Bio and Circular Economy

Bio and Circular Economy
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Bio and Circular Economy articles
Bio and Circular Economy current projects

The Hoop Project
The HOOP Project will help to unlock bio-based investments and deploy local bio economies in Europe through a systemic and cross-cutting approach. It will offer Project Development Assistance (PDA) to a group of 8 lighthouse cities and city clusters – to build the technical, economic, financial and legal expertise needed to develop concrete investments to valorize OFMSW (Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste) or UWWS (Urban Wastewater Sludge) with the aim of obtaining safe and sustainable bio-based products

Kiertotaloudella uutta kasvua Pohjois-Savoon (KiertoKasvu Pohjois-Savo)
The purpose of the KiertoKasvu Pohjois-Savo project is to achieve the carbon neutrality 2035 goal of the Finnish government and the province of Northern Savonia.
The project supports SMEs of Northern Savonia towards a green transition by helping companies to identify the environmental effects of their own operations, and to find ways to reduce the environmental effects and reducing the carbon footprint.
The project will increase the circular economy skills of operators and SMEs in the province, as well as support companies moving towards circular economy business.
The implementers of the project are Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Navitas Kehitys Oy, and Ylä-Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä (YSAO).
The project implementation period is January 2, 2023 – December 31, 2025.

Biochar Pilot Reactor (Continuous Thermochemical Biomass Reactor)
– INFRA PROJECT EAKR (A 78739)
– DEVELOPMENT PROJECT EAKR (A 78737)
– ESR PROJECT (S 22850)
The common goal of the projects is to design, manufacture and test a new pilot-scale continuous thermochemical biomass reactor. The reactor produces biochar from wood-based biomass by means of torrefaction and/or pyrolysis, and distillates from the gases formed in the reactor by condensing. Based on the results of the test runs, we get information about the concept’s functionality, scalability and product quality. In the projects, a fully functional equipment set suitable for R&D activities is implemented, including the pretreatment of biomasses and the collection of end products (biochar and distillates). The technology is installed in a sea container so that the equipment can be moved as easily and safely as possible. The biomass processing concept, pilot-scale equipment and new knowledge and business models to be developed in the project will thus benefit the province’s SMEs.


Tekstiilien sivuvirta -project
Tekstiilien sivuvirta (Textile side stream) project helps to develop companies’ transition to a circular economy: the reuse and retention of side stream and discarded textiles and the prevention of textile waste in the entire value chain.
The goal of the project is to find out how the side stream and waste textiles from companies’ and consumers’ textiles could be used regionally.

FoodLoops
The project FoodLoops establishes cooperation among schools, caterers (SMEs), farmers, and professionals in a circular economy to improve biowaste separation at source, prevent excessive food waste and reuse it as organic compost.
In addition to Kuopio, the project is also be implemented in Gdansk (Poland) and Vilnius (Lithuania).

Kokoeko-seminars
Kokoeko-seminars bring together experts from the waste and recycling industry related to current topics in the industry. The aim of the seminars is to increase the awareness of industry operators about the recent changes in the waste management and recycling sector and the challenges that comes with them, as well as new operating models, promoting of sustainable development and the circular economy. The target group of the events are e.g. companies, municipalities, authorities, businesses and teaching and research organizations operating in the waste management and recycling sector.
The aim of the events is also to increase the interaction between companies and municipalities by offering the opportunity to network. Kokoeko-seminars are held approximately every year.

Bio and Circular Cluster
The Bio and Circular Cluster North Savo supports the growth of companies in the sector by bringing together the best implementers and services for the development of technology, products and services and business.
We progress sustainable development by reconciling material needs and flows, developing high-grade products and exploring alternative biomaterials.
Contact information:
Harri Auvinen
Research and development manager
+358 44 7856923
harri.auvinen@savonia.fi
Taru Rahkonen
RDI-specialist
+358 44 7856776
taru.rahkonen@savonia.fi
Maarit Janhunen
RDI-specialist
+358 44 7856463
maarit.janhunen@savonia.fi
Ulla Santti
RDI-specialist
+358 44 7856921
ulla.santti@savonia.fi
Maari Haikonen
Research engineer
+358 44 7856265
maari.haikonen@savonia.fi
Eeva Käärmekallio
RDI-specialist
+358 44 7856157
eeva.kaarmekallio@savonia.fi
Miika Virtanen
Project specialist
+358 44 7856854
miika.virtanen@savonia.fi
Mikko Vidgren
RDI service designer
+358 44 7856270
mikko.vidgren@savonia.fi
Mirka Tuovinen
Project designer
+358 44 7856165
mirka.tuovinen@savonia.fi
