Towards Sustainable Future. Green Growth

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1 Towards Sustainable Future Green Growth Tekes Programme

2 Green Growth is an opportunity population growth climate change pollution scarcity of resources Pressures impacting our living environment are forcing us to change the way we act. In addition to the price of fossil fuels, the prices of several raw materials will rise significantly unless more efficient means are developed for their utilisation or alternative materials identified. The Green Growth programme builds a community that, through creative thinking, can develop products, methods and modes of operation that help conserve natural resources. For companies, sustainable use of natural resources is a competitive factor for the future. The programme supports companies that strive to become pioneers of green economy. Global environmental problems and the challenges faced by developing countries form a vast growth market. The Green Growth programme offers ambitious companies and research institutes cooperation in the development of energy and material-efficient innovations.

3 Green Growth Towards Sustainable Future Green Growth targets to achieve economical growth in a sustainable way smart, resource efficient and environmentally sound solutions are seen as a way towards sustainability and wellbeing We support the generation of innovations enabling significant leaps in energy and material efficiency and create foundations for new value networks of green growth. We create competences and competence networks in potential focus areas competitive edge for actors in global value networks new business by supporting innovations We assist in commercialisation of research results by promoting multi- and cross-disciplinary research collaboration active knowledge exchange between industry, research institutes and NGOs Objectives Sustainable strategy to generate strategic competence and identify new business opportunities in product and service chains that utilise essentially less energy and materials compared to current ones Model for cooperation to create a new model for closer cooperation between national programmes and policy measures for promoting sustainable economy Regeneration and new opportunities to support the regeneration of traditional industries and to create innovative value networks with the aim of promoting new business opportunities in the field of sustainable economy Green economy has room for innovations of all sizes that promote more efficient use of natural resources in supply and service chains. We are constantly looking for new international partners. If your organisation wants to be part of the Green Growth network, do not hesitate to contact us! Our offices are located in Helsinki, Brussels, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Washington D.C. and Silicon Valley. For the addresses, see Sustainable economy creates new opportunities and improves the quality of life.

4 Participating companies create new business and respond to global environmental problems. New paths Future highways The Green Growth programme challenges people to develop new ways of thinking. The idea is not just to make a current product or method more efficient, but to create entirely new ones that use up only a fraction of the resources consumed by the original. The progress must not be limited by existing structures. To achieve this end, we create international networks between different branches of industry, the public and the private sector, research institutes and companies. The starting point of the Green Growth programme is to involve users in the development work and to create of new things through cooperation. Sustainable nutrient economy Imbalance in the circulation of nutrients is one of the worst environmental problems and has already exceeded the earth s capacity. Sustainable nutrient economy has a critical role in the capacity of the global food system to feed eight billion people. We develop methodology for nutrient footprint calculation and an approach for the assessment of different solutions. We want to explore to how a shift towards a sustainable nutrient economy could be accomplished. Ilkka Herlin, Chair of the Steering Group for Transition Towards Sustainable Nutrient Economy (NUTS), Energy-efficient transport service The vast majority of private cars are only being used to a fraction of their transport capacity. Ajelo has been developing a transport concept entitled demandresponsive transport service. The concept is one way to alleviate the congestion problem in major cities and mitigate the resulting emissions. The programme is able to accommodate the wishes of travellers in real time and calculates the fastest individual route for them. We provide users with an easy to use and personal transport service. Owning a car is often not the easiest way to get around in a city. Reijo Sulonen, Chairman of the Board, Ajelo Oy

5 Recycling service The Internet makes recycling easier and less bound to location. Innovations of the Netcycler service allow people to get items they want by giving away items they no longer need. Trading extends the lifespan of the product. The founders of the company have a firm background in ICT and international business, and the company has begun an effective process of internationalisation at an early stage. Juha Koponen, CEO & Co- Founder, Netcycler An industrial symbiosis A unique pilot has emerged from cooperation among a cluster of companies in Kirkkokallio, Honkajoki. Actors in the food industry and agriculture in the area form a close-knit local system where water, nutrients and energy circulate in different production facilities. Companies and agriculture exist in a symbiosis where they make use of each other s side products. Industrial environmental engineering enables the improvement of the eco-efficiency of local economy clusters. For example, companies in the area make use of closed cultivation systems. We are currently exploring opportunities to make use of different renewable energy sources in a diverse way. Hannu Uusihonko, CEO, FP Food Park Oy Optimising the use of energy SEAM develops and offers smart electricity saving solutions for end users and electricity suppliers. This service, which taps various technologies for automated use of energy, enables an optimisation of electricity consumption by following wholesale market prices. Our business idea is based on fluctuations in the demand for electricity and capitalising on the opportunities offered by the electricity market. For example, we optimise the use of renewable energy and backup generators. Our service complements the energy market and cuts our customers electricity bill. Johan Ågren, CTO, Sustainable Energy Asset Management Oy (SEAM)

6 Tekes encourages development Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation Tekes is the main public funding organisation for research and development (R&D) in Finland. Tekes funds industrial projects as well as projects in research organisations, and especially promotes innovative, risk-intensive projects. Tekes offers partners from abroad a gateway to the key technology players in Finland. Tekes programmes part of the innovation chain Tekes programmes are an essential part of the Finnish innovation system. These programmes have proved to be an effective form of cooperation and networking for companies, universities and research institutes for developing innovative products, processes and services. Tekes programmes boost development in specific sectors of technology or industry, and the results of the research work are passed on to business systematically. The programmes also serve as excellent frameworks for international R&D cooperation. More information Programme Manager: Mr Tuomo Suortti, Tekes, tel (0) , tuomo.suortti@tekes.fi Programme Coordinator: Ms Riina Antikainen, Spinverse, , riina.antikainen@spinverse.com May 2012 Print: Markprint Oy Graphic Design: Mainostoimisto Cake Oy Images: istockphoto, Tekes

Finnish Cleantech Cluster and Tekes Activities

Finnish Cleantech Cluster and Tekes Activities Executive Director Teija Lahti-Nuuttila Tekes the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation DM 1020530 05-2013 Tekes general presentation Finnish