Our world is facing grand societal challenges in the near future. VTT’s Research and Innovation Vision 2020 is built on a platform of sustainable solutions and steers VTT’s research and innovation activity in response to key questions for the future. Six impact areas have been chosen, each containing significant potential for creating business founded on new technologies and innovations. The areas selected are bioeconomy, low-carbon energy, resource-efficient industries, clean globe, people’s well-being and digital world.

A new and better future will demand that we give up many of our current models. This will concern technologies, business concepts, and even industrial and economic structures. Rather than stand by and watch this happen, VTT is actively involved in creating alternative solutions that will improve the quality of life of each and every individual, that will foster sustainable economic growth, and that will create a clean living environment.

VTT’s vision has sought out those areas that are seen to contain attractive business potential and thus the opportunity to achieve considerable impact through implementing innovation. Today’s waste will become tomorrow’s valuable raw material. The global objective for industry is zero-emission production based on closed cycles. Much better efficiency in water re-use is vital. Smart and low-carbon energy production is a necessity. The new bioeconomy creates a sound platform for sustainable economic development. The resource­efficiency of industry will be ensured by ecoinnovations that implement more effective use of raw materials and energy, higher product quality and improved safety and security. Information technology and electronics will spread and are embedded in all business areas to improve their competitiveness and create entirely new business activities and models. Innovations enabling the well-being of every individual are based on multidisciplinary research in which biological, food technology and pharmaceutical competencies are linked to those in diagnostics, information technology, electronics, behavioural science and business.