Valued at €25bn, the global insulation market is dominated by two groups of products: i) inorganic mineral wools (made from stone or glass), ii) fossil-based plastics, like polystyrene. However, these products are not recyclable/ biodegradable. In comes Finland-based Fiberwood, which produces 100% ecological insulation + packaging sheets, with a special foam-forming technology, using wood pulp & (wood industry) side streams (i.e. turning cheap feedstock into a high-value product). The firm’s foam-forming technology is said to be “more energy-efficient & use less water than similar processes in general”. Unlike those made with mineral wool, Fiberwood’s insulation sheets are breathable (can absorb & release moisture) + fire-resistant (as well as easy, safe & quick to install). Fiberwood’s...

Germany-based, RIIICO has developed a digital twin (creation) platform, specifically designed for manufacturing companies to generate digital layouts of their factory floors. These are then used to create new factory layouts e.g. lines, workstations, as well as tooling (to help efficiently/ cost-effectively/ with-minimal-downtime e.g. “transition a plant from IC to EV production”). Original footage is garnered from a handheld, wearable or push-cart LiDAR scanner & meshed together (accounting for any errors during the scanning process) with a clever AI (which among other) is trained to automatically recognize objects such as “this a robot, cage, ceiling…or hole in the ground” & make ensuing recommendations - a claimed USP vs competitors e.g. Navvis (DE) (€90m), Leica Geosystems...