Finland's VTT Becomes R&D Partner in International Think Beyond Plastic

Finland’s VTT (vtt.fi) technical research center has joined Think Beyond Plastic as an R&D partner. The collaboration was announced at the New Plastics Economy Investor Forum, held in Frankfurt, Germany on December 7, 2018.

VTT’s role is to support the New Plastic Economy Innovation Center’s innovators and entrepreneurs by offering R&D services to accelerate development of innovations in the area of circular plastics. VTT’s experts, state-of-the-art pilot plants and unique research infrastructure bridge the gap between laboratory-scale development and the commercial production of new breakthrough solutions like new materials and increased recycling of plastics. VTT’s R&D infrastructure includes a selection of lab- and bench-scale plants, as well as pilot plants, serving the major steps of the development chain.

Think Beyond Plastic is a global multi-disciplinary effort to commercialize research and innovation eliminating plastic pollution and its health impacts, and to advance the circular economy for plastics. To accelerate the pace of discovery and innovation, and also to de-risk corporate investments in R&D, innovation and prototyping, Think Beyond Plastic launched the User Facility Network. Its purpose is to offer innovators access to equipment and facilities for testing, experimentation and, for example, minimum viable prototype development.

“Think Beyond Plastic is harnessing the forces of innovation and entrepreneurship to advance the circular economy for plastics. Our special focus is on new bio-benign materials, green and sustainable chemistry, innovative packaging and product delivery system. The partnership with VTT is a valuable strategic resource for the entire innovation ecosystem, because of the breadth of capacity offered by them in biomass processing and products as well as chemical and material technologies. We are excited about the opportunity to produce, test and bring to market a viable, scalable portfolio of innovations that can accelerate the transition towards the circular economy for plastics,” said the founder and CEO of Think Beyond Plastic, Daniella Russo.

Said VTT’s v.p. of research Tiina Nakari-Setälä, “VTT develops top solutions to help companies develop and renew their business. In the world we live in today, solutions and innovations are made through collaboration and partnerships. Think Beyond Plastic focuses on grand challenges—like resource sufficiency and climate change—that are also most important to VTT.”

As one of the winners of Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Materials Challenge 2018 with its bio-based packaging solution, VTT has been part of the Think Beyond Plastic’s Accelerator Program during the year 2018.