IBC Finland Science Seminar explored the role of industrial biotechnology in addressing environmental and climate challenges by unlocking the potential of sustainable value chains. Hosted by Orion Oyj, the event brought together leading voices from IBC Finland member and guest organizations to delve into three critical themes: green hydrogen's role in CO2 capture and utilization, the circular economy's impact on sustainability, and the future of raw material sourcing for sustainable solutions.
Industrial biotechnology is emerging as a key player in addressing today's pressing environmental and climate challenges. On September 14th, 2023, IBC Finland organized a science seminar aimed at exploring the potential of sustainable value chains driven by industrial biotechnology. The event, hosted by Orion Oyj, featured discussions from various IBC Finland member organizations as well as esteemed guest organizations. Following the seminar, attendees engaged in networking sessions and discussions hosted by Kemira Oyj at Villa Granebo in Espoo.
The day commenced with a warm welcome from Juhani Kankaanpää of Orion Oyj, followed by an introduction to IBC Finland provided by Juha-Pekka Pitkänen of Solar Foods. The seminar delved into three pivotal themes in which industrial biotechnology acts as a key enabler: green hydrogen and its role in CO2 capture and utilization, the circular economy’s impact on sustainability, and the future of raw material sourcing for sustainable solutions.
On the topic of green hydrogen, Antoine Mialon, Senior Associate in Innovation at Neste, presented the future role of industrial biotechnology in the energy and materials sectors. Neste Veturi, a research program co-founded by Business Finland, currently strives to develop globally scalable raw materials and technology solutions for sustainable transportation fuels, chemicals, and polymers.
Otto Syrjälä, Business Analyst New Business Development at St1 Oy, provided insights into the significance of CO2 in future sustainable fuels and P2X. St1 envisions itself as a leading producer and seller of CO2-aware energy. Assistant Professor Silvan Scheller from Aalto University continued by exploring the potential of metabolic engineering of hydrogenotrophic methanogens for CO2 reduction into organic multi-carbon products such as fuels.
In the realm of the circular economy, Professor Ali Harlin from VTT discussed how industrial biotechnology can support circularity and sustainability in textiles through biomaterials engineered with cell factories. Ismo Savallampi, representing the Borealis Spirit program, shed light on the opportunities for new sustainable raw materials that could revolutionize the sustainable plastics industry.
The final segment of the seminar focused on sustainable supply chains and raw material sources. Technology Director Jarkko Leivo from Brightplus elaborated on driving sustainability with synthetic biology, emphasizing the integration of 2nd to 4th generation renewable feedstock materials into circular product manufacturing.
The seminar demonstrated several opportunities, for example, in the functionalisation of products such as textiles and fibers using industrial biotechnology, as well as exploring the pre-treatment of waste raw materials to enhance their usability. These are just a few of the application areas where industrial biotechnology can be advanced and leveraged for innovation and progress.
We thank all the speakers and attendees for their valuable contributions to the discussions. We look forward to welcoming you to our future IBC Finland events as we continue to explore growth opportunities and partnerships in the biotechnology field for a more sustainable future.
IBC Finland is constantly on the lookout for new collaborative project topics, where industrial biotechnology brings significant advantages and sustainability, and we are actively seeking new project partners. For those interested in joining IBC Finland or seeking further information, please reach out to CEO Aila Maijanen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..