VTT leads a Business Finland Co-Innovation project RheoMaTe that aims to improve the processing of fiber-based biomaterials e.g. for eco-friendly packaging, textiles, and composites. The project tackles the complexity of these materials with improved measurement tools, AI models, and simulations to improve their processability, increase production efficiency, and support greener solutions.
Wood fibers can substitute non-renewable, fossil-based materials in various applications e.g. in packaging, textiles and construction industries. However, resource-efficient manufacturing of sustainable fiber-based products is often limited by the poor processability of fiber materials at high solids content. Rheology – the study of the deformation and flow of matter – provides means to investigate the limits of material processability and to push these limits further.
In the RheoMaTe (Rheology for Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies) project, VTT collaborates with industrial partners to address these processability challenges by developing new measurement and analysis tools for industrial use. The RheoMaTe project is part of Valmet’s Beyond Circularity ecosystem and it collaborates with Mirka’s SHAPE ecosystem. This two-year project started in March 2025.
“Some of the most interesting results from the first project year include identification of biopolymers that can be used to improve the processability of pulp fiber suspensions and the introduction of machine-learning algorithms that can predict material’s behavior under various mechanical load conditions. During the second project year, we will further utilize computational tools in simulating the flow of fiber suspensions and perform rheological measurements in pilot scale,” says the RheoMaTe project manager Olli-Ville Laukkanen, Principal Scientist at VTT.
Competitive advantage for Finnish industry
The RheoMaTe project is expected to widely enhance the competitiveness of Finnish processing and manufacturing industries through new knowledge and measurement techniques. In particular, the project results are anticipated to accelerate the renewal of the forest industry and improve its resource efficiency. Additionally, the RheoMaTe project supports the growth of Finnish measurement device manufacturers in the field of rheology and process instrumentation, as well as the simulation and modelling capabilities in the area of computational fluid dynamics.
“For us, RheoMaTe project represents an important advancement in bringing rheological intelligence directly into production processes. Real-time insight into material behaviour is key to improving stability, efficiency, and quality in complex systems. The project enables us to apply our rheology expertise where it creates the greatest industrial value”, says Vesa Kukkamo, CEO at ACA Systems Oy.
“When analyzing quality of complex fiber-based materials, it is essential to have understanding of the material flow behaviour during forming processes. RheoMaTe project opens us the necessary insight which allows us to further improve our offerings to industry”, highlights Olavi Komppa, CEO at Ambertec Oy.
“At Mirka we are aiming to use more bio-based resins in our future products. Therefore, understanding the rheological properties of new bio-based resin systems is of great importance in our future development. The RheoMaTe project allows us to advance our understanding of how to process new biobased materials in our production facilities”, notes Simon Sandén, Development Engineer at Mirka Oy.
“The RheoMaTe project has reaffirmed its position as a valuable research consortium, advancing our understanding of the rheological behavior of bio‑based intermediates and the methodologies used to characterize them. The project has successfully brought together a highly insightful group of industrial partners, and the dialogue between research and industry has proven exceptionally productive. For us, one of the most significant outcomes has been deepening our understanding of the relationship between laboratory‑scale observations and industrial‑scale processes. In addition, developing an indirect approach to defining wall slip without relying on complex optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements represents another key learning outcome we expect to gain from this collaboration”, states Sirpa Välimaa, Head Business Segment Pulp, Paper and Board at Sulzer Pumps Finland Oy.
Public webinar on March 17th, 2026
Some highlights from the first year of the RheoMaTe project will be presented at a public Teams webinar on Tuesday, March 17th. The webinar will also feature a keynote talk from Professor Mikko Alava (Aalto University) on the topic “Bayesian methods in rheology of complex fluids”.
“The webinar gives us a great opportunity to disseminate the goals of the project and selected results to the wider public. We expect that the webinar will be attended by a great number of academic researchers as well as industrial practitioners with an interest in rheology, fiber-based materials and machine learning”, concludes Olli-Ville Laukkanen.
For further information:
VTT contact person: Olli-Ville Laukkanen, Principal Scientist, [email protected], +358 50 433 5355
Partners, who are quoted in the release (contact person’s name and contact info):
- Vesa Kukkamo, CEO at ACA Systems Oy, [email protected], +358 40 648 5558
- Olavi Komppa, CEO at Ambertec Oy, [email protected], +358 40 044 1045
- Simon Sandén, Development Engineer at Mirka Oy, [email protected], +358 50 468 8485
- Sirpa Välimaa, Head Business Segment Pulp, Paper and Board at Sulzer Pumps Finland Oy, [email protected], +358 40 542 9236
Project website: https://rheomate-project.com/
RheoMaTe in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rheomate-project/
