VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Kemira Oyj are opening a new joint R&D center in São Paulo, Brazil. The center has started operations in the end of 2010.

The new center is a continuum for the Center of Water Efficiency Excellence (SWEET), which Kemira initially established together with VTT in Finland. The center in São Paulo aims to implement the newest water technology research in the growing South American market. Important focus areas will be biomass, bioethanol, pulp and applications for the oil and mining industries.

The R&D center in São Paulo is the fourth unit in Kemira’s R&D center network. Other R&D centers are situated in Espoo, Finland, in Atlanta, the United States and in Shanghai, China.

“Our cooperation round the Center of Water Efficiency Excellence ensures a strong platform for serving our customers in South America. It is also a possibility to work together with one of the most important European Research Institutes, improving our local capabilities to develop customized solutions,” says Hilton Casas de Almeida, region head for South America, Kemira Oyj.

“In the long-term perspective, we can jointly develop new solutions in areas with high market potential, such as applications for biomass, mining, forestry and the oil industry.”