VTT’s activities are guided by two megatrends – sustainable development and the digitalisation of information. In future, these two trends will increasingly intertwine. VTT’s research is more strongly encouraging the emergence of businesses that exploit sustainable development, and digital solutions strengthen the development of all sectors. Research into service businesses is strengthening, and there is a growing emphasis on innovations, business, services and people as the starting point for research.

Around half of VTT’s strategic research takes place within our spearhead and innovation programmes. The spearhead programmes in particular respond to the most internationally and nationally significant industrial and societal challenges. Programme renewal has accelerated: the beginning of 2011 witnessed the launch of one new spearhead programme and five new innovation programmes, and the results of five ongoing programmes were brought to the utilisation stage. Increasingly often, programmes are built around solid strategic partnerships.

VTT’s own programmes and research projects generate new technologies and are basis for innovations. The results open up entirely new commercial opportunities to VTT’s clients. A key challenge is to introduce new technologies as quickly as possible, so as to hasten the emergence of new business environments and value chains. This often also necessitates development and implementation of new business models. VTT’s multitechnological competencies and continually growing expertise in innovation processes and business enhance the competitiveness of our clients by way of new products, services and processes.

SPEARHEAD PROGRAMMES

Industrial Biomaterials
In this programme, biomass-based materials and chemicals are developed that strengthen the principles of sustainable development without undermining food production. Biomasses to be exploited include side streams from the forest industry and food production, residue from agriculture, and organic waste material.

In 2010 the programme was oriented towards packaging materials and consumer products. Under the programme, several promising biohybrid packaging concepts were identified that are in line with sustainable development, and make more durable and visually attractive paper products possible. The results are especially useful in renewal of the forest and chemical industries and in generation of new international markets. On the basis of results achieved so far, several customer projects aimed at commercialisation have been launched.

Additional information: Ali Harlin, Programme Manager

Open Smart Spaces
The integration of the digital and physical worlds will be the next revolution in the ICT sector. In future, the digital environment (smart spaces) and services embedded therein will come alongside the internet as the most important drivers of business. This development will require not only a complete renewal of business models and ecosystems, but also significant research efforts. The most important OPENS technologies are context awareness, augmented and integrated reality, and interoperability solutions for devices and services. The key challenges for research and business are interoperability, intelligence and interaction. The aim is also to apply OPENS technologies beyond the traditional mobile phone and ICT environments.

As part of the programme in 2010 a solution on context recognition methods was developed, together with very low power consumption. This has so far been a significant bottleneck in the development of mobile communications applications. The application developed by VTT has been downloaded by more than two million users. In addition, the technology developed as part of the programme is a key factor in the location based services of new spinoff companies. The company-produced service provides information on where to find the nearest pharmacy at a holiday destination, for example, or what the local grocery offers.

Additional information: Heikki Ailisto, Programme Manager

eEngineering
With the help of an efficient digital product process, the design time and production ramp-up time can be reduced by half in technology industry, or comparable advantages can be gained in increasingly complex sites.

The programme develops technology platforms for modelling and simulation, design knowledge management and life-cycle management. Furthermore, the project develops comparable tools, with high emphasis on interoperability between tools and other engineering systems. The beneficiaries are Finnish and international machine and vehicle industries, as well as manufacturing and process industries – especially the forest and energy industries.

The development of a Simantics environment (simulator-based integrated design of processes, machines, factories and automation) continued in 2010. The programme is simultaneously running several parallel projects, all of which will benefit from Simantics technology or develop code for the Simantics platform. New openings were made in the area of service business by developing instruments for the simulation of business processes that are applicable in this area, and by applying system-dynamic models and tools to the decision-making process in health care. Simantics will also be utilised in the areas of construction and civil engineering, and machine building. One example is the Tekes project started in 2010, in which product data on bridges and various calculation models were integrated within the Simantics platform.

Additional information: Olli Ventä, Programme Manager

Printed Intelligence
The programme develops new types of cost-efficient manufacturing technologies, materials and components, which enable new large-volume intelligence products as well as the integration of physical and digital worlds. The objective is a new business sector that tightly integrates competencies in e.g. the electronics, wood refinement and chemical industries. Beyond the traditional technological research, development is under way on end-applications and networks aimed at commercialisation and extending beyond traditional value chains.

In 2010, the VTT-led PrintoCent network – the innovation centre for printed intelligence and optical measurement technology – was home to four strategic industrial companies, three of which are internationally leading operators in their field. PrintoCent also provided a setting in which a network of Finnish SMEs was activated. The Chemical Industry Federation of Finland awarded the 2010 innovation prize to Orion Diagnostica Oy and VTT for the CleanCardPro or surface hygiene test developed as part of the spearhead programme. Four new start-up preparations were made over the course of the year. A Finnish printed intelligence cluster aimed at attracting international investment was launched in co-operation with Invest in Finland.

Additional information: Jani-Mikael Kuusisto, Programme Manager

Green Solutions for Water and Waste (GWW)
Water scarcity and the sustainable use of materials are global challenges that require new innovative processes and technologies. The implementation of eco-efficient principles strengthens sustainable industry and societal development. Business in the field of environmental technology is growing rapidly and progress is trending towards zero emission processes.

A new, multidisciplinary spearhead programme was launched at the beginning of 2011 – Green Solutions for Water and Waste – that aims to respond to global challenges by creating interdisciplinary technological solutions for sustainable industrial and social development. Key technologies in GWW are energy-efficient water purification and reuse processes, recovery of valuable compounds from waste and side streams and new waste recycling processes. The programme focuses on membrane technologies, recovery of critical minerals, and developing new waste-derived products. The sustainability and efficiency of purification and recycling processes are ensured with new monitoring and information management tools. The innovations generated will be utilised in Finnish and international environmental technologies, and in the process and technology industries.

Additional information: Mona Arnold, Programme Manager

Major innovation programmes

• Cognitive Communications (Start-up in 2011)
• Eco-efficient Intelligent Built Environment
• Electric Vehicles and Machines (Start-up in 2011)
• Energy Efficiency and New Fuels for Transport
• Functional Material Solutions
• Finnish Global Factory
• Fuel Cells
• High-performance Microsystems
• Information and Network Security
• Intelligent Energy Grids (Start-up in 2011)
• Intelligent Transport (Start-up in 2011)
• Low Carbon and Energy Efficient Industry (Start-up in 2011)
• Nutritech
• Reinventing Paper
• Technologies for Health