Lignin holds tremendous potential as a precursor for various biobased applications but still challenges science and industry to integrate it into existing or novel material and chemical applications. With its increasing availability on the one hand and the enhanced understanding of materials on the other, potential applications for lignin become more concrete. Hence, this presentation will summarize current activities in the wide field of lignin production and applications in the light of the extraction process, biomass, regional and market aspects. 
One of the main struggles for lignin valorization is due to its structural variability depending on the extraction process and the biomass applied. Here, Fraunhofer CBP supports with its pilot plants for biomass pretreatment and lignin depolymerization. The know-how that could be build up from various projects regarding lignin functionalities and their contribution to an actual value proposition for subsequent products was collated for Organosolv-processes and other benchmarking lignin qualities, such as Kraft lignin. Here, we will discuss lignin properties and the requirements to be used in applications such as carbon fibres, adhesives, composites or plant protection as such or after further depolymerization.