Kemira and VTT (Technical Research Center of Finland) will establish a Center of Water Efficiency Excellence in Finland. The total cost of the research, which will be performed at the center, is estimated at 120 M€, including external funding. The investments will be allocated into 4 years, resulting further investment activities in projects for piloting and proof on concept purposes. The center will employ 200 people annually.
The current Finnish competence of the water sector is being gathered into one center. The goal is to develop unique water knowledge to Finland and to create new business opportunities for companies in the environmental technology sector. The research center supports Kemira's strategic target to become a leading water chemistry company and to promote profitable growth by generating new business in the already strong field of water knowledge.
The main partners of the Center of Water Efficiency Excellence are Kemira and VTT. "The aim is to develop new technology, which helps to enhance the water usage and recycling, and to create more sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for the water intensive industry. When choosing the research sectors, one of the main selection criteria has been the growth of the global markets. Some examples of the research sectors are the cost-efficient cultivation of sea water into drinkable water, the utilization of bio mass resulting from the waste water treatment in production processes of energy and bio energy, and the decomposition of products", says Johan Grön, Kemira EVP of R&D and Technology
