Professionals is a commercial supplement produced by Editor Helsinki /// April-May 2015
Finland invests strongly in cleantech 4
Sisu Auto has achieved strong growth through exporting. 3
The wood-based diesel UPM Bio-Verno will be available this year 6 | Naava Smart, the world’s most intelligent green wall 9 | Oulu is one of the seven smartest cities in the world 10 | Valtavalo Vaivaton saves both money and the environment 13 | The recycled fiber used in the wood stone is the first in Europe 16 |
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Contents Professionals is a publication produced by Editor Helsinki. Editor Helsinki is an independent expert in business communications. We work in close co-operation with the leading media houses and reach the business decision makers in Finland. For additional information, please contact Valtteri Rantalainen, +358 40 561 7703. Production team: Managing producer: Valtteri Rantalainen. Art Director: Pirja Suotamo. Editors: Maija-Liisa Saksa (MLS), Eila Aalto (EA). Translation: Käännöstoimisto Helsincom Oy. Printed by Hansaprint. Feedback to Editor Helsinki Oy: tuotanto@editorhelsinki.fi | +358 40 561 7703 www.editorhelsinki.fi | www.editori.fi
• Industrial Internet revolutionizes quality control in the steel and metal industry .............................. 2 • When an ordinary solution is not enough........................................ 3 • Co-operation in Cleantech............................................................... 4 • Cleantech from Finland to China..................................................... 5 • Driving cleaner traffic – from wood to wheels . ..........................6-7 • Ensto saves your energy................................................................8 • Choose the world’s healthiest indoor air......................................... 9 • Oulu – a living lab for smart cleantech......................................10-11 • Easy-to-use IoT-Ticket: Your Ticket to the Internet of Things.............................................12 • Cost-efficiency and a competitive edge with energy-efficient LED tube lights . ..........................................13 • Lahti Region — Meeting place for investors and start-ups ........ 14-15 • The First in Europe: The Ecological WOOD STONE..........................16
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apotech Oy, founded in 2012 as a spin-off company of the University of Oulu, applies the latest laser and imaging technology, computer vision, and Industrial Internet successfully to the controlling and optimizing of the core processes in the metal industry. The company’s laser imaging technology neutralizes effects of glow and heat in hot processes and produces real time data of the customer’s core processes that’s unparalleled in accuracy. The Reveal platform functions as the basis of Sapotech’s products and enables a new global service and business model. The cloud service, also accessible with mobile devices, brings benefits to the operation, maintenance and remote access of the manufacturing processes, in a way not possible before. “As we can react to issues already at the very start of production, we free up a considerable amount of production ca-
pacity and save energy — up to tens of gigawatt hours a year, or roughly the annual production of one wind turbine. Removing a single defective slab or bloom from the process can lead to savings of tens of thousands of dollars,” points out Pekka Kumara, Sapotech’s Business Development Director. No wonder Sapotech was one of the Energyspin Top 30 companies chosen in Vaasa EnergyWeek 2015. Sapotech offers solutions to key customers through an unprecedented service-based business model without capital expenditure nor hidden maintenance costs. The customer only pays a monthly fee and the return is immediate. “We are more than a device supplier: our service model really brings added value to our clients. It is all about continuous co-operation and Sapotech’s commitment to that in this competitive industry.” TEXT: EA | www.sapotech.fi |
Photo: Stig-Göran Nilsson
Industrial Internet revolutionizes quality control in the steel and metal industry
“Sapotech’s business model is not about selling hardware but providing solutions that really benefit your business.”
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1. The first Workover Rigs of the new gen eration were turnkey, delivered in co-operation with the German KOLLER Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH and the Romanian main contractor SC Upetrom 1 Mai SA.
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2. Timo Korhonen, Sisu Auto’s Chairman of Board.
3. 3. Sisu special vehicles are designed and produced according to all the needs and wishes of the customer. In the picture The Sisu 10x10 truck.
When an ordinary solution is not enough Sisu Auto has been a forerunner in producing trucks for the harsh northern conditions for 80 years already. Now the Finnish company has expanded its expertise into demanding special vehicle solutions and customized production development services.
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isu Auto has extended the Sisu Polar range to also cover an improved off-road capability. Sisu is the answer to transport performance requirements in the most demanding duties. The single wheeled, off-road capable Sisu Polar truck continues the legacy of taking the cargo further than the paved road exists. Equipped with a hook-lift unit, the offroad capable Sisu Polar truck is able to deliver cargo, loaded on flat racks or containers, quickly to remote places where cargo terminals and sophisticated logistic support functions do not necessarily exist. Kamaz Master team was the first customer for the new off-road capable Sisu Polar truck, using it as a support vehicle in the events where the Kamaz Master team participates, such as the “Dakar” and “Silk Way” competitions. The Sisu 10x10 truck has been chosen
“Sisu is the answer to transport performance requirements in the most demanding duties.” as a platform for the Romanian OMV Petrom’s new fleet of Workover Rigs. Sisu Auto has earlier experience of supplying Sisu 10x10 Bridge Launching platforms for use in the Armed Forces. The mobility and durability required in military applications is necessary also in the most demanding tasks of the civilian sector, Oil Field operations being an example of such end use. “The Sisu 10x10 Workover Rig platform is an example of the versatility and adaptability of the products and technologies originally developed for rough military use, now put to very different operational uses in the
civilian sector. It is also an important benchmark as we expand our range to the export market of Special Vehicles, says Timo Korhonen, Sisu Auto’s Chairman of Board. “The ongoing Workover Rig project will have a great impact in our operations and productivity, says Mr. Ewald Stoecke, Team Leader from OMV Petrom Workover & Well Intervention Business Unit. “The Sisu 10x10 platform will give the Workover Rigs a totally new mobility, thus enabling increased operational availability, Mr. Stoecke continues, adding that the drop in maintenance costs over an expected lifetime of more than 25 years is likewise an important factor.
Export to all over the world Sisu Auto has achieved strong growth through exporting. The company is now launching production in Serbia as a result of a business takeover. In China, the company is starting co-operation with the major Chinese car producer JAC. Sisu Auto will use its know-how to improve JAC’s product development services and local supply network. TEXT: MLS | www.sisuauto.com |
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At the Global Cleantech Summit in Helsinki in September you have a chance to see the latest achievements and get networked with the world’s top experts in cleantech, Ilkka Homanen reminds. Scan QR code for more details.
Co-operation in Cleantech Cleantech is a globally fast-growing industry. In the near future, we must find global solutions against polluting the environment and solve problems regarding resource depletion.
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inland invests strongly in cleantech. A cold climate, lack of fossil fuel and a desire to save the environment and resources in order to improve competitiveness have proven to be a true engine in developing Finnish know-how in cleantech. Investments are directed to research and development in energy and environment technologies and Finland is a leading country in many cleantech sub branches, including energy and material efficiency, infrastructure, bioenergy, biofuels and hydrotechnologies. In September Helsinki hosts the Global Cleantech Summit 2015, which concentrates in searching and finding
sustainable solutions. The Summit is a good example of an initiative to be expected from a country developing new cleantech solutions. “Finland is at the cutting edge in cleantech research co-operation and introduction. The participants in this autumn’s Cleantech Summit are privileged to get a glimpse of the upcoming state of the art technologies and their latest applications. At the same time, there is a chance to meet leading experts from all over the world and enjoy the brisk Finnish autumn. Mark the days September 8–10 in your calendar for this,” recommends Ilkka Homanen, the Executive Director of Cleantech Finland.
Problem solving is in our nature.
– Cleantech Finland network The yearly combined turnover of the Finnish cleantech industry is over 25 billion euros, and the goal is to double it before the year 2020. Cleantech Finland is a co-operation network comprising already about a hundred Finnish hightechnology companies. “We make Finnish cleantech knowhow internationally known under the Cleantech Finland® brand and promote cleantech in Finland by introducing global business possibilities to the Finnish companies. Our expertise in cleantech can be found at www. cleantechfinland.com together with the links to all our member organizations, Homanen says. TEXT: MLS
| www.cleantechfinland.com | Cleantech Finland is a network of top cleantech companies and experts.
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This is Etteplan • A leading enterprise in designing industrial machines and equipment, and technical documentation • The largest Nordic company in China, with also the longest history of operating in the Chinese market. • Almost 1,900 designers and specialists, of which 1,150 in Finland, 410 in Sweden, 85 in the Netherlands and 220 in China • A total of 22 offices in Finland, 11 in Sweden, 1 in the Netherlands and 3 in China | wwww.etteplan.com | We have the know-how for assisting European businesses in localizing their products for the Chinese market, stresses Riku Riikonen, SVP, Engineering Services of Etteplan.
Cleantech from Finland to China The Chinese market is not easy to get into. Companies need knowledge on what products to sell in China, and how. Finnish Etteplan Oyj helps international companies in avoiding rookie mistakes when entering the Chinese market, and brings Chinese companies to the European market.
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tteplan specializes in designing industrial machines and equipment as well as writing technical documentation. These services are used by manufacturing companies of all sizes from the leading corporations to the smallest enterprises needing expertise in design or help in a case of fluctuating demand. Etteplan is the market leader in Finland and one of the largest in Sweden.
the specialists at Etteplan facilitates and speeds up entry into the Chinese market. “In China the market is different. A product can be good, but still not sell. When necessary, we modify the product to suit the needs of the locals, since in many cases it is not worth it to try to make it in China with the same product that’s selling well in Europe. In addition to the engineering and documentation services that we offer, we are also able to assist in forming local operation chains,” says Riku Riikonen, SVP, Engineering Services of Etteplan.
Already a decade in China Etteplan has been present in China since the year 2004. At the moment, the company has three offices with over 200 specialists, working at design and technical documentation for customers from all around the world, including plenty of cleantech businesses. In Finland, there is a lot of high level know-how in cleantech, but turning good ideas into products and entering new markets can prove difficult if the company’s own resources are scarce. Assistance from
From China to Europe
Etteplan designs sewage water treatment systems for EVAC, including technical documentation. These systems are used e.g. in large cruiser ships, cargo ships and offshore platforms all around the world.
Etteplan also helps Chinese companies in getting into the European market. “We know the Chinese products and the European standards, and thus we can help in planning products that fulfil the requirements of the target country,” Riikonen stresses. TEXT: MLS
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Driving cleaner traffic – from wood to wheels At the beginning of 2015 UPM made industrial history by becoming the first company in the world to start production of wood-based diesel fuel at its biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland. Compared to fossil fuels, this product developed by UPM reduces CO2 emissions by 80 percent.
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he wood-based diesel UPM BioVerno will be available this year at ABC and ST1 filling stations in Finland. It is suitable for all diesel engines, either unmixed or combined with standard diesel fuel. ”The amount of fossil energy sources is limited and there is a real need to decrease CO2 emissions resulting from their use. Biofuels have been in development for years, but production has often had to compete for resources with the food industry. Car drivers are now demanding responsibly produced fuels with much reduced emissions,” describes Sari Mannonen, Sales & Marketing Executive at UPM Biofuels. BioVerno fulfils all the requirements set for sustainable production. It does not compete with food production, it is made from a residue, and the whole production cycle from the forest to the end product has been fully audited. Finland’s goal is to increase the share of renewable fuels to one fifth of total fuels used by road transport by the year 2020. UPM’s biorefinery in Lappeenranta
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has the capacity to produce a quarter of this need.
A new era of the bio economy UPM BioVerno is a concrete example of UPM’s modern approach to the way the bio and forest industries are being combined. ”Our renewable diesel has been one of UPM’s spearhead projects. We want to make use of fibre and forest biomass and create new growth potential through continuous product development and innovations. Our goal is to use all parts of wood as efficiently as possible and produce a line of new bioproducts in addition to the traditional sawn timber, pulp and paper,” says Mannonen.
“UPM BioVerno fulfils all the requirements set for sustainable production.” The product development of the woodbased UPM BioVerno started five years ago. In doing so, UPM utilized its 120 years of experience in making products
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from wood at its site in Kaukas, Lappeenranta. The comspany’s new biofuel plant integrates nicely with the pulp and paper plant, saw mill and UPM’s on site research centre. The local resources in know-how, raw materials and energy are therefore being utilized to make the most efficient use of logistics and operations. UPM BioVerno is produced from tall oil, a residue of pulp production originating from wood resin. Purified tall oil is further refined into diesel through a hydrogenation process. UPM has four pulp plants, three of which are located in Finland. The tall oil residue from UPM’s pulp plants in Finland covers majority of the biorefinery’s raw material demand. Due to a high degree of domestic origin, UPM BioVerno has also been granted the Finnish Key Flag Symbol. TEXT: MLS | www.upmbiofuels.com|
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1. The introduction of the wooden spool and the contents of the bottle of UPM BioVerno are over one hundred years and thousands of development hours apart. At first, the Kaukas site produced wooden spools before wood left over from production was further processed into pulp. The new fuel UPM BioVerno is, in turn, based on the tall oil residue from pulp production. 2. UPM BioVerno is refined from tall oil which is based on wood resin.
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3. The UPM biorefinery started commercial production in January 2015. It was built next to the old spool factory, which now functions as an office building and control room. 4. Last year, UPM Biofuels received the European Commission’s Sustainable Energy Europe 2014 Award for BioVerno diesel. This year UPM Biofuels won the Commercial Scale Plant of the Year category in the WBM Bio Business Awards 2015 that recognises bio-pioneers of the industry, says Sari Mannonen.
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This is Ensto
• Responsible company specialized in green energy efficiency • Globally-functioning Finnish family enterprise • Yearly turnover 280 million euros • Business in 20 countries in Europe and Asia • Factories in 7 countries • Sales in 100 countries www.ensto.com
Ensto saves your energy Saving electricity without giving up any comfort is only possible by utilizing a reliable and intelligent power network and up-to-date building technology. The cleantech company Ensto Group designs and produces all the needed systems and components for achieving this goal, for the power producers and individual consumers alike.
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lectric transmission and distribution losses vary much between countries. Large losses mean a higher price of electricity and more emissions, because a part of power production is in vain. “In Finland transmission losses are under three per cent, but in India even tenfold of that. Indian engineers have calculated, that if only Ensto connectors would be used in the countries six-million-kilometre distribution network, it would save a production capacity equal to three nuclear power plants,” CEO of Ensto Timo Luukkainen says. Network automation development is another strong suit of Ensto. Intelligent network solutions enable matching the power consumption and production capacity, which is increasingly important due to distributed generation becoming more common. Furthermore, a reliable and intelligent network also enables flexible usage, thus making it possible to the end user to shave off a bit of the electric bill through little compromises, e.g. by shifting a certain part of usage to the night time and by doing so requiring less peak capacity in the power production. “In distributed generation, our system levels
the network’s voltage, which is necessary because of the large fluctuation in the output of solar and wind power. “
Maintenance-free energy efficient LED-lighting Ensto is much involved in developing energyefficient lighting solutions. Using LED lighting saves almost ten per cent of the energy costs of a building. On top of that, the LEDs are free of any maintenance for a long period, at least over ten years. There is also a multitude of colour options and possibilities for mood lighting. Solutions equipped with a motion detector can be set to switch on only when necessary, which creates large savings in, e.g. business centres. According to CEO Luukkainen’s calculations, one can easily save 3 kWh per day by choosing LEDs over another lighting option for a roomy apartment. The saved energy can be used, for instance, to charge an electric car’s battery. With this 3 kWh you could drive 15 kilometres, whereas the same amount of energy in a fuel used by a car with combustion engine would get you only five kilometres down the road. TEXT: MLS
Timo Luukkainen, CEO of Ensto, wants to take responsibility in designing and producing longlasting reliable products from charging points for electric cars to products in the electric network. Ensto is the leading supplier of electric car charging points in Europe.
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Choose the world’s healthiest indoor air The lichen found on trees (Usnea, Naava in Finnish) grows only where the air is clean. Naava Smart, the world’s most intelligent green wall, makes this natural and pure air available to everybody.
Naava Smart is designed to generate a healthy indoor climate in offices and conference rooms. One Naava Smart is enough to naturalize a room of up to 50 square metres.
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aava Smart is a product that combines high technology, Scandinavian design, and the natural ability of plants to use air pollution as nourishment, resulting in a unique active green wall, which is proven to be 129 times more efficient in purifying the air than a normal green wall. “We have invested tens of thousands of hours in product development, and developed the technology together with thousands of people. The results prove that products are able to decrease indoor air’s negative impacts on health,” says the entrepreneur Aki Soudunsaari at NaturVention Ltd. Naava Smart is an easy-to-use piece of smart furniture, which has an IoT system that optimizes functions by adjusting the quality and humidity of the indoor climate. This results in the best possible healthy and efficient working environment. | www.naturvention.com | TEXT: MLS
Naava Smart is exported to the world’s largest and most polluted cities, where people haven’t thus far had the chance to choose what kind of indoor air they breathe.
New generation of trading has begun with KaukoInternational Oy Ltd. Nearly 70 years of trading history steps to new era with more services, more clients, more markets to access through our network in Europe and Asia. Please do visit our homepage for more info. www.kaukointernational.com
ENERGY & PROCESS
PULP & PAPER
MEDICAL & CLEANTECH
We supply reliable high-quality machines, devices and genuine spare parts as well as specialist services for various industrial sectors.
For decades, we have operated as a supplier of paper and pulpindustry machinery, equipment, and consumables in Finland, Baltics, China, Poland, Russian and Vietnam.
We open up a new way to reach highly profitable business through partner networks in Europe and Asia.
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Oulu
– a living lab for smart cleantech
The region of Oulu has grown into an attractive North-European hub for Smart Cleantech City solutions.
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ulu is one of the seven smartest cities in the world, and there’s a good reason for that. Extensive researches have been carried out in the region to design and develop smart cleantech city solutions. Promoting the development and internationalization of local companies, BusinessOulu has helped to turn Oulu into a smart cleantech city, a living lab, where cleantech solutions are adopted without delay. The region has evolved into an area where cleantech solutions are developed quickly from design into sustainable solutions. Oulu’s wide-ranging cleantech competence stems from the region’s industrial traditions. There’s know-how in ICT, energy efficiency and energy production. As a result of close collaboration between businesses, competence can be converted into Smart Cleantech City solutions. Ranging from household energy and water supply to smart phone solutions that can make life much easier, these solutions affect all people living in smart Oulu. The region’s know-how is attractive for investors. Based on forecasts, over ten billion euros will be invested into cleantech solutions within the next ten years. Investments into smart power grids and
cleantech consumer goods, for instance, are expected to multiply. Smart living and building, geothermal and hybrid solutions and measuring technology, to mention just a few areas of competence, have driven the growth of the area and turned local businesses into attractive investment targets. Of the many Smart Cleantech City solution providers in the Oulu region, the following companies look particularly interesting. | www.oulu.com | | www.businessoulu.com |
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Cajo Technologies
IoLiving
Cajo’s main product is a patented marking method that can be applied to all materials. Stainless steel color patterning, logos, texts, photographs, informative markings. Cajo offers versatile marking and patterning services from safety markings and business gifts all the way to complete marking and customer branding systems. Cajo’s method and services have been used by VR Track, Boliden, Konecranes, Outokumpu and Kone. “As one commercial application, Cajo executed color patterning of the exterior of lift cabins. Our unique laser technology offers solutions for color patterning, industrial marking and custom designing of metal products without chemicals”, the company’s CEO Niko Karsikas says.
IoLiving wants to encourage and guide people in adopting a healthy, safe and cheerful lifestyle. IoLiving uses smart phones as a link between smart home and web services. This is the first IoT service in the world operated from a smart phone. “There are typically several smart phones in a family. They work as routers between home appliances and the website. Family members and friends can follow, manage and share daily information, which adds to overall energy efficiency. The idea behind a smart city is to benefit from the already existing appliances and technology. The Internet of Things (IoT) is here already”, says CEO Matti Verkasalo.
www.cajo.fi
www.ioliving.com
CleWorks
Solved – The Cleantech Company
CleWorks develops smart solutions for the energy sector. Their best-known product is CleBox, designed to effectively manage properties’ energy consumption. CleBox helps to reduce energy bills by switching power consumption automatically to the cheapest hours. “CleBox is designed mainly for people who use electric heating. It helps to save money, nature, energy, and for network operators it helps electricity load balancing. This user-friendly device can be used at home, holiday cottages and small businesses”, says CEO Jouni Kolvanki. CleBox is essential part of future smart grid solutions and available today.
Solved is a cleantech advisory service and digital collaboration platform. Solved brings together the leading experts, environmental challenges and new ways of working in order to cocreate appealing solutions. Over 700 world-class experts from hundreds of companies have already joined Solved. The experts of Solved have modernized district heating solutions in Slovakia, developed the cleantech strategy in Rauma and built up the concept of environmentally positive residential areas in collaboration with YIT. “Solved has already executed over 160 cleantech projects around the world. We have, together with other companies of the Oulu region, developed the region’s attractiveness, and thus attracted investments to Oulu”, says CEO Janne Hietaniemi.
www.cleworks.com
www.solved.fi
Valopaa specialises in intelligent outdoor lighting with wireless connectivity and cloud-based controlled systems that does not require extra cabling or switching cabinet installations. Deployment is simple and it is performed with the help of a mobile application. External data sources like traffic intensity, energy prices and weather conditions can be utilised in lighting control. Since the system is a true IoT solution, it is also ready for Smart Grid and Off-Grid solutions and can be managed anywhere via the internet. “With our intelligent adaptive system, the energy consumption of lighting is typically reduced by half, compared to constant power LED lighting. Streets, parks and other areas become safer. A smart city takes energy efficiency, security and comfortable living environments into account. In addition, lighting management is cost efficient and the system is ready to meet the demand for energy,” CEO Toivo Vilmi says. www.valopaa.com Picture by Cleantech Finland
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Pasi Tuominen, the CEO of Wapice.
Easy-to-use IoT-Ticket
Your Ticket to the Internet of Things
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apice Oy, a software house based in Vaasa, Finland, promotes the competitiveness of its clients in all areas of operations by using the newest information technology and innovations. The most recent cutting-edge product is the easiest, fastest, and most configurable IoT-Ticket user interface, to which third party systems can also be easily linked. The IoT-Ticket by Wapice is a part of the cost-effective Internet of Things. It connects the company’s machines and devices to the Internet and creates new, innovative business opportunities for industrial companies. The development of the user interface started in 2005. “The aim of the ten-year product development process has been to create the most easily accessible user interface in the market, one that anyone can implement and customize without any programming,” says Pasi Tuominen, the CEO of Wapice. The IoT-Ticket remote management and reporting system enables the cost-effective implementation of IoT services for various industries and purposes. “The IoT-Ticket combined with the electronic systems provided by the client or us
creates a functional IoT system with interfaces optimized for bus interfaces, business intelligence solutions, and REST-API interfaces needed for industrial use. The system can also be accessed with a regular smart phone,” Tuominen explains. “Our aim is to create an ecosystem between the users in the IoT world, where various parties are able to utilize each other with an easy-to-use and impressive user interface. With Big Data enabled, also analyzing large amounts of data is even easier than before. IoT-Ticket is your ticket to the IoT world; it is a collection of connected services with which the clients can manage the necessary entity.”
“Our aim is to create an ecosystem between the users in the IoT world, where various parties are able to benefit from each other through an easy-touse and impressive user interface.”
The software partner of ambitious large companies Founded in 1999, Wapice, with its 270 programmers in Finland, is building performance- and business-promoting software solutions for global, export-led industrial companies. The company’s services range from electronics and software design to industrial business data solutions. Local and global user interfaces work in both cloud services and web hosting services. “We invest a lot of time and energy in continuous renewal, product development and the implementation of new technologies. We look at the client’s business as a whole and aim to provide them with comprehensive solutions that improve their performance and competitiveness. This requires us to develop testing systems and continuously update our skills. We try to minimize all unnecessary operations. For instance, product development work is cost-effectively embedded into our project model,” Tuominen explains. TEXT: EA | www.wapice.com | www.iot-ticket.com |
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We offer the world’s best LED lights installed and maintained, without any investments, as well as substantial savings every month for five years.
Valtavalo’s CEO Markku Laatikainen.
Cost-efficiency and a competitive edge with energy-efficient LED tube lights What if your company could purchase energy-efficient LED lighting without investments or installation costs, and invest these freed resources into the core business in the next five years? Valtavalo Vaivaton makes it possible.
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pdating old fluorescent lights into energy-efficient LED lighting has traditionally demanded big oneoff investments, which has left the old fluorescents still flickering in the ceilings of many offices and warehouses. The Finnish company Valtavalo Oy has recently launched a concept called Valtavalo Vaivaton (= effortless), in which a lighting upgrade can be paid in monthly instalments, bringing the business significant savings at once. The Valtavalo Vaivaton service includes a free initial inspection, in which the current lighting is assessed, and plans for improvement are made. LED lighting with the longest lifetime in the market is then installed. Maintenance costs are included in the service, and in effect, Valtavalo will take care of the lighting in the customer’s facilities for the contract period of five years. The costs of Valtavalo Vaivaton are in most cases significantly lower than using the current lighting — which means that the customer has already budgeted for the service while budgeting for the current
electricity bill. Savings will come from a decreased power consumption, freeing up the fixed capital invested in lighting, and the elimination of maintenance costs. Valtavalo’s CEO Markku Laatikainen gives an example of a logistics business which benefits from considerable savings using the Valtavalo Vaivaton service. “The old fluorescent lighting has monthly costs of 2450 euros. The Valtavalo Vaivaton monthly rate plus the electric bill of the new LED lighting comes to less than 1000 euros a month altogether. Thus, the savings in the five year contract period will amount to almost 70 000 euros, CEO Laatikainen calculates.
Valtavalo Vaivaton saves both money and the environment Valtavalo wants to produce durable and long-lasting products that help save the environment. The products are manufactured in Finland using environment-friendly methods and packaged in recycled or recyclable materials. The LED tubes themselves will
save an outstanding amount of energy and CO2 emissions during their life span. The light advertisement experts at Imagon Oy in Kajaani ordered LED lighting for their production hall through the Valtavalo Vaivaton service this spring. “The ecological aspect of the service is important to us, and there is of course no harm in saving a substantial sum of money at the same time,” says Mika Okkonen, Imagon’s Chairman of the Board. Angry Birds Activity Park in Vuokatti has also been using safe and energy-efficient LED lighting for some time now. “Everyday operations take up all our energy, and we don’t always have the time to delve into the details of infrastructure management. The Valtavalo Vaivaton service is a great match for us. It would have been crazy not to choose the service, since the savings start right away with no risk, says Taneli Sutinen, CEO of Vuokatti SuperPark Oy. TEXT: EA
| www.valtavalo.fi |
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The impressive wooden concert- and congress centre Sibelius Hall is the venue of Cleantech Venture Day. The annual event brings 40–60 capital investors together with small businesses pitching their ideas, says Nina Harjula.
Lahti Region — Meeting place for investors and start-ups Cleantech is a very international rising industry, in which start-ups striving for growth have the challenge to get customers from abroad or cease to exist.
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ahti has supported cleantech businesses and created the environment for growth already since decades. Co-operation of capital investors, innovative cleantech start-ups and leading international companies has evolved the area into one of the most significant and fast-growing cleantech clusters in the Nordic countries.
“It’s been clear since the beginning that to ensure growth in the industry, we need to get foreign risk and capital investments. Another clearly laid path has been the internationalization of companies, since the fast-growing market for cleantech is outside Finland,” Nina Harjula, Business Develoment Manager at Lahden Seudun Kehitys LADEC Oy, says.
Cleantech Venture Day Small innovative businesses usually have two common problems — financing and finding clients. “We bring together the capital investors, growth businesses and potential customers,” Harjula explains. Cleantech Venture Day, organized in Lahti already for the tenth time, caters for these needs. It is one of the major cleantech investor events
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Leap to the next level Polar Island Oy developed at once from a local Lahti-based start-up to a national level enterprise by attending the LADEC Corporate Venture Program. Co-operation with S Group opened the domestic market for Polar Island’s products. Polar Island was founded last autumn around a technological innovation in refrigerating equipment. First products were installed at the grocery section of the Sokos department store in Lahti already in April. “We had local contacts, but the Corporate Venture Program gave us new nationallevel partners for product and business development as well as marketing which has been a major help,” CEO Pekka Vahtila describes. Product marketing has now been launched, in addition to Finland, in Central Europe and South East Asia. The first export deliveries will be sent already this year. TEXT: MLS
“It’s been clear since the beginning that to ensure growth in the industry, we need to get foreign risk and capital investments.” in Europe and judging by the number of participants one of the most popular of its kind. “Investors’ interest is guaranteed, because it’s such a compact and efficient event. They can be sure they meet selected businesses with genuinely new concepts from Finland, other Nordic Countries and the Baltic States, Harjula points out.
A shortcut for small businesses The big companies are equally interested in start-up innovations. For example Veolia, a leading international environment service company, has launched a new kind of open
Polar Island’s new fluid-circulating refrigerating equipment saves two thirds of energy consumption compared to common alternatives. They emerged on the domestic market at once through the Corporate Venture Program. In addition to lower energy consumption they are less expensive than competing products, and the cooling reduces the amount of goods disposal compared to selling in room temperature, says CEO Pekka Vahtila.
Register at: www.cleantechday.fi web service branded NIA (Nordic Innovation Accelerator) in co-operation with LADEC. The service, based on Veolia’s concept, gives a corporation a chance to publicly set a goal, which the NIA users in Finland and the Nordic Countries can try to achieve. “NIA is a shortcut, by which a small business can start co-operation with a big global enterprise,” Harjula says. NIA has proven useful also in LADEC’s Corporate Venture Program that aims in developing start-ups from a rookie to a champion. The pilot program that started last year
has proven a success since the very beginning. Three big companies involved — Fortum Oyj, Kuusakoski Oy and the S Group — published their challenges with NIA and chose the suitable ones out of over hundred companies supplying their solutions. The big companies also committed to start-up sparring sessions and now already six of the start-ups are launching a demo or a pilot. “Our expectations have been exceeded and the participants have been very pleased, Harjula concludes, adding that a new further-improved program is already being developed. | www.ladec.fi | TEXT: MLS
This is Lahti Cleantech Lahti Region has developed into a major Nordic environment know-how and business centre, where more than 130 companies operating in cleantech value chains employ about 5000 people. Lahti has gained international reputation especially in know-how regarding recycling,
water purification and soil remediation. A rising segment is CleanDesign, which combines cleantech with the area’s strong design know-how creating both environment-friendly and user-friendly solutions. www.lahtibusinessregion.com
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| Professionals | www.editori.fi |
The Wood Stone has been developed together with experts from various universities. The Wood Stone is the first in Finland to receive the EoW status according to the EU directive, says Reino Partanen, Chairman of the Board (in the middle). On the left Matti Hallinen and on the right Kimmo Rinne.
The First in Europe:
The Ecological WOOD STONE
D
estaclean Wood Stone is a unique recycling innovation which enables interesting and more ecological solutions for designing yard and traffic areas as well as environmental construction. The recycled fiber used in the wood stone is the first in Europe to replace as much as 20-25 weight precentage of the stone’s volume compared to traditional concrete stones. “For us at Destamatic Oy, the basis for developing the recycling of materials has been preserving natural raw materials by processing cast-off construction and packaging materials into recycled raw materials in order to produce high-quality recycled products. For instance, recycled wood gets up to 30 years of new life when used in recycled products. This is genuine recycling and material efficiency,” says Reino Partanen, Chairman of the Board.
Safe raw materials This manufacturing method is currently going through patenting and goes by the name of Destaclean, and it is an environmentally friendly alternative for recycling waste material. Destamatic’s innovative process is in line with the EU Waste Framework Directive. The directive requires all member countries to recycle 70 per cent of all construction and demolition waste for use as material by 2020. Incineration is not a permissible alternative.
The Wood Stone is manufactured from castoff construction and packaging wood which is first processed into wood fiber. Other raw materials used in Wood Stone are natural stone, cement and water. The materials are refined and the treatment process is secured so that the recycled raw materials are safe in their end usage location. Partanen says that Destamatic’s goal for the coming years is to expand its client base and partner network both in Finland and in the European market by producing more recycled products utilizing the Destaclean concept. The company aims to manufacture products that are made of nearly 100% recycled materials. Based on test manufacturing, the prospects are promising for manufacturing recycled products from nearly all construction waste materials.
Versatile Destaclean “In addition to the three basic color variants, it is possible to customize the stones according to the tone that the client desires,” says Kimmo Rinne, Chief Technology Officer. The Destaclean Wood Stone range includes the most commonly used products for yard landscaping. “We are going to expand our range to include other landscaping products as well, because the Destaclean wood stone material is very versatile,” Rinne continues. TEXT: MLS | www.destamatic.fi |
“It is justified to say that this innovation is a breakthrough in the recycling of construction and packaging materials.”