News and Ideas RSS Feed

Blog post: Can even dust be useful?

Minna Kotilainen, Pertti Lintunen — Fri, 04.12.2020 - 07:00

While no useful further use has yet been found for dust bunnies collecting in the corners of households, VTT developed a reuse for zinc-containing dust produced as a side stream from the steel industry.

News: An electric reactor would effectively reduce emissions from the chemical industry

Thu, 03.12.2020 - 08:08

Tightening climate targets in Finland and the EU are forcing industry to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Switching to electricity to replace fossil fuels is a growing trend in industry. VTT is developing electrically heated reactor technology that could significantly reduce emissions from the chemical industry.

Event: The FAN Night before Christmas

Wed, 02.12.2020 - 14:48

Welcome to a merry event to discuss about foodtech innovation, food business & sustainability and how to have a Healthy COVID Christmas. We offer you the possibility to hear and ask questions about EIT FAN programme 2021. Application time starts already on January 14th, 2021.

News: 3D-printed magnets help create more efficient electric motors

Tue, 01.12.2020 - 07:30

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is leading a European consortium 3DREMAG which is developing a new material suitable for 3D printing of permanent magnets, which can be utilised in electric and hybrid vehicle motors. The aim in the long run is to develop a fully 3D printable electric motor, one that would be approximately 30% lighter than today's motors. The new permanent magnet material being developed for this purpose will promote cleaner traffic and help reduce the environmental impact of traffic.

News: Professor Mikko Möttönen from VTT and Aalto University received Nokia Foundation award for quantum computing research

Fri, 27.11.2020 - 08:03

Nokia Foundation has granted its 2020 Recognition Award to Mikko Möttönen, D.Sc. (Tech), Professor of Quantum Technology at Aalto University and VTT, for his contributions to quantum computing research. The Foundation annually recognizes groundbreaking and longstanding research in fundamental physics.

News: More competitive manufacturing industry in Europe by extending component lifetime

Fri, 27.11.2020 - 08:00

Consortium led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd up scales novel material solution to extend lifetime of industrial components. Extended lifetime reduces material and energy losses enhancing competitiveness and productivity of Europe’s heavy industry, while lowering environmental impact of the manufacturing.

News: Emotion radar brings empathy to the environment

Thu, 26.11.2020 - 07:59

There is a great need in society and in business to understand human behaviour and emotional experiences in public spaces, for example. A radar system developed at VTT identifies biosignals and micromovements in crowds of people and interprets prevailing emotional states. Based on this information it is possible to modify the environment, and in so doing, to improve the experience of using a space or service, as well as safety, workplace well-being, or productivity, for example.

Blog post: If you had a quantum computer, what would you use it for?

Katri Kallio — Tue, 24.11.2020 - 12:40

The quantum age is starting. Also here in Finland, as VTT and IQM have started to build Finland’s first quantum computer. What makes this an event to notice? The promise is that quantum computers are so powerful in certain type of computing tasks that it’s like giving a modern laptop to someone who has only used an abacus before.

Blog post: Jumping into the next paradigm: Circular Design for holistic solutions

Inka Orko — Tue, 24.11.2020 - 08:10

Circular economy is the talk of the day in the European R&D scene. With most sectors of industry, we recognise its importance. And rightly so - we are globally discarding and wasting 91% of all material resources after use and downgrading our environment as we go. Also, in doing that, we are often wasting energy and money in continuously extracting virgin raw material from nature, instead of re-using and recycling.

Blog post: A new book explores Nordic perspectives to systemic approach to safety in the nuclear industry

Nadezhda Gotcheva — Mon, 23.11.2020 - 15:31

A new book, Human Factors in Nuclear Industry: A Systemic Approach to Safety, edited by Anna-Maria Teperi and Nadezhda Gotcheva was published in late October 2020 by Elsevier, Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy. This edited collection provides value to the contemporary discussions on human and organizational factors for safety by presenting science-based and practical Nordic perspectives to systemic approach to safety in the nuclear industry.

Article: Crossing the last-mile with a self-driving in Tampere

VTT — Mon, 23.11.2020 - 15:31

Tampere is planning to streamline public transport in more ways than just launching tramway services. In September, the city started a free trial with self-driving Roboride vehicles.

Blog post: Rethinking manufacturing - remanufacturing

Jouko Heikkilä, Katariina Palomäki — Mon, 23.11.2020 - 13:28

COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to change our daily life, change the way we work and it has changed the business. Isn’t it time to change our idea of manufacturing?

News: Chipmetrics Oy commercialises test chip developed by VTT

Mon, 23.11.2020 - 07:10

The PillarHall test chip for analysing 3D thin film structures is ready for market. Chipmetrics Oy, a spin-off of VTT, is now starting to commercialise the solution. The test chip enables the production of smaller nanostructures and components. This opens up new opportunities for the development of semiconductors, memory circuits and smart devices, among others.

News: The Nordic Drone Initiative for the transport of passengers and goods by drones

Wed, 18.11.2020 - 16:26

The Nordic countries are joining forces to drive the development of drone transport for both goods and passengers. The Nordic Drone Initiative (NDI) will pave the way for new sustainable business models. It can be about air taxis, autonomous courier services or new tourist concepts.

Blog post: Challenging the innovation (process)

Szymon Wiktorowicz — Wed, 18.11.2020 - 12:05

When you ask three people to give their ideas for a new car —you will get suggestions of three (hopefully) different makes and models. But if you ask them to imagine an entirely new way of moving around —you will likely get very different and perhaps more interesting responses. These replies may be related to how the people see the world, how they come up with ideas and how far outside the box they are willing to think. The latter could be an example of how focusing on a challenge opens you up to new possibilities.

News: Corporate responsibility at the core of VTT’s operations – Establishing a corporate responsibility programme

Tue, 17.11.2020 - 13:51

At VTT, sustainable development is at the core of everything we do, and our corporate responsibility flows first and foremost from our research and innovation which is aimed at tackling and solving major challenges. Our task is to develop sustainable solutions for our customers and for society, and principles of sustainable development are taken into account in both our internal operations as well as in all our research and service activities.

Event: Lab to Market 2 - Stories about science-based entrepreneurship

Mon, 16.11.2020 - 10:33

25.11.2020, 13.00-14.30 (EET)

Online

Free and open event

News: Building of Finland’s first quantum computer begins – VTT partners with quantum startup IQM

Mon, 16.11.2020 - 09:15

VTT and IQM have entered into an agreement to establish a co-innovation partnership and begin building Finland’s first quantum computer. The cooperation will bring together top expertise in quantum technologies and enable a leap in Finland’s quantum capabilities. The government of Finland has granted the project EUR 20.7 million funding.

Blog post: The acceleration of digitalization reinforces the need for strong cybersecurity innovation ecosystems

Maria Barbosa Lima Toivanen, Nina Rilla, Jouko Myllyoja — Thu, 12.11.2020 - 14:48

It is undeniable that COVID-19 helped to accelerate the transition towards a digital economy. A process that would take a few decades, is now being established in a matter of months with remote work and education and e-commerce becoming the new norm. Including other impacts brought by the pandemics, it also led to an increase in COVID-19-related cybercrimes.

News: Protein cluster to accelerate growth of domestic plant-based protein sector

Thu, 12.11.2020 - 10:30

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Cereal Committee, and VTT are launching a joint project aimed at strengthening growth in the development and production of domestic plant-based protein products. The collaboration will help the entire chain from the field to the table to function more efficiently. The work begins in November 2020 with workshop activities aimed at boosting cooperation among the actors and establishing clear procedures. All actors interested in actively participating in the development of the plant-based protein chain are welcome to join.

News: Supporting Finnish manufacturers in digitalisation

Wed, 11.11.2020 - 10:55

Digitalising production processes and using new technologies helps improve the competitiveness of industry while bringing industrial jobs back to Finland. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment directed EUR 2 million of additional funding to VTT, which will be used to make Finnish industry more progressive.

News: Satellite images provide up-to-date information on forest resources and the amount of carbon bound by forests: a new cloud service is lending help to responsible forest management

Thu, 05.11.2020 - 15:12

Information is increasingly needed on the treatment of forests and on their role as a source of raw materials, carbon sink and carbon reservoir. Together with five partners, VTT is implementing the first ever platform service to produce information on forest resources and carbon sequestration using satellite images. Using the services of the Forest Flux project, forest companies and forest owners can improve the profitability of forest management and take care of ecological sustainability. The project aims to create a service business for the forest industry and larger private and state owners of forests.

Blog post: Against the odds - how to push your innovation towards success

Szymon Wiktorowicz — Wed, 04.11.2020 - 16:49

Numbers speak for themselves and the reality is that 90% of start-ups never make it. For product innovations, the numbers are even higher — with 19 out of 20 failing to reach their potential. In part, this is the nature of innovation. But while there are numerous elements we cannot control, there are also many which we can – and most definitely should.

Event: SusChem Finland Startup Forum

Wed, 04.11.2020 - 13:17

Sustainable Chemistry Finland promotes circular economy and bioeconomy through chemical and biochemical innovations. National and international collaboration form the core of our actions.

News: Digitalising and 3D printing spare parts enables manufacturing anywhere and anytime

Wed, 04.11.2020 - 09:35

The digitalisation of spare parts is a step towards more sustainable business and reducing the carbon footprint of industry. It also reduces costs and improves the availability of spare parts with quicker access. VTT and Aalto University have been conducting first-class research for five years now to promote digitalising and 3D printing spare parts.

Blog post: The power of data in remote work – anticipation supports success

VTT — Mon, 02.11.2020 - 08:22

COVID-19 turned everyone's everyday routines upside down this spring. Production lines were in shambles, hand sanitizer and face masks were selling like hot cakes, and ordinary meetings in close quarters became questionable. Everyone who could stay at home started working remotely, which constituted nearly 60% of the employed in Finland.

News: Finnish know-how to support implementing safe disposal of radioactive waste in Bulgaria

Fri, 30.10.2020 - 10:36

Finland’s decades-long experience in safe and responsible management of high-level radioactive waste was shared with Bulgarian stakeholders in a national cooperative workshop that was held on Thursday 29th October 2020. As part of the workshop, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Vice President Tommi Nyman of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Professor Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of the Bulgarian National Nuclear Security Support Center, Department “National and Regional Security” (UNWE) to further develop competences and research opportunities in the field of safe radioactive waste management.

News: New VTT-based startup company eniferBio producing protein from biorefinery by-products received more than one million euros in funding

Fri, 30.10.2020 - 10:14

The growing demand for food and sustainable food production are global challenges. A significant part of the problem is the lack of sustainably produced protein feed. eniferBio has developed a new and sustainable production process for a high-quality fish feed ingredient and recently received funding for its solution from two funds, Nordic FoodTech VC and Voima Ventures.

News: Universum’s 2020 Employer Rankings: VTT ranked as Finland’s third most attractive employer among the engineering professionals

Thu, 29.10.2020 - 10:00

A report released today by Universum shows that VTT has risen up six places in the engineering sector rankings within a single year. Spurred on by this success, we will continue to offer in the years ahead diverse and attractive opportunities for a wide range of engineering professionals.

News: VTT joined EIT Manufacturing to boost competitive and sustainable manufacturing

Thu, 29.10.2020 - 09:12

VTT joined the European Innovation and Technology Institute’s (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) Manufacturing. EIT Manufacturing’s mission is to bring European manufacturing actors together in innovation ecosystems that add unique value to European products, processes and services and inspire the creation of globally competitive and sustainable manufacturing.

News: VTT’s technology for the production of egg white protein without chickens awarded by EARTO

Wed, 28.10.2020 - 16:20

Food production accounts for up to 25% of greenhouse gas emissions and 75% of clean water consumption. VTT developed a safe, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective method for mass production of high value proteins, such as egg white, without using animals. The European Association of Research & Technology Organisations EARTO announced VTT’s technology as a winner of the EARTO Innovation Awards 2020 competition, in the Impact Expected category on 28th October in Brussels.

Article: Working at VTT offers engineers a chance to peek into the future – and to have an effect on it

VTT — Wed, 28.10.2020 - 11:38

Interested in having a career that could have a significant effect on the future? Sending Finnish satellites up to space, designing solutions for fully autonomous ships and developing hyperspectral cameras are just a couple of examples of the intriguing projects that VTT’s engineers and researchers are working on at the moment. Read more about our team leader Marko Höyhtyä's work in VTT and what opportunities VTT can offer!

Blog post: Machine vision for sorting textile waste

Mikko P. Mäkelä — Mon, 26.10.2020 - 08:00

Machine vision can distinguish counterfeit and real drugs, healthy and ill plants, and even specific types of rock. It could also offer a solution to the recycling of waste textiles.

News: INVITATION: Circular Design Challenge Competition teams pitch their ideas

Fri, 23.10.2020 - 11:51

Welcome to the Circular Innovation Fair pitching and networking event for co-developed innovative circular design concepts and ideas by Aalto University, Geological Survey of Finland GTK, Natural Resources Institute Luke, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE and VTT.

News: New ambassador network spreads the message of wellbeing at VTT

Fri, 23.10.2020 - 09:23

Wellbeing at work is a central part of VTT’s strategy. New network of Wellbeing Champions will now spread the message of wellbeing in their work environment. Small reminders help everyone to take care of themselves during their daily work.

Blog post: Stress changes our behaviour – technology embedded in the work environment can identify individual signs of stress

Johanna Kallio — Wed, 21.10.2020 - 14:43

Having stress is part of life, but can unobtrusive measuring of long-term stress levels be used for increasing employee well-being?

Blog post: Entangled in Innovation - Confessions of an Innovation Manager in the World of Quantum

Himadri Majumdar — Wed, 21.10.2020 - 08:54

As Finland prepares to start building the country’s first quantum computer, VTT’s Himadri Majumdar, the newly appointed manager for quantum programme, prepares for the challenges of nurturing disruptive technologies.

Article: VTT is awarded the Hyvän mielen työpaikka (“Workplace with a Good Feeling”) designation

VTT — Tue, 20.10.2020 - 15:04

VTT was the first organization in Finland to be awarded the Hyvän mielen työpaikka® (“Workplace with a Good Feeling”) designation by Mieli ry, a Finnish association promoting mental health and problem prevention, This recognition is an indication of the fact that VTT is doing a remarkable job in promoting mental well-being.

Article: Eggs without chickens - magic or new industry?

VTT — Fri, 16.10.2020 - 10:43

How and why is biotechnology revolutionizing food production? Jussi Manninen and Emilia Nordlund from VTT and Pasi Vainikka from Solar Foods had a discussion on cellular agriculture in a VTT Sip of Science panel in September.

News: European-African collaboration to tackle challenges of African food systems

Fri, 16.10.2020 - 09:11

Under the lead of two Finnish research institutes, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, three EU-funded projects have started to develop and implement solutions addressing the challenges African food systems are facing. The strong African-European collaboration aims to transform African food systems towards sustainable food production and enhance consumption of nutritious food.
Joint press release: VTT and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)16.10.2020

Event: Online event: From Lab to Market - Stories about science-based entrepreneurship

Thu, 15.10.2020 - 12:15

28.10.2020, 13.00-14.00 (EET)

Online, no registration

Free and open event

Blog post: Our goal is to prepare the ground for companies’ growth

Antti Vasara — Tue, 13.10.2020 - 08:59

Neither the world, nor Finland lack for new business ideas. It is also gratifying that there is no shortage of capital available for strong ideas. We were all in agreement about this when we gathered to discuss Finland's possibilities for growth with a group of visionaries.

Blog post: Remote sensing helps with natural disasters - before, after and in the middle of them

Tuomas Häme, Yrjö Rauste — Tue, 13.10.2020 - 08:24

Is a mountain wall sliding down into a village? What direction will a forest fire or flood take? How extensive a flight ban would be needed in the event of a volcanic eruption? Answers to these questions are often found in remote sensing data collected by satellites.

News: Better Factory: growing the European manufacturing business

Mon, 12.10.2020 - 11:13

Better Factory invites Small and Medium-sized Manufacturers (SMEs) to redesign their current product portfolio together with Business and Arts mentors and Technology experts. Manufacturers can tap into disruptive product innovation that responds to new market demands while keeping production resources optimal with RAMP IoT platform.

News: Improved pre-disposal treatment of radioactive waste - an overarching EU project with high innovation targets

Mon, 12.10.2020 - 10:34

As society places higher emphasis on environmental stewardship and reduction of waste streams, it is also important that the nuclear community takes efficient management of waste streams as a top priority. In addition, as more legacy waste sites are being cleaned and the nuclear power plant fleet of Europe moves towards decommissioning, there are greater volumes of radioactive wastes to process prior to permanent geological disposal.

Blog post: How to lead organizational renewal? With courage, growth mindset, and experimentation

Nando Malmelin — Mon, 12.10.2020 - 10:07

VTT organized a series of customer events called Disruption Lab, themed “Courage to lead and renew”. Almost 200 leaders and experts from different organizations took part in the events, which tells about the topic’s importance.

Blog post: Interested in space junk? You should be!

Marko Höyhtyä — Thu, 08.10.2020 - 15:46

Would you believe if I told you that space junk can have significant impact on your everyday life? Let me explain why.

News: New project aims to take graphene-based manufacturing to industrial scale

Thu, 08.10.2020 - 14:57

VTT is participating in a pilot line project to develop the manufacturing of electronic, photonic and sensing devices based on two-dimensional materials, such as graphene and 2D semiconductors, towards large-scale production.

News: Agritech and foodtech startups successfully completed their acceleration program lead by VTT – two teams will continue to compete for 100 000 euro prize at the Food Venture Summit

Wed, 07.10.2020 - 19:49

Ten Nordic startups participated in the first acceleration program at the VTT-led EIT FAN Nordic Hub. Teams polished their skills and created contacts with the support from industry-leading experts. Two startups eniferBio and Mycorena were selected to compete in the European Food Venture Summit.

News: Four new teams joined the VTT LaunchPad business incubator

Wed, 07.10.2020 - 13:09

The autumn of VTT LaunchPad has started in anticipatory mood, when four new teams joined the incubator. In total, the incubator has nine teams that aim to commercialize VTT's research and technology as spin-off companies.

Article: Four things an investor should know about VTT’s spin-off activities

VTT — Wed, 07.10.2020 - 12:16

VTT LaunchPad is a science based startup incubator that supports scientists at commercializing research and technologies owned by VTT, and challenge the traditional ways of working in the market. The incubator began its activities in the spring of 2019. Its target is to develop high quality, fundable spin-off startups that aim for international growth. The funding path of each incubator team varies case by case -and is influenced, among other things, by the technological maturity of the business case.

Event: Nordic Wood Biorefinery Conference 2022

Wed, 07.10.2020 - 08:48

Nordic Wood Biorefinery Conference (NWBC) is a leading international event for industry and research professionals in wood-based biorefinery. The 10th NWBC will be held in 25-27 October 2022.

Blog post: “First we eat, then we do everything else”

Nesli Sözer — Wed, 07.10.2020 - 08:00

Writing this blog in my home-office (which is now the “new norm”) while eating my rye bread sandwich reminded me of what Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, a great food writer once said: “First we eat, then we do everything else.” There is no doubt that food is vital for our body to grow, develop and function, and simply to survive. However, its significance goes beyond mere survival: it means experience, sharing, indulgence, pleasure, culture, memories and much more.

News: Researchers from VTT and Aalto university developed a new detector that can become a game changer for quantum technology

Thu, 01.10.2020 - 08:45

This new, faster detector is made of graphene and it is so small that it could fit comfortably inside a single bacterium.

Blog post: Our quantum results climbed to the top of the world

Mikko Möttönen — Thu, 01.10.2020 - 08:30

At last, we succeeded in having our work published in one of the world's most highly esteemed scientific journals. And what is more, on quantum technology, a subject in which VTT and Finland aim to be global leaders. Achieved in collaboration between VTT and Aalto University, this breakthrough may also speed up the development of quantum computers that can solve real-word problems.

Article: The Rocky Road for Boosting Dual-use Research in Europe - How to support researchers and companies entering the Dual-use area?

Giovanna Sanchez Nieminen, Santtu Lehtinen, Arho Suominen — Wed, 30.09.2020 - 13:35

The possibilities provided by the broad application field of dual-use technologies is considered as an important factor in the long-term technological, economic and defence development of Europe and the Strategic Autonomy of the European Union. Thus, the European Commission (EC) has encouraged research on dual-use potential technologies while focusing on economic growth and competitiveness of Europe’s defence industry. During the last three years, the European Union has invested significantly on defence related projects. The projects have joined military and civil partners in delivering impacts.

Blog post: Keeping busy as a communications trainee at VTT

Ella-Mari Moisio — Mon, 28.09.2020 - 12:04

Communications is often seen as an art, and communicators will bend to all manner of tasks. There are wide-ranging career opportunities in communications, and the dreams that they evoke are just as colourful. But what do students of communications ultimately become when they graduate, and what kind of work will they do? I was given the opportunity to learn about this enigmatic job description of communications in my busy summer as a communications trainee at VTT, and at the same time to develop my own skills in the field of communications.

Article: European research supports industry in digital transformation

Matias Vierimaa, Riikka Virkkunen — Fri, 25.09.2020 - 14:18

"Europe needs industry to become greener, more circular and more digital", says the European Union’s new industrial strategy. "Our challenge is to ensure that all industrial sectors make the best use of new technologies and manage their transition towards higher value digitised products and processes, commonly known as Industry 4.0", the former commissioner announced five years ago. How are these ambitions being put into practice?

News: Dyadic and VTT are developing an efficient new production method for Covid19 vaccines

Thu, 24.09.2020 - 15:30

During the last three years Dyadic (Dyadic International, Inc.; NASDAQ: DYAI) and VTT have developed a more efficient and lower cost alternative to produce therapeutic proteins, vaccines and valuable metabolic products. The method is based on exploiting the Thermothelomyces heterothallica C1 fungal strain. The partners are now developing a new production method for a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus vaccine.

Article: How can a company act in an agile manner in the world full of surprises? Strategic foresight gives competitive advantage

Pauli Komonen, Sofi Kurki, Sanna Malinen — Wed, 23.09.2020 - 13:54

Why should strategic foresight be a part of every company’s toolkit? You could also ask why a particular company should not think about the future. When a company is faced with radical change, VTT’s foresight experts recommend it grabs the bull by the horns instead of continuing the same way as always and hoping for the best. When you approach the future systematically and with advanced tools, new doors will open for your operations.

News: Finnish expertise on small modular reactors will be strengthened by a new innovation and business network

Wed, 23.09.2020 - 10:00

Limiting the consequences of climate change to a sustainable level requires considerable actions within the society. Global energy consumption, 80% of which is currently covered by fossil fuels, must shift almost entirely to low-emission sources within the following decades. These low-emission sources include nuclear energy and renewables. At present, nuclear power covers half of all low-emission electricity production in Europe. -Small modular reactors (SMRs) under development represent a new approach to nuclear energy. The technology aims both to take advantage of new innovative solutions and serial production as well as to expand the use of nuclear energy to new applications, including district heating and industrial process heat production.

News: VTT's new piloting platform for process chemistry ready for speeding up bio- and circular economy

Wed, 23.09.2020 - 08:00

VTT's new piloting platform for process chemistry in VTT Bioruukki Pilot Centre will have an impact on our everyday life: on what we wear, on what we eat, on how we move around. It has been designed to accelerate corporate bio- and circular economy projects. The modernisation and digitalisation of processes offer improved tools for developing, for example, chemical plastics recycling.

Event: Opening of our next generation Process Chemistry Pilot platform

Wed, 23.09.2020 - 00:00

Virtual opening of our next generation Process Chemistry Pilot platform will take place on 23rd September 2020 at 3:00 - 4:10 pm (UTC +03:00).

News: Circular Design Challenge Competition teams selected

Thu, 17.09.2020 - 14:29

The Circular Design Challenge Competition launched by Aalto University, Geological Survey of Finland GTK, Natural Resources Institute Luke, Finnish Environment Institute SYKE and VTT in May collected altogether 26 cross-organizational ideas. Nine teams received funding to develop their idea into a concept or proposal.

News: Polystyrene can be circulated back to raw-material: MoPo project develops collection and reuse of the waste in Europe

Wed, 16.09.2020 - 00:00

The bulk of collected EPS (Expandable Polystyrene) and other polystyrene waste still ends up incinerated. VTT with its partners will explore in their two-year MoPo (Multitechnological recycling for polystyrene) project how recycling of polystyrene could be substantially increased by reshaping its collection and handling. The goal is to convert waste into pure polystyrene or styrene monomers used in other plastics and chemicals.

Case: Hartwall’s future radar identifies and helps fill organisational gaps before they emerge

Mon, 14.09.2020 - 11:30

Today’s fast-paced business environment demands a proactive business strategy that anticipates and quickly responds to future changes. In order to futureproof their business, Hartwall used the VTT FutureRadar tool to identify emerging organisational gaps and the technology to fill them.

News: Opens access for young researchers and experts to leading energy systems research infrastructures - ERIGrid 2.0 aims to connect the European smart grid infrastructures

Mon, 14.09.2020 - 10:33

European consortium of innovative research and development laboratories offers young researchers and experts from the industry free access to leading smart grid and energy systems labs and services. This includes 21 European research infrastructures and 8 virtual environments.

Blog post: We can solve the puzzle of a carbon-neutral building together

Pekka Tuominen — Mon, 14.09.2020 - 08:00

Imagine a conversation in a bar after a hard day at a construction conference: a builder starts complaining about the lack of both carbon-neutral materials and demand for carbon-neutral buildings. A building owner says that no builder is able to offer to build carbon-neutral buildings, so there is little point in asking. A material manufacturer finishes by stating that they cannot develop carbon-neutral materials as there is too little demand for them.

What we have here is a total “chicken or egg” paradox that hinders the progress of carbon-neutral building!

Blog post: Printed Intelligence: A world of possibilities – My summer job as a research trainee in the Printed Materials Systems team

Grace Shammas — Thu, 10.09.2020 - 15:49

Printed materials have created unprecedented opportunities to fabricate flexible electronics in a scalable and more sustainable way via roll-to-roll printing and hybrid manufacturing technology. VTT is constantly striving to find unique solutions to the world’s problems, and I was recruited to contribute to their work in printed materials.

Article: Smart clothing protects builders

VTT — Thu, 10.09.2020 - 11:57

The prototype of the ConIoT project of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland warns of hazards on construction sites.

Blog post: VTT’s Antti Vasara: These five areas of exponential hope will create jobs, sustainable growth and strengthen competitiveness in Europe

Antti Vasara — Thu, 10.09.2020 - 08:11

As Covid-19 has plunged the world into a health and economic crisis, we need to solve systemic problems and thus be able to create new growth. At this historic juncture, decision makers are investing in stimulus packages to help existing industries and structures recover, but in addition to that, European countries should also direct funds into new technology fields that are already starting to show potential.

News: VTT, University of Eastern Finland and THL develop individual data-driven solutions for the prevention of type 2 diabetes

Wed, 09.09.2020 - 07:45

When it comes to promoting health, there is rarely a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. VTT, the University of Eastern Finland and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) have launched the T2D-Data project, supported by the Academy of Finland, in which they develop personalized services for the prevention of type 2 diabetes by using health data, artificial intelligence and statistical methods. The study will yield new information and solutions for supporting permanent lifestyle changes, improve the well-being of those at risk of diabetes and, eventually, generate savings for the society.

News: Improved safety for long-term operation of nuclear power plant concrete infrastructure – a novel EU project combines experimental and theoretical research

Tue, 08.09.2020 - 15:15

Extending the lifecycle and improving the safety of existing operating nuclear power plants provides huge cost savings. ACES is a new European Commission supported H2020-Euratom-1 project (EUR 5.45 million for four years), which will advance the assessment of safety performance of safety-critical concrete infrastructure by addressing remaining scientific and technology gaps for the safe and long-term operation of nuclear power plants. This collaborative project aims to clarify, enhance and unify methods of structural integrity assessment in support of long-term operation.

News: The City of Espoo and VTT agree on strategic cooperation

Thu, 03.09.2020 - 12:55

Espoo signs a strategic partnership with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The cooperation produces concrete solutions for Espoo's carbon neutrality targets, the innovation environment and competitiveness.

News: The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launches a small Belgian satellite carrying VTT’s remote sensing technology into space

Thu, 03.09.2020 - 11:58

The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched 42 tiny satellites aboard a Vega rocket. It took off on 2 September from ESA’s launch site in French Guiana. One of the launched nanosatellites, PICASSO, carries state-of-the-art remote sensing technology developed and built by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. It will be used to take scientific measurements in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

News: Watch our panel discussion: How to make Finland a global leader in sustainable growth?

Thu, 03.09.2020 - 11:47

Watch the discussion about the fields of exponential hope and Finland’s road to a fantastic future. The video is only available in Finnish at the moment.

Blog post: Automating Cyber-Physical Systems while enjoying my summer at VTT

Tue, 01.09.2020 - 14:51

Cyber-Physical Systems are identified as a major technology trend, as it will bring advancements in personalized health care, emergency response, electric power generation and delivery, and many other areas. At VTT, we are automating cyber-physical systems to perform condition monitoring.

Event: Global long-term strategies for decarbonisation of transport through electrification (10 September, 14-16.00 CEST)

Tue, 01.09.2020 - 08:28

Electrification of road transport is progressing rapidly. Viable electric mobility technologies and solutions are being deployed in many transport modes. Electrification is a key measure to reduce total energy use and carbon footprint from the transport sector. It helps mitigating air quality problems in urban areas. The session discusses the status and outlook of transport electrification in the global setting, in terms of technology, market, procurement, finance, and the multitude of local and regional implementations including cities in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Event: Webinar: Converting waste CO2 to high-value chemicals and fuels: the ICO2CHEM project (16 September at 10-12 CET )

Tue, 01.09.2020 - 07:35

Can we turn waste CO2 into a useful product?

Article: Designing better products, faster

VTT — Fri, 28.08.2020 - 20:19

Product and system design can be enhanced and speeded up in many ways. Today, we take it for granted that we have smartphones with which we can shoot video and take selfies. We are also quite used to hybrid cars with adjustable cruise control and lane departure warning systems.

Event: DIVALIITO: New business from digital spare parts research project - final webinar

Fri, 28.08.2020 - 07:48

Digital spare parts is a concept where the spare parts and related data are transferred and stored digitally. The spare parts are manufactured by 3D printing on demand geographically close to the end user.

Blog post: Starting a new job remotely is an educational experience

Saana Rajala — Tue, 25.08.2020 - 09:01

Starting a new job remotely may evoke many kinds of feelings, even negative ones. On the other hand, it still offers a positive opportunity to learn new skills and develop one's employee skills.

News: Visitor guidelines at VTT from 1 September 2020

Mon, 24.08.2020 - 14:22

Welcome to VTT! As the Covid-19 pandemic is not over yet, we kindly ask you to read these guidelines before your visit, as we want to do our best to protect the health of our personnel and visitors.

Event: How to make Finland a global leader in sustainable growth?

Mon, 24.08.2020 - 13:36

Come and follow the discussion about the fields of exponential hope and Finland’s road to a fantastic future. The event is held in Finnish.

Article: Design out waste - valuable materials from mine tailings

Marjaana Karhu, Päivi Kivikytö-Reponen — Thu, 20.08.2020 - 15:10

Only 8.6 % of globally used materials are circulating back to be used again as raw material. At the same time, consumption is growing and increasing need of materials demand more and more primary raw materials. In order to improve materials’ circulation, research and development actions are needed for valorisation and utilization of the current losses generated, i.e. side-streams and waste materials. Additionally, we need new approaches, extensive efforts and co-operation between different actors and cross-sectorally. As a recent example, we worked in research project funded by Academy of Finland with multi-disciplinary research consortium, and investigated the utilization of mine tailings as raw materials for ceramic industry [1].

News: Improved safety, efficiency, and a lower environmental impact – ambitious EU project combines research and business to reshape Europe’s mining industry

Thu, 20.08.2020 - 08:30

The European Commission has granted EUR 8.4 million to a three-year H2020 project that develops an artificial intelligence platform for the monitoring and analysis of mine sites across Europe. The project, called Goldeneye, will develop solutions that improve safety, environmental impact and profitability of mines by creating a platform that combines earth observation technologies with on-site sensing.

Event: Meaningful chemistry

Tue, 18.08.2020 - 15:50

Welcome to the virtual opening of our next generation Process Chemistry Pilot platform!

Blog post: Cooperation and innovation - My summer job riding the wave of digitalisation

Venla Viertola — Tue, 18.08.2020 - 09:32

Digitalisation is a trendy word that has had huge effect on the redesign of traditional industries. VTT constantly strives to solve traditional problems in new ways which includes digitalisation. Cooperation and ecosystems are a few ways to develop digitalisation, and these are the concepts that I got involved with during my summer job at VTT.

Article: Industrial circular economy: a paradigm for sustainable asset management?

Jyri Hanski, Päivi Kivikytö-Reponen — Fri, 14.08.2020 - 14:19

Circular economy is resource-based and systemic model that should lead to long-term economic prosperity for the society while staying within physical limits and planetary boundaries (Design et al., 2020). It has three principles; design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems.

Event: VTT LaunchPad Meet and Greet

Fri, 14.08.2020 - 12:56

VTT LaunchPad deep tech incubator invites investors, advisors and other collaborators to meet-and-greet event to meet the incubator’s spin-off candidates.

Blog post: Versatile experiences and feelings of success – Summer job as a research trainee at VTT’s Nanodevices team

Tarusisko Hirvenoja — Wed, 12.08.2020 - 15:54

Our summer trainees’ blog collects the experiences of our young employees of working at VTT. The first blog post is written by research trainee Tarusisko Hirvenoja in our Nanodevices team.

News: Himadri Majumdar nominated as Manager, Quantum at VTT: “My long-term objective is to help bring the benefits of quantum computing to society and business”

Wed, 05.08.2020 - 13:18

Himadri Majumdar, PhD, has started a new role as Manager, Quantum on August 1, 2020. In his new role, Dr. Majumdar will be responsible for coordinating VTT’s quantum initiative, including the quantum computer acquisition project that was announced in May.

News: Mikko P. Mäkelä appointed as Research Professor in Smart Biomass Processing at VTT

Mon, 27.07.2020 - 10:22

D.Sc. (Tech.) Mikko P. Mäkelä was named to the post of Research Professor in smart processing of biomass at VTT from 1 May 2020. Mäkelä has previously worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and most recently, Aalto University.

News: New European project develops technology to solve two growing problems: patient-centric care and automated driving

Tue, 21.07.2020 - 09:00

A new EU-wide project was launched in May to pave the way for next-generation intelligent sensing for health and automotive solutions. In health care, the EUR 30 million project will improve early detection and prevention of health deterioration by enhanced monitoring possibilities. For the automotive industry, it will improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists and provide an important step forward to realise the sensing solutions needed for automated driving.

Blog post: The surprising similarities between quantum physics and cyber security

Kimmo Halunen, Outi-Marja Latvala — Thu, 16.07.2020 - 08:57

Today, there is a lot of talk about quantum technologies and cyber security all over the world. At a first glance, the two fields may appear to be quite far from each other, but, in addition to their topicality, the two seem to have some other interesting similarities as well.

Article: Rebooting cities after Covid-19

Peter Ylén — Tue, 30.06.2020 - 10:23

Cities consist of complex networks of dependencies, and pandemic has put this system in the state of disruption. Strategic decisions with long-term impacts must now be made in a rapidly changing environment, with strong focus on sustainability.

Blog post: How does computational material design support the maintenance business?

Anssi Laukkanen — Mon, 29.06.2020 - 12:03

Can the lifetime of a material, material solution or product be assessed accurately and in a cost-efficient way while extending its ultimate lifetime? Widely used, traditional methods of doing this do not provide these benefits while having limited predictive capabilities. At VTT, we decided it was time to change this status quo.

News: Successful applause demo shows potential of advanced sensor technology – small and flexible sensors open new horizons for diagnostics and healthcare

Fri, 26.06.2020 - 10:03

The healthcare sector is under increasing pressure globally, and we need new and efficient means for diagnostics, care, and monitoring health outside hospitals. Printed electronics and sensor technology offer us solutions.

News: A carbon-neutral Finland by 2035 requires changes to the energy system that can only be achieved through co-operation

Thu, 18.06.2020 - 14:34

The Smart Otaniemi innovation ecosystem has operated for two years and brought together roughly one hundred companies and research organizations to develop smart and sustainable energy solutions. Why is smart energy so important for slowing climate change and enabling sustainable economic growth?

News: Steps towards a healthy work community – how we improved wellbeing leadership

Wed, 17.06.2020 - 09:26

According to the recent Työvire survey, VTTers felt that wellbeing in the workplace and satisfaction with the work of immediate supervisors had improved significantly compared with previous years. Read about how we boosted wellbeing in our workplace.