Research and industry work together for forest sector renewal
(23 April 2009)
Strategic centres for science, technology and innovation (SHOKs) are a new approach to pooling research resources in fields that are important to business and society alike.
“It was crucially important for the forest sector that Forestcluster Ltd was founded and designated a strategic centre for science, technology and innovation. The sector is facing considerable challenges and there is a need for reform and renewal. This will require commitment to long-term research and development operations,” says Christine Hagström-Näsi, CEO of Forestcluster Ltd.
Forestcluster Ltd was founded in 2007 and given the task of initiating research and innovation programmes and channelling public and private research funding to selected focus areas. Research teams and units, and private companies, all work together within a virtual research organisation in accordance with research plans jointly agreed.
“The aim of the forest cluster is to become the strongest innovation environment of the forest sector globally.”
In addition to companies, research programmes are funded by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, the Academy of Finland and the research institutes and universities that are among the owners of Forestcluster Ltd. It is also possible to apply for research funding from bodies in the EU's Seventh Framework Programme.
Three programmes to be launched by the end of 2009
A research programme on Intelligent and resource-efficient production technologies is now in its first two-year period and comprises eight joint research projects. Participants include nine Finnish research institutes and universities and 17 companies. The programme also comprises consortium projects coordinated by companies.
The total budget for the joint research and consortium projects within the programme comes to some 20 million euros for the first two years. Tekes will contribute just under 70 per cent of the sum while companies will make up the rest.
Future Biorefinery, the second programme, was launched at the beginning of March with a higher budget than the first one. A third programme, Customer solutions for the future, is under preparation and its launch is planned for 2009.
According to Hagström-Näsi, Forestcluster Ltd has come off to a good start.
Basic research creates a platform for innovation
The Academy of Finland supports the operations of Forestcluster Ltd by funding basic research in the field at universities and research institutes. All the Academy’s funding instruments can be used for SHOK research.
“Four Centres of Excellence in Research appointed by the Academy are participating in Forestcluster Ltd’s programmes, and in addition to this, research in the field is funded through the KETJU research programme. We have two FiDiPro Professors working on aspects of this field, and one Academy Research Fellowship that is focused on the cluster project,” says Christine Hagström-Näsi. “We have also been involved in the preparation of a biorefinery graduate school, which will directly support our Future Biorefinery programme.”
In 2008, the Academy of Finland granted 1.1 million euros in funding to a project at the University of Oulu, studying a new method for the combustion of biomass of variable quality. The project helps develop competence within the forest sector. Academy funding has also been granted for defining the nanoscale structure of wood-based samples and producing new information on the biological degradation of lignin.
“We need good basic research projects for our Forestcluster programmes, because basic research creates a platform for innovation.”
According to Hagström-Näsi, the operating models should be made more proactive in the future, so that basic research can be focused on the areas that hold priority for SHOKs.
The new Future Biorefinery programme will be a multidisciplinary one. This will offer interesting cooperation potential, Hagström-Näsi promises.
Importance of active dialogue
Christine Hagström-Näsi considers it important to develop mechanisms that will help integrate basic research, applied research and development work even more closely than hitherto.
“Completely new opportunities might emerge through channels such as the biorefinery graduate school, the Academy’s international contacts and funding for researcher mobility. Open dialogue is the main thing,” Hagström-Näsi says.
“When it comes to basic research, our role is naturally only to say what is important for us as a strategic centre. All funding decisions will be made on the basis of scientific quality, just as before.”
Text: Paula Böhling
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