center’s way of working.

“I learned a lot about communication, problem-solving and working with people from different backgrounds,” she says. “Collaboration was a major part of my work.”

After completing her doctorate, Babaeipour will continue working with bio-based materials as an application specialist at Boreal Bioproducts. Babaeipour describes her experience at Aalto University as both academically and professionally supportive.

Sahar Babaeipour’s dissertation, “Development of bio-based coatings incorporating lignin nanoparticles for packaging and textile applications” was approved on 13th May 2026.