Bioeconomy seminar 10.2.2017

A SmartBio seminar focusing on possibilities and challenges involved in commercialization of the research innovations in the field of bioeconomy was held in Turku, Friday 10 February at 12.30-16.00

Bioeconomy is one of the key projects of the government, and highly emphasized in Finland and worldwide. However, there are challenges in turning research innovations into business. In comparison to field of information technology, for example, creation of new business from biosciences and chemistry requires high investments to research equipment and other infrastructure. Furthermore, up-scaling from laboratory scale into industrial production takes time and investments.

The SmartBio program organized a seminar “From Bio-Invention to the Market – possibilities and challenges” on bioeconomy and its challenges on Friday, 10 February at 12.30-16.00 in Presidentti auditorium of the BioCity Mauno Conference Center.

The speakers of the seminar included Pia Qvintus, Program manager for innovative bioproducts growth programme in Finpro, Maija Pohjakallio, Senior adviser in Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, Tuulamari Helaja, Vice President in Sustainable Energy and Chemical Technologies in VTT, Petri Vasara, Head of Biofutures in Pöyry Management Consulting and Professor Lene Lange from the Technical University of Denmark. Furthermore, directors of the SmartBio program, academy professor Eva-Mari Aron from the University of Turku and professor Stefan Willför from Åbo Akademi, talked about their bioeconomy research and representatives of the SMEs in the field of bio- and circular economy discussed about their experiences. Kalervo Väänänen, rector of the University of Turku, opened the seminar, and Ernesto Hartikainen, circular economy specialist from Sitra moderated the seminar.