Kemira’s and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland’s Research & Development programme water research centre SWEET (Centre of Water Efficiency Excellence) launched a total of 56 subprojects in 4 years and led to numerous product innovations. The purpose of the project, started in 2010, was to accumulate the excellence of water research in Finland and elsewhere in a new way and to produce new kinds of solutions for better management of water usage.
The objectives set for SWEET were excellently achieved. The most significant success of the program that ended at the end of 2013 was that 70 per cent of the sales of Kemira’s new products in the commercialization stage come from the results of SWEET.
The final results will appear in a few years, when the sales and revenues of the new products now launched are known”, says Mari Zabihian, Senior Manager, Kemira R&D (pictured right).
Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, also participated in the project.
“Tekes’ support was very important for the realization of the SWEET programme: it made our networking with research institutes possible and particularly with small and medium-sized enterprises in Finland.”
SWEET brought forth areas of focus for the future
The areas of focus of the SWEET programme were the reutilization of water, a better utilization of biomasses, for example, in the production of energy and biofuels as well as the hydrochemistry of sustainable development, which develops bio-based, biodegradable solutions based on recycling.
The subprojects examined, among other things, the strength of paper and board and the improvement of surface properties as well as the improvement of raw material efficiency, new water-soluble polymers, bio-based products, the improvement of the process efficiency of new and existing bioprocesses, and the rationalization of the operation of desalination processes.
“Each project resulted in new know-how for Kemira and its corporate partners and improved our understanding of the areas worth investing in the future”, says Zahibian.
Examples of successful projects were the measurement of water quality with online devices, new products for paper surfacing binding agent, the product development of micro- and nano-pulp and a new concept for controlling the biofilm growth of industrial processes. The benefits of these projects are manifested for industrial customers particularly as a more efficient use of energy, raw materials and water.
The new products are at the commercialization and launching stage
SWEET gave rise to numerous product innovations, such as tagged antiscalants associated with oil drilling, by means of which Kemira differentiates itself from its competitors. Some of the new products are already on the market, and some are at the product development stage.
Water technology as a whole drew more attention during the course of the programme in Finland, and today it is an important part of Cleantech. Cooperation continues with the partners of SWEET.
“It is not a good idea to do everything alone. The best know-how or the best equipment and instruments can be found in the form of a research partner. The newly-built network enables a faster launching of new projects, and both Kemira and its partners benefit from this,” says Zahibian.