From birch bark to truck parts – Scania explores next-gen rubber
2 MAY 2025
Scania is exploring a new kind of bio-based rubber made from birch bark – a forest industry by-product – in a state-funded research project. The goal is to evaluate low-carbon materials that could one day replace fossil-based rubber in selected truck components.
Scania’s ambition to drive the shift towards sustainable transport doesn’t stop at promoting biofuels and electrification. Decarbonising the company and the supply chain also means rethinking the materials used to build the trucks themselves – down to the smallest components.
As part of its long-term R&D efforts, Scania is now exploring a new kind of rubber made from birch bark – a forest industry by-product that’s usually burned as waste. The material, developed by Swedish scale-up Reselo, has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of fossil-based rubbers traditionally used in commercial vehicles.
“This is what our job at R&D is about – to look ten years ahead,” explains Martin Bellander, Technical Manager and an expert in rubber materials at Scania R&D. “When we saw a fully bio-based polymer like this, made from renewable waste and showing promising properties, we knew we had to explore it.”
Strategic innovation partnerships
The idea took root after an innovation matchmaking event at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where Reselo presented its early results. Scania had been aware of the technology a while, but the timing now felt right – especially as external funding soon became available through the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova.
“Driving the shift in the transport industry means that we are constantly looking for materials with a lower climate impact,” says Jonas Gustafsson, Senior Venture Collaboration Manager at Scania R&D. “Partnering with a scale-up like Reselo through a Vinnova-funded project is a way for us to walk the talk and to explore early innovations.”
The collaboration also includes Scania’s supplier AnVa Polytech, which brings manufacturing expertise and tooling capabilities to the table.
From lab to truck cab
The project launched in mid-2024 with the goal of testing and evaluating the new material’s properties – from temperature resistance to chemical durability and sealing performance. The first step: building physical prototypes.
“We’ve produced two initial parts – a rubber seal for cables and holes, and a small rubber mat for the cup holder in the cab,” says Bellander. “One is hidden, one is visible – but both serve as proof that this material could work in real vehicle conditions.”
A broader shift in materials
Rubber may not be the biggest emissions driver in truck production – steel, aluminium and batteries have a larger footprint – but it’s still part of the equation. Especially as Scope 3 emissions (from vehicle use) decrease with electrification, Scope 1 and 2 (from manufacturing and supply chain) will become increasingly important.
“If the material performs well, there’s a clear opportunity to use it in a wide range of rubber components,” says Gustafsson. “And it’s locally sourced from a renewable stream – which perfectly aligns with our sustainability strategy.”
The research project concludes in mid-2025, but the long-term impact could stretch far beyond a few prototypes.
“To decarbonise a truck, you need to look at every single part,” says Bellander. “And sometimes the biggest shifts start with the smallest details.”
How Scania decarbonises its value chain
Scania aims to cut its Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions (direct and indirect) by 50% by 2025, compared to 2015 levels. An additional 50% reduction is targeted between 2022 and 2032.
By 2030, all steel, battery and cast iron purchases for Scania’s European operations must come from green sources.
