Work Packages

WP1 (Project management). Partners: UOULU, WHITE, WKI, NTI, LSIWC, AURO.

The WP takes care of project management, prepares Partnership Agreement, organizes project meetings, does reporting and interacts with stakeholders. The WP also coordinates work between partners, WPs and Tasks for example by deciding about prioritizing of some tasks, and is responsible for risk management & management of IPR issues. It is in contact with ERA-Net ForestValue Coordination Office and accepts publication of project results. It also follows in connection of project meetings and regular reporting use of project resources and realization of budget. It publishes monthly internal newsletter and maintains Sharepoint & Teams accounts for internal dissemination and sharing of documents.

WP2 (Wood surfaces in healthcare buildings – practical experience). Partners: White, NTI, WKI, LSIWC.

With its point of departure in practice, WP2 lays the ground for the relevance of the project’s research and development. White Arkitekter’s profound knowledge and practical experience of wood in architecture is used to explain, instruct and recommend where and how wood can be used in healthcare environments as well as where development is needed to meet these requirements. International healthcare references and examples of national legal requirements are also compiled as a knowledge background for the project.

WP3 (Synthesis and formulation of wood coating material). Partners: WKI, LSIWC, AURO, Iecavnieks.

As the project includes untreated and coated wood, this workpackage is about the development of woodcoatings. Next to antimicrobial properties the surfaces need high resistance to cleaning cycles and UV-light. On the other hand, wood should be allowed to breath and to show its natural appearance. The WP focuses on three approaches at different TRL levels to balance risk and close-to-market aspects. We develop non film forming and film forming coating systems by formulation as well as new binders by synthesis of non-leaching functional groups to the polymer.

WP4 (Antimicrobial, antiviral and hygienic properties of coatings and surfaces). Partners: UOULU, WKI, LSIWC.

The WP focuses on three main issues: It helps WP3 to find the most effective and stable composition of antimicrobial and antiviral coatings by laboratory assays of antimicrobial & -viral activity and then tests the most promising formulations on various wooden surfaces both in ambient room space and by challenging surfaces with bacteria, fungus and respiratory viruses. This WP also analyses how various surfaces collect microbes in real building environment used daily by a high number of persons and examines how effectively wooden surfaces can be cleaned from microbes and, and whether developed coatings improve cleanability.

WP5 (Technical, environmental and economic product performance). Partners: NTI, WKI, LSIWC, AURO, Iecavnieks.

The objective of WP5 is to assess all technical properties of the coatings dependent on the requirement profiles defined in WP2. WP5 will however not include antimibrobial/-viral aspects as hygiene is central in the project and is therefore addressed in a specific workpackage (WP4). WP5 includes the characterisation of important properties in health buildings related to surface protection and maintenance but also the analysis of the water vapour damp diffusion and the moisture buffer value of coated panelling and flooring according to the Nordtest procedure. The latter is used to model the moisture dynamics and the impact on energy consumption and enthalpy (RH and T) of indoor air for a simulated hospital ward room. In addition, preliminary life cycle analysis (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) for the new wood coatings is conducted.

WP6 (Transnational dissemination). Partners: LSIWC, UOULU, White, WKI, AURO

The dissemination activities secure the communication of project results effectively and rapidly with distribution worldwide. The plan addresses the scientific community, policymakers, the industrial community, higher education and the public audience. Additionally, the project goes along with the European bio and circular economy strategy which opens further opportunities in dissemination.