Finland’s bioeconomy strategy aims at doubling the added value of bioeconomy sustainably. Is there undiscovered potential, and the courage to grow? The question has been debated in the regions, and solutions have also been found. For deploying the bioeconomy strategy in the regions, planning tools are available. Finland’s bioeconomy strategy is designed to boost the added value of bioeconomy. The regions and their dynamic developers, including businesses and seats of education, were identified as important bioeconomy actors. It was then necessary to establish how the regions could assess the v ..read more

The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council convened to discuss the current crisis in the European agricultural sector. The EU agriculture ministers strongly support both fast and long-term action to improve farmers’ situation. Farmers’ situation is critical all around Europe. This has led to wide protests in many countries. There are numerous causes for the challenging situation faced by farmers, and finding solutions to these requires decisions on the EU level. The reasons for farmers’ frustration include strict environmental regulations, the growing gap between the reality on farms and the nat ..read more

During the negotiations on the carbon removal certification framework regulation of the European Union, a provisional political agreement was reached on the night between Monday and Tuesday. The regulation also provides support for the promotion of activities related to the domestic carbon market. In November 2022, the Commission proposed a Regulation establishing an EU certification framework for carbon removal. Carbon removal refers to ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through carbon storage in agriculture, forestry and other land use, as well as through technological methods ..read more

Bio-based solutions and biotechnologies drive circular bioeconomy. They boost EU competitiveness, create jobs, and enhance resilience. Key areas such as biotechnology and biosecurity need investments. Estonia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Spain and Sweden have prepared a non-paper on bioeconomy that was published on 16 February 2024. In a joint proposal by six European Union member states, including Finland, proposals for advancing the EU’s bioeconomy have been outlined. The non-paper was published to provoke discussion about bioeconomy in the European Union. Bioeconomy covers all sectors and syste ..read more

The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) will replace the experimental cowshed in Minkiö, Jokioinen with a new one. The planning of the project and competitive tendering and planning the implementation of the construction work will be carried out during 2024. The construction of the new cowshed will take place in 2025 and the aim is to take it into use by the end of the year.  Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah is happy with the progress of the project: “Work on this project has been done for a long time and I have considered it very important to carry it th ..read more

When we think about biomass, the first thing that usually comes to mind is how we can best break it down and use it as an energy source. While generating renewable energy sources is important, so is utilizing previously unused or underutilized biomass sources for new innovations in the field of biomaterials. As the name suggests, the BioUPGRADE project aims to do exactly that. BioUPGRADE is a European Union’s 2020 Horizon program funded international research project aiming to sustainably valorize structural biopolymers already present in nature. These include cellulose, hemicelluloses and chi ..read more

Woamy, a spin-off from FinnCERES at Aalto University, is revolutionizing the packaging industry with a groundbreaking innovation – cellulose-based plastic-free foams. These novel foams are designed to be a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic foams such as styrofoam and contribute to solving the global challenge of plastic pollution. Woamy’s technology combines the inherent strength of wood with a lightweight and porous structure, providing a bio-based and a plastic-free solution for packaging materials and various other applications. The multidisciplinary team is developing a contin ..read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes to our world. The swift and widespread transmission of pathogens has created an urgent need for antimicrobial and antiviral materials in the medical field. In the midst of the pandemic, researchers at Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland began to envision a wood-based self sterilizing material. “The first thing we thought about was definitely face masks. So what if we not only stop the aerosols from our breathing, but also deactivate them, to make the masks even safer.” Eduardo Anaya Plaza, Aalto University ..read more

In a world where plastic pollution is rampant, sustainable biomaterials have become increasingly important. An Nguyen, a doctoral student at the Centre for Young Synbio Scientists, is focusing on using synthetic biology tools to develop new cost-effective ways to produce sustainable biomaterials. An comes from Vietnam, which is one of the countries most affected by plastic pollution. “So I really understand the negative impacts of plastic pollution on the environment and also in our daily life,” says An. An’s research specifically aims to produce chitin and chitosan from a microbial source, wi ..read more

In a world without colors, life would be dull and uninspiring. Yet nearly all of the colors we use in our daily lives come from pigments derived from fossil-based chemicals. This is a major environmental concern. But there is an alternative – harnessing the natural dyes produced by plants, fungi, insects, and bacteria. Research scientist Pradhuman Jetha at VTT is working on discovering new biosynthetic pathways to create bio-based colors. By studying the color pigments derived from Cortinarius semisanguineus mushrooms, he hopes to reconstitute these pathways in an industrially feasible host ..read more