23 October 2024 (Jornal de Notícias) – Jornal de Notícias ran a piece on the RN21 Integrated Project, which aims to put Natural Resin back on the map of the Portuguese economy and make it a strong export product.
A raw material with a past and a future
Carlos Fonseca, CTO of CoLAB ForestWISE, recalls that in the 1970s resin was the country’s third most exported raw material. Increasing resin productivity and quality, diversifying products and creating business opportunities are among the project’s goals, with applications in the automotive, textile, footwear and food industries, from biodegradable packaging to lighter car components and better colour fastness in fabric dyeing.
Despite good climate and soil conditions for maritime pine, especially in the North and Centre, much of the resin used in second processing is imported because of its lower cost.
22 measures and a structure for the future
The consortium brings together 37 entities, from resin producers to first- and second-processing companies, universities, polytechnics, intermunicipal communities and forest associations, and is organised into 22 measures across three pillars. According to Carlos Fonseca, 60% of these measures had been completed, with 2025 mainly dedicated to implementing and promoting the brand. One of the goals is to create a formal structure that integrates the entire Natural Resin value chain.
Originally published in Jornal de Notícias.