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Winners of Kemira’s Innovation Contest selected

The winners of Kemira’s Innovation Contest 2007 have been chosen. The prize for the best invention of the year was shared by UVITEC® 2D and Calcium Sulfate crystallization process and products based on it. In addition, Kemira Pulp&Paper together with Kemira Water were rewarded for their activity.

A total of 215 inventions from 9 countries participated in the contest, four finalists being selected to compete for the EUR 100,000 grand prize. The goal of the contest was to activate Kemira’s research and development operations, and during the competition the number of announced inventions and patent applications almost quadrupled.

The best invention of the year 2007: UVITEC® 2D and Calcium Sulfate

Mikael Knif and Kari Soljamo, who both received EUR 10,000, were rewarded for UVITEC® 2D. They created an efficient, less polluting and less energy consuming method which can be used on, for example, parquet boards and PVC flooring. In addition to that EUR 30,000 of the prize money will be invested in a fund to be used for rewarding future inventions in Kemira Coatings.

Another half of the best invention prize, EUR 50,000 was shared between three inventions inside Kemira Pulp&Paper. The inventors Tarja Turkki, Outi Grönfors, Esko Tirronen, Pasi Hagelberg, Veikko Laakso, Perttu Heiska, Mari Ojanen and Esko Aarni invented a Novel Calcium Sulfate crystallization process and products based on it. This new technology for manufacturing paper fillers and coating pigments has lower investment costs and enables lower energy consumption, the ability to modify the end product, a broader application area through improved logistics and enhanced possibilities for product quality management.

The best invention of the year 2007 had to support the business strategy and be unique and patentable. In addition, the invention had to be technologically suitable for Kemira, while delivering significant business growth and allowing for a rapid commercial launch.

Kemira Water and Kemira Pulp&Paper rewarded for their activity

In addition, the business areas that produced the largest number of inventions during 2007 were rewarded. The EUR 30,000 prize was shared between Kemira Water and Kemira Pulp&Paper. KPP produced 0.56 inventions per R&D employee and Kemira Water 0.55. In both business areas, approximately every other person working in research produced an invention during the year. Since both Kemira Water and Kemira Pulp&Paper were equally active, the jury decided to share the prize between these two businesses. They can use the prize sum for rewarding their personnel.

The members of the jury were: President and CEO Harri Kerminen, Deputy President and CEO Esa Tirkkonen, President of Kemira Pulp&Paper Jyrki Mäki-Kala, President of Kemira Water Pekka Ojanpää, President of Kemira Specialty Hannu Virolainen, President of Kemira Coatings Visa Pekkarinen, EVP of Technology Johan Grön and EVP of R&D Hannu Toivonen.

For more information, please contact

Hannu Toivonen, EVP, R&D
hannu.toivonen@kemira.com
Tel. +358 (0)10 862 1813

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