Finnish centre for industrial circular economy to be established in Kemi

Under Sitra’s lead, the world’s first national roadmap for the circular economy action plan was prepared for Finland with the goal of generating shared will to promote circular economy and to specify the most efficient ways to achieve it in society.

Sitra named the industrial circular economy innovation platform led by Digipolis – Kemi Technology Park as one of the key projects of the road map.

In order for the operating models of the Kemi region industrial circular economy to spread to all of Finland, Sitra wants to cooperate with the region’s experts and education providers.

“The world quickly needs pioneering solutions on how to no longer base the growth of economy and well-being on wasteful use of natural resources. By developing the best solutions of carbon-neutral circular economy, Finland can be among the first to generate sustainable well-being and success in a new way during the coming 5–10 years,” says Circular Economy Project Director Kari Herlevi of Sitra.

“Circular and bio economy are strategic development areas of the City of Kemi. We are extremely pleased and taken with the opportunity to make our partnership with Sitra official. With this agreement and financing, we will be able to work together to boost the successful circular economy development work that Digipolis – Kemi Technology Park has carried out over the past years and to generate vitality for the city and for the entire Finland. We believe that the circular economy development work will yield new investments and jobs in the future," says Mayor Tero Nissinen of the City of Kemi.

The circular and bioeconomy centre will be established in Kemi by Digipolis, the City of Kemi and Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

Lapland University of Applied Sciences has chosen the development of circular and bioeconomy as its strategic area of focus and will invest in it, in addition to the projects, an annual sum of more than EUR 200,000 of strategic development funds for establishing the circular and bioeconomy centre. In addition, the university will during the following two years invest approx. EUR 400,000 in research, development and innovation activities and in the development of teaching. The circular economy education module will be launched in 2018.

The establishment of the competence centre is a logical continuation to the work carried out by Digipolis in the promotion of circular economy.

“The Digipolis expert team of industrial circular economy is available for use by the centre. Sitra’s funding to the City of Kemi strengthens this team of experts,” says Managing Director Kimmo Heikka of Digipolis.

Digipolis and the Arctic Industry and Circular Economy cluster received a significant Nordic recognition early this year when the Nordic Council of Ministers published the Best Nordic Bioeconomy Cases catalogue, which comprises 25 projects. Among the selected Nordic example cases is the Arctic industry ecosystem and the Kemi-Tornio circular economy innovation platform led by Digipolis.

In 2014, Lapland was selected by the European Commission as one of Europe’s model areas for the modern cluster development in the sustainable refinement of natural resources.

More information:

Kari Poikela, Centre Manager, Digipolis and Lapland UAS, kari.poikela(at)digipolis.fi, +358 50 435 8283
Tero Nissinen, Mayor of the City of Kemi, tero.nissinen(at)kemi.fi, +358 40 673 9880
Nani Pajunen, Senior Lead, Sitra, nani.pajunen(at)sitra.fi, +358 50 301 0742
Read more about circular economy: www.sitra.fi/en/topics/a-circular-economy/

Centre for industrial circular economy was presented for the press on 21 June.