On August 6, the 2025 Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Awards were officially announced. The project "Construction of Bio-Inspired High-Strength Waterproof Wood Composite Materials and Production System Based on Industrial Base Technology Innovation" - led by Shandong Xingang Enterprise Group in collaboration with Northeast Forestry University - was awarded the First Prize.
This milestone writes a new coordinate in China's wood industry science and technology history: Xingang has become the first enterprise-led winner of a Provincial Science and Technology Progress First Prize in the panel industry - pioneering a new precedent for the sector.
Why the Province's Highest Science Honor Came to Xingang
The Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award is one of the highest provincial-level science honors and a core prerequisite for advancing toward the National Science and Technology Progress Award. It is by no means an easy distinction: according to the "Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Awards Measures," the number of annual awards is strictly limited, and the review criteria are exceptionally rigorous. Winning achievements must demonstrate outstanding technological innovation and exceptionally high technical difficulty, passing multi-stage scrutiny - strict preliminary review, review by the Provincial Science and Technology Awards Committee, and approval by the Provincial Government.
Industry leaders such as Haier, Hisense, and Inspur have previously stood on this same honor podium. Companies that reach this height share a common foundation - breakthroughs in core key technologies, independent intellectual property, and innovation that creates significant industrial value.
Inspired by Mussels - From Natural Inspiration to a Molecular-Level Breakthrough
Behind this achievement lies Xingang's persistent commitment to scientific innovation. For decades, the wood-based panel industry has been trapped by the century-old constraint that "no formaldehyde means no adhesion." Meanwhile, the difficulty of balancing lightweight high-strength with waterproof performance, and low industrial production efficiency, remained stubborn barriers to industry upgrading.
As early as 2018, when consumers were increasingly wary of formaldehyde and the industry urgently needed green materials, Xingang set its sights on environmentally friendly adhesives and began its technology breakthrough journey.
The project's core technology originates from the bio-inspired adhesion concept proposed by Academician Li Jian's team of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The inspiration came from an ordinary yet remarkable natural phenomenon - mussels clinging tenaciously to rocks under the constant battering of ocean waves.
From Nature to Industry:
Mussel inspiration → adhesion under relentless wave force
R&D route → multi-hydroxyl compounds as core raw materials, water as the only solvent
Collaboration → Academician workstation established with Northeast Forestry University
Outcome → "dopamine-like" structure bio-adhesive built at the molecular level: 0 formaldehyde, 0 benzene, 0 harmful additives in production
The Data Speaks: Exceeding International Standards
According to product test reports published by Xingang, panels using this technology deliver outstanding environmental performance:
Additionally, the bio-inspired precision panels feature Grade I antibacterial and Grade I antiviral performance. The technology has earned more than 30 domestic and international certifications, including the global wood industry's first Gold Medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, the industry's first HENF heating formaldehyde-free certification, UL GREENGUARD Gold, WELL Building certification, and Children's Safety Product certification - fundamentally reshaping the industry's understanding of premium wood composites.
A Decade of Grinding - Three Generations Breaking the Full-Category Industrial Bottleneck
Rooted in biomimetic principles, the technology system offers strong scalability and adaptability. Over more than a decade, the R&D team completed three generations of bio-adhesive iteration, progressively breaking the barriers to full-category industrial application:
Overcame core pain points including formaldehyde-free adhesive hot-press curing and panel forming stability. Commissioned the nation's first 300,000 m³/year continuous flat-press production line for bio-inspired formaldehyde-free particleboard, achieving stable large-scale mass production.
Achieved precisely adjustable adhesive viscosity to fit different production processes. Launched a 180,000 m³/year 0.5mm ultra-thin fiberboard production line, successfully adapting the technology to plywood, particleboard, and fiberboard - enabling synchronized multi-category production.
Completed breakthroughs in cold-press, formaldehyde-free, and anti-deformation technology, cracking the industry pain point of multilayer boards being difficult to use in door panels. Bio-Adhesive 3.0's cold-press adaptability has now been deployed in multilayer board products, with future expansion into more panel categories - driving energy-efficient, low-carbon green development for the wood industry.
Today, Xingang bio-inspired panels are widely used in the most environmentally demanding settings - hospitals, schools, and postpartum care centers. From research papers into production lines, from production lines into millions of homes, Xingang has forged an innovation breakthrough path for a traditional industry.
Answering the Question of the Era: How Do Traditional Industries Upgrade?
Xingang's story is more than the growth history of one enterprise - it is a vivid footnote to a traditional industry practicing national strategy. The country has explicitly called for "implementing the industrial base reinvention project and intensifying efforts on key core technology breakthroughs." Xingang's technological journey is a precise response to this call. In today's era of vigorously developing new quality productive forces, Xingang has delivered a model answer to the question "how do traditional industries upgrade?"
From an enterprise in Linyi to an innovation benchmark reshaping the global wood industry pattern;
From resolving consumers' "formaldehyde anxiety" to contributing a Chinese solution for global green transformation -
every step Xingang takes aligns with the rhythm of the times, becoming an important force driving the nation's high-quality development.
Behind every great panel is the determined stride of China's traditional industries -
advancing toward innovation, flourishing green, powering intelligence, and climbing higher.
Linyi, Shandong, China | www.cnxingang.com